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Drum magazine black identity contruction: Analyese of black identity.

Origins of Drum magazine

The history of Drum spans over 60 years, the publication was founded during a time of major political and social changes that ensured that the country remained segregated and enforced rules by those in power. In 1951, the first edition of Drum magazine was released with the title of The African Drum- a Magazine for Africa by Africa first appeared in March. Before the founder Jim Bailey and editor Bob Crisp were facing financial problems because of the lack of appeal from the black readers, the sales for the magazine were low and the readers who reside in the townships could not implement the agricultural tips suggested. Bailey implemented a few changes in the management as well as the content which mainly concerned articles that relate to the ecology and agriculture as well as documenting music from the African tribal genre. Bailey realised that there is an emerging evolution of urbanisation that was being formed in many of the black communities that needed to be documented. A shift in strategy aimed at winning more readers saw increasing numbers of black male journalist and photographers being hired (Clowes 2008:180).

The editor team was changed to include journalist such as Henry Nxumalo and Anthony Sampson worked together to revamp the design, aesthetics and content to fit in with the demands of the market. One of the changes that followed the magazine was to emulate an American culture, which was seen as being more contemporary, the decision was in support of the African advisory board to assist with the transition. In the initial years the publication was only in circulation in South Africa, where the major focus was on Johannesburg, and then moved to include covering the rest of the African continent. In an effort to depict the true realities of African lives, the publication faced clashes with the state as it enforced “efforts to censor the press escalated from the middle of the 1950s and in 1956 for instance ( Clowes 2008:181). Between the years 1965 and 1968 the publication faced major troubles as it was banned by the state. Drum magazine is still in monthly circulation today, but the direction has completely changed from being political driven as “powerful shapers of public opinion” to that of publication that embrace tabloid stories.

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This books aims to celebrate the legacy Drum magazine has created in the History of South African publication industry.Drum magazine has played a huge role in documenting Black lives in the townships and also journalism. The magazine included articles that relates to the black community ,whether it is the harsh reality of the Apartheid era or celebrating black excellence, inspiring hope to new upcoming black journalist, Drum documented all stories which subsequently impacted the black identity. Female representation on the magazine covers during the 1950s is one crucial element to how society viewed women.Women were depicted for their physical appearance rather then highlighting their intellectual capabilities compared to their male counterparts. the issue of black hair is a major issue as hair styles displayed in their media might be in conflict with ones own ethnic identity. The publication has continued to evolve in the 21st century, as it changed to celebrating tabloid culture compared to the how previously it related their articles to documenting the harsh reality of life during the apartheid era. This book will discuss these issues in detail by discussing the origins of the publication , the analyses of Drum magazine covers and politics of black hair .key authors such as Clowes and Vanessa king will be used to apply their knowledge and elaborate the topics further.
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1. Introduction Drum magazine is considered one of the pioneers of documenting black journalism, as one of the oldest publication in South Africa, drum magazine has gained a variety of readers from the youth to the senior generations. The magazine began in the initial phase of the apartheid policy which saw the restriction of movement as well as went on to oppress the dignity for the black population, as a magazine, Drum made it a point to document black people living in the urban areas near the city (townships) in the township and exposed to a new way of living. Drum also featured articles that addressed the political issues that the black population faced, in an era where other publication stayed away from writing about the struggle, Drum continued to publish the many efforts to gain emancipation and true freedom which got them in hot waters with the state in power. Even though it has enjoyed great success, Drum cannot be exempt from portraying women in an unfavourable light compared to the male counterparts which reinforce the male gaze. Drum took a different direction post-democracy in 1994, from having a politically influenced writing to embracing the tabloid culture which has subsequently influence how black community view themselves. the standards of what is acceptable black hair are clearly evident, as black women try to negate how they want their hair to look like, the still succumb to influence of magazine covers idea of "good looking' hair. This book will trace back the evolution of Drum magazine as well as highlight issues of identity and globalisation influence towards black women.
2. Origins of Drum magazine
  
