JACKSONVILLE, FL – A new independent publication is quickly making its presence known in the Bold City.
Bold Magazine, launched in November by Jacksonville natives Maurice Henderson and Troy McNair Sr., is dedicated to highlighting young Black entrepreneurs, businesses, and artists, while paying homage to the Black magazines many grew up seeing on their parents’ coffee tables, like JET, Ebony, and Vibe.
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Henderson and McNair are also the founders of the Think Bold Festival, and say the print publication is a natural extension of their mission to connect culture and commerce in Jacksonville.
“What we started paying attention to was that there are some bold-preneurs out there,” McNair, co-founder of Bold Magazine, said. “We felt they need to be amplified because they’re doing great work, but you don’t hear about them in publications.”
Each issue of Bold Magazine focuses on Black-owned businesses, creatives and community leaders whose stories might otherwise go untold. The founders say documenting those stories now is as much about the future as it is about the present.
“We’re definitely honoring bold-preneurs that are Black Americans, and we’re sharing their story,” they said. “Because 50 years from now, 100 years from now, they will be a part of a story.”
For Henderson, the work is also deeply personal. As he traced his own family history, he learned that his great-great-great-grandfather, Gustavus Henderson, started what he says was the first Black-owned magazine in Winter Park.
“For me, it’s a little bit more personal,” Henderson said. “Just throughout learning my family’s lineage… So for me, it’s almost like a legacy.”
From layout to photography, Bold’s design intentionally echoes the look and feel of legacy Black publications.
“Ebony Magazine, JET Magazine, Essence Magazine,” McNair said. “So I think Bold is actually well on their shoulders of giving new stories, whether it’s culture or whether it’s commerce.”
They say every story is meant to leave readers feeling seen and motivated.
“The overall arching theme, I think, is for the reader to be able to identify with somebody that they can relate to,” they said
Already, the magazine is sparking conversation and driving customers to the businesses it features.
“What they will do is post on social media with the magazine and talk about how folks are coming to their businesses,” the founders said. “As a matter of fact, we have other businesses calling us: ‘When you guys gonna do a story about us?’ A lot of times, they can email us. If we think the story is great… then we’ll amplify it.”
Bold Magazine can already be found in local shops and businesses across Jacksonville, and the co-founders say they plan to continue expanding their reach and the range of stories they tell, keeping Black entrepreneurs, creators and community voices at the center.