The former owner of Ebony and Jet Magazine is this year's featured speaker.
Linda Johnson Rice is the featured speaker at tonight’s annual Women’s History Month event hosted by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Office of Student Involvement and Leadership. Rice is a journalist, publisher and former chairman/CEO of Johnson Publishing Company, formerly the parent company for Ebony and Jet magazines.
Having Our Sway: Women Gaining Power Through Purpose, begins at 6 p.m. and will be presented via Zoom. The virtual event is free and open to the public.
“We hope to celebrate and honor prestigious women by showcasing their contributions that helped pave the way for our future generations,” said Kara Brown, dean of student activities. “We are thrilled to have Mrs. Linda Johnson Rice speaking to our community.”
As the youngest and first African American woman CEO among the top five of the Black Enterprise 100s largest Black-owned companies, Johnson Rice has been “a ray of positivity on the Black community with her strong and resilient leadership,” according to a news release. She has served as a board member for several organizations including the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and the Women’s Board for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Tonight’s event will begin with opening remarks from Raven Franklin, an honors student and the 91st Miss University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Franklin is part of the UAPB STEM Scholars and has represented the university’s STEM Academy on campus, state and national conferences. Johnson Rice is a living legacy and an example of the strength women hold, Franklin said.
“A queen knows how to build her empire with the same stones that were thrown at her,” Franklin said. “The purpose of Women’s History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women’s history and remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women.”
A link to the Zoom webinar is available at uapb.edu.