Drawn from the African American Museum’s photographic archive of more than 40,000 images, "People Who Make the World Go ‘Round: The Legacy of Sepia Magazine" will highlight one of the 20th century’s most iconic Black magazines chronicling legendary figures like Aretha Franklin, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Maya Angelou, Muhammad Ali, and James Earl Jones.

Published for nearly four decades, Sepia served as a powerful voice in Black journalism, chronicling political change, cultural innovation and everyday life in African American communities nationwide. During its peak, Sepia emerged as a national competitor to Ebony and Jet magazines, distinguished by its Southern perspective and editorial voice rooted in the American South.

The magazine was founded in Fort Worth in 1946 as Negro Achievements by clothing merchant Horace J. Blackwell. After Blackwell’s death in 1949, publisher George Levitan purchased the publication and renamed it Sepia in 1950, continuing its publication until 1983.

The exhibition will remain on display through August 11.