  The history of Drum spans over 60 years, the publication was founded during a time of major political and social changes that ensured that the country remained segregated and enforced rules by those in power. In 1951, the first edition of Drum magazine was released with the title of The African Drum- a Magazine for Africa by Africa first appeared in March. Before the founder Jim Bailey and editor Bob Crisp were facing financial problems because of the lack of appeal from the black readers, the sales for the magazine were low and the readers who reside in the townships could not implement the agricultural tips suggested. Bailey implemented a few changes in the management as well as the content which mainly concerned articles that relate to the ecology and agriculture as well as documenting music from the African tribal genre. Bailey realised that there is an emerging evolution of urbanisation that was being formed in many of the black communities that needed to be documented. A shift in strategy aimed at winning more readers saw increasing numbers of black male journalist and photographers being hired (Clowes 2008:180).
  
  The editor team was changed to include journalist such as Henry Nxumalo and Anthony Sampson worked together to revamp the design, aesthetics and content to fit in with the demands of the market. One of the changes that followed the magazine was to emulate an American culture, which was seen as being more contemporary, the decision was in support of the African advisory board to assist with the transition. In the initial years the publication was only in circulation in South Africa, where the major focus was on Johannesburg, and then moved to include covering the rest of the African continent. In an effort to depict the true realities of African lives, the publication faced clashes with the state as it enforced “efforts to censor the press escalated from the middle of the 1950s and in 1956 for instance ( Clowes 2008:181). Between the years 1965 and 1968 the publication faced major troubles as it was banned by the state. Drum magazine is still in monthly circulation today, but the direction has completely changed from being political driven as “powerful shapers of public opinion” to that of publication that embrace tabloid stories.
3. Drum Magazine Cover analysis
  
  For centuries the depiction of women has never been favourable, women are illustrated as mere objects to be analysed, sexualised and measured by men. Drum magazine as one of the leading publications to document the black people in the 1950s, they also followed international trends that depict women in positions that were not equal to their male counterparts.
  
  The western and African tradition often considered the male voice to be stronger than that of the women and The mid-twentieth century construed an identity that meant “some young men to express their manhood through the subordination of women” (Clowes 2008:185). Women rights were not taken for granted therefore it not surprising that their covers chose to focus on how their beauty and physical appearance rather than their intellectual capabilities. When male figures appear on the cover their either displace for their ability to take care of their family and exert control of women or the appear as a result of the political affiliation of which it made it seem like women had no desire to take action of the current political situation that affected black people at that time. The popularity of Drum in the 1950s meant that it played a key role in delivering social commentary on the depiction of black people in and around Johannesburg.
  
  The year 1956 is an important year in the South African calendar, as it marks the year in which the women’s march to the Union Buildings to offer the grievance to the ruling party of the unfair treatment of women as well as to demand equal rights in the society. The depiction of women before the event took place was set out and men usually took the leadership role when it came to struggling for political emancipation, therefore this particular march changed the idea of women being submissive instead women took charge of equality across the racial spectrum despite societal norms.the April 1956 cover illustrate the roles, according to male standards, that women should occupy.in which women should take domestic roles in the household and leadership role, however on the ground many women initiate change and took action to fight injustice.this cover might mislead the readers that women were indeed not seen as mere objects rather as one to be taken seriously. A majority of the covers either had women depicted with a male figure or the covers depicted women within a sexual context.
  Some research indicates that women were as equally involved in the acquisition of freedom behind the scenes, however, they never got to be in the spotlight as their male counterparts. According to Hooks (2000;3), contemporary movement from its inception, they were not individuals who became the “stars” of the movement, who attracted the attention of mass media and this is a crucial distinction to how the patriarchal norms have been ingrained within the society.
  
  The magazine took a different direction at the beginning of the dawn of democracy, instead of operating on a "black conscious" aura during the apartheid era, it managed to re-brand itself as a publication that celebrates tabloid culture. it is evident that that global trend has influenced the re-positioning the magazine, as the publication, embrace other magazine standards of "good" journalism and abandoned current affairs news. the magazine cover below is a recent example how the publication looks today, from female representation to the text and glossy imagery are all used to entice readers, all speak to consumerism which has nothing to do with social issues. articles all includes tips to improve your life (from beauty to lifestyle) as well as general questions from readers, none of them addresses social ills that plague the nation.

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