People Who Make the World Go ‘Round: The Legacy of Sepia Magazine

Sepia was a leading, photo-based magazine of the mid-twentieth century, drawing in subscribers from around the United States with its eye-catching photography, leadership focus, and special interest stories, all told from a Black perspective.

Chronicling its nearly 40-year span, from 1947 to 1983, this exhibition highlights Sepia’s heyday as a national competitor to Ebony and Jet, while directing attention to its own distinct style and audience coming from the American South. People Who Make the World Go ‘Round charts the legacy of Sepia magazine, emphasizing the role of photo-based magazines, and the way the political landscape shaped Black-interest photojournalism.

Originally published in 1947 as Negro Achievements by African American entrepreneur Horace J. Blackwell, the magazine was subsequently purchased by Jewish American businessman George Levitan in 1951 and became the rival of the more popular Chicago-based Ebony magazine through the 1970s. Sepia was upbeat, motivational, feel good, and in the early years, quite sensational. While based in segregated Fort Worth, Texas, Sepia grew in popularity during the civil rights movement, offering a national and increasingly world view of Black people and issues as part of a global diaspora.

Leading with photography, and above all, portraits of notable African Americans—in business, arts and entertainment, science, politics and everyday life—Sepia had a style comparable to Life, Look, and later Ebony magazine, where photography and the role of the photojournalist was key. The lesser-known subjects of Sepia’s “human interest” stories alongside portraits of prominent African Americans in public life, such as Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, Pam Grier, Sidney Poitier, Malcolm X, and Muhammad Ali, transformed its large format pages with clever journalism and catchy advertising, drawing in loyal readers and fans.

With images of key figures in Black life from the mid-twentieth century as well as examples of the magazine’s content and stories, People Who Make the World Go ‘Round revisits the heyday of print photojournalism and provides historical context for the popularity of digital media representations today.

The exhibition is curated by Dr. Cheryl Finley, who holds a PhD in African American Studies and History of Art from Yale University. An art historian, award-winning author, and curator, Finley is the director of the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective and distinguished visiting professor of Art History at Spelman College.

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Exhibition Details

Approximately 75 photographs and additional ephemera.

(Some pedestals may be required by venue.)

  • Content

    Fee Includes:
    Press Kit
    Registrar’s Packet
    Programming Guide
    Gallery Guide
    Text Panels
    Narrative Labels
    Full Insurance
    Installation Instructions
    Custom-Designed and Built Crates

  • Curated By

    Cheryl Finley, PhD

  • Organized By

    Mid-America Arts Alliance, ExhibitsUSA

  • Out-of-Region Rental Fee

    $8400

  • In-Region Rental Fee

    $5160

  • Duration

    7-week display

  • Shipping

    Van Line

  • Running Feet

    TBD

  • Square Feet

    --

  • Security

    Standard

  • Number of Crates/Total Weight

    Approx. 5 crates

  • Insurance

    The exhibition is fully insured by ExhibitsUSA at no additional expense to you, both while installed and during transit.

Tour Schedule

People Who Make the World Go ‘Round: The Legacy of Sepia Magazine is touring January 2026 through January 2031. The dates below reflect seven-week exhibition periods. Dates are subject to change; please contact MoreArt@maaa.org or (800) 473-3872 x208/209 for current availability.

  • January 28 - March 16, 2026 Nova Southeastern University
    Fort Lauderdale, FL     booked
  • April 6 - August 11, 2026 African American Museum of Dallas
    Dallas, TX     pending
  • September 1 - October 20, 2026
    available
  • November 10, 2026 - January 7, 2027
    available
  • January 28 - March 16, 2027 Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum
    Temple, TX     booked
  • April 6 - May 25, 2027
    available
  • June 16 - August 11, 2027 Griot Museum of Black History & Culture
    St. Louis, MO     booked
  • September 1 - October 20, 2027
    available
  • November 10, 2027 - January 7, 2028 Converse Library at Glenrock
    Glenrock, WY     pending
  • January 28 - March 16, 2028
    available
  • April 6 - May 25, 2028 Refurbishment at Mid-America Arts Alliance
    Kansas City, MO     booked
  • June 16 - August 11, 2028
    available
  • September 1 - October 20, 2028
    available
  • November 10, 2028 - January 7, 2029
    available
  • January 28 - March 16, 2029 The McKinley Presidential Library and Museum
    Canton, OH     booked
  • April 6 - May 25, 2029
    available
  • June 16 - August 11, 2029
    available
  • September 1 - October 20, 2029
    available
  • November 10, 2029 - January 7, 2030
    available
  • January 28 - March 16, 2030
    available
  • April 6 - May 25, 2030
    available
  • June 16 - August 11, 2030
    available
  • September 1 - October 20, 2030
    available
  • November 10, 2030 - January 7, 2031
    available

Downloads & Resources

To view and download the factsheet for People Who Make the World Go ‘Round: The Legacy of Sepia Magazine, click HERE.