One Saturday, on my way to Penn Station, I made it a point to stop by local convenience store Duane Reade for some last-minute grabs.

And, as I walked down the news aisle, a realization came upon me that many in the store probably wouldn't have given a damn about.

My observation? With the exception of the usual entertainment, hip-hop, sports publications that were abound - there was no material that was a reflection of me as a young, educated, conscious-driven, voter-registration-card-carrying, professional Black man. Most of the faces, headlines and stories of the people who looked like me in these publications were of athletes, entertainers, street thugs and the trashy women who worshiped them.

I saw very little about the working, Black middle class, Black college students, Black neighborhoods, Black churches, Black families, Black politics, Black doctors, Black lawyers, Black establishments, small Black business owners, Black corporate leaders, Black teachers, Black principals, Black schools - anything on Black life that didn't have a criminal, buffoonish and corrupt aspect to it.

"Uh, excuse me sir, may I help you?" an employee asked.

I turned and answered: "Yes, you may ... Ebony, Black Enterprise and The Amsterdam ... please."

The employee looked startled. He later found a copy of each for me - in the back of the rack of course.

Shaking my head while forking over cash I decided not to give a rigorous history lesson to this man on the importance of these publications and why I purchased them – instead, I raced to catch my train.

My dismay in the store that day came around the time it was reported that Ebony magazine’s parent company — Johnson Publishing — was seeking a buyer or investor for the flagship publication. It was also reportedly unclear as to whether the company’s other entities such as Jet magazine would be sold.

According to a Newsweek report, Johnson Publishing CEO, Linda Johnson Rice, approached Time Inc., Viacom and other private investors. However, the company spokeswoman said that information was incorrect.

“As we’ve indicated previously, we are exploring a range of options to support our core media business,” Wendy Parks stated. “We are not in discussions with Time Inc. and Viacom.”

Whether the disturbing news is true or not, Black Americans can not afford to lose this treasure that has graced the presence of many household coffee tables for generations. And, with that said, whoever buys the struggling company will have ultimate control of its editorial content, which means the richness, empathy and soul of the magazine's mission to offer coverage of the "over side" of Black life will be diluted.

Let's make this clear: Ebony is as important today as it was when it was launched in 1945.

Then, Blacks were fiercely discriminated against and were forced to live as second class "American" citizens - despite the many aspirations that existed within the Black community. And, white leaders - for the record - refused to portray Blacks as a civilized, educated people, thus the Black face and the "coonish" acts of old Hollywood.

But, Blacks knew better. Our community saw and had encountered Black professionals: the teachers, the church leaders, the doctors, the construction workers and the like. And, it wasn't until John H. Johnson came along and presented those faces and stories for us to see and read through the pages of Ebony and Jet magazines.

This was us - at last.

Not only did Ebony provide a glimpse into the untold and often-ignored world of Black America - its publisher, Johnson, provided employment security and stability in hiring the very people he covered. These Black journalists were the same people told by white editors they did not posses the basic comprehensive, journalistic skills to craft well-rounded stories – much less know how to read or write.

Now, fast forward to the year 2009.

Yes, Black America has witnessed the election of this nation's first African-American President in Barack Obama, but in some ways, it is still living in means similar to that of 1945. From health care to unemployment - Black Americans are last in just about every category imaginable. And, the depictions and images provided by the mainstream media are eerily similar that of those old school "coons" and "clowns" of the 1940s - simply modernized.

As for Black journalists? Well, the numbers in print newsrooms and television stations are dwindling. Excuses and lame statements of a bad economy are given as companies lay off employees and diversity as well. In cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Chicago and Houston - cities with large Black populations - our communities are often covered by people who do not resemble us.

Where's the familiarity?

Where's the empathy?

Where's the soul?

With that said, for those brothers and sisters who have blatantly argued there is no longer a need for Ebony or Jet, obviously have strayed too far from the struggle and is apparently pleased with the current images that are being portrayed of Blacks: athletes and celebrities strolling around with gold grilles canoodling and posing with the likes of the Kardashian sisters; the sick mentality of "shoot your brother down" and "turn from your sister"; and the over-sympathasing manner of white suburbanites rushing to the aid of helping the poor, uneducated Black.

These are reasons why Ebony magazine should stay alive - Black owned and operated. The magazine provides a fresh sense of balance that is needed to cover a still evolving people. It provides content that is needed to cover an ethnic group that has been an integral part of this country since it was founded.

If ever a person questions why Ebony is needed - they should immediately walk into the closest drug store and walk down the magazine aisle. They should flip through the pages of each magazine, scroll down the list of editorial employees and critique the subject matter as well. Do this and you will notice - it's almost as if Blacks don't exist.

As I ran to catch the train to Philadelphia I had in the grip of my hands Black Enterprise, The Amsterdam News and Ebony. An older, Black train operator looked at me with a similar stare as the worker at Duane Reade - she was surprised someone my age would be reading such material.

"Young man ... where's the Source, Vibe and that other magazine you guys like to read ... XXL?" she asked.

I gave her a grin and answered, "any other day I would be reading those, but today I'm going to read about my people."

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