Wal-Mart and Others Selling First Ebony Greeting Cards

BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores are selling the first series of Ebony Inspirations greetings cards in celebration of Black History Month. The cards also debuted in other select retail outlets, including Jewel-Osco, CVS, Eckerd, Rite Aid and Kmart. Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Co., home of Ebony magazine, partnered with American Greetings, Cleveland, to create the greeting cards. Classic Ebony cover images will be used on the cards. The images date back to 1948 and include a variety of notable African Americans, including legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, feature performer Josephine Baker, musical legend Duke Ellington and Ebony magazine‘s founder, the late John H. Johnson. Beyond the initial launch, Ebony and American Greetings will introduce a co-branded line of greeting cards for various occasions. The deal was brokered by Santa Monica, Calif.- based licensing agency TurnerPatterson.