Black History Month is, among other things, a media event. And believe it or not, there was a time when the cover of a magazine was considered an unparalleled promotional powerhouse. Following is a collection of covers that feature an artist, personality, historical event, or publication of significance in black history. This series is co-produced by Linda Rubes of Fortune magazine. View the full list here. (Cover at left: Time, April 6, 1970, painting of Jesse Jackson by Jacob Lawrence, for a special issue on “Black America 1970.”)

The Wayback Machine

Walking into any library, there is an index showing everything that is included and where to find it. The Internet has no such directory, just an earnest tour guide in Google who can tell you what he’s seen. But there are some great tools on line to help you sort it out. So in the spirit of the helpful guy at the information desk, let me share them with you.