Emil Wilbekin facts for kids

Emil Wilbekin (born September 16, 1967) is an American journalist and media expert. He is also a stylist, content creator, and human rights activist. He used to be the editor-in-chief of Vibe and Giant magazines. He also worked as an editor-at-large for Essence and its website. Emil Wilbekin was also the chief content officer for Afropunk. He started Native Son Now, an organization that helps and celebrates Black gay men. It aims to show positive examples and create business chances for them.

Early Life and Education

Emil Wilbekin was adopted as a baby by a Black family in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father, Harvey Earl Wilbekin, became a lawyer. His mother, Dr. Cleota P. Wilbekin, was a sociologist and lawyer before becoming a law judge. Emil and his older brother Erik grew up in a comfortable home.

College Years

Wilbekin went to Hampton University for college. There, he was the editor-in-chief of the school's newspaper, Hampton Script. He graduated in 1989 with a degree in mass media arts. After that, he studied at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. He earned a master's degree in journalism in 1990.

Career in Media

After graduate school, Emil Wilbekin worked as a freelance journalist for two years. He wrote for major newspapers like New York Times and Chicago Tribune. He also wrote for magazines like Metropolitan Home.

Starting Vibe Magazine

In 1992, Wilbekin was on vacation with friends. They started thinking about a new magazine. This magazine would focus on hip-hop music and Black culture. With support from Quincy Jones, their idea became Vibe magazine. Wilbekin was one of its first editors.

Growing at Vibe

Wilbekin first worked on Vibes "Next" section, focusing on music. His first cover story was about Mary J. Blige. In 1995, he became the style editor. By 1997, he was the magazine's fashion editorial director. In 1999, he also took on this role for Vibes sister magazines, Spin and Blaze.

The next month, Wilbekin became the editor-in-chief of Vibe. In 2000, he helped the magazine reach more readers. He also created HomeGirls, a special section just for women. He was praised for including stories about the gay community in the magazine. This helped connect hip-hop with its gay fans. He believed his job was to make sure all topics, including homosexuality, were treated fairly.

Awards and Recognition at Vibe

Under Wilbekin's leadership, Vibe was nominated for a National Magazine Award in 2001. This award, also called "The Ellie," was for best photography. The next year, Vibe won "The Ellie" for overall excellence. It won against other famous magazines like The New Yorker and Wired.

This win led to Wilbekin being named to Out magazine's Out 100 list. The New York Times also wrote a profile about him. In 2003, he produced the Vibe Awards. He was then promoted to editorial director for all of Vibe Media's operations. After 12 years, he left Vibe in 2004. He joined Marc Ecko's brand and served on Complex magazine's editorial board.

Work at Giant and Essence

In 2008, Wilbekin became editor-in-chief of Giant magazine. In 2009, he moved to Essence.com as managing editor. By 2012, he was editor-at-large for Essence magazine. He wrote a column about cultural events and interviewed celebrities. These included Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, and Puff Daddy.

He also helped Essence cover same-gender-loving relationships in the Black community. The magazine featured its first profile of a lesbian couple in its "Bridal Bliss" section. This coverage earned the publication a 2011 GLAAD Award for outstanding digital journalism. He left Essence in 2014. He wanted to focus on promoting LGBTQ+ representation in media. He started his own company, World of Wilbekin.

Afropunk and Cultural Commentary

From 2018 to 2020, Wilbekin was the chief content officer for Afropunk. He worked to make Afropunk a safe space for Black queer people. In 2020, he left Afropunk to focus fully on helping the Black gay community.

Throughout his career, Wilbekin has been a cultural critic and commentator. He talks about fashion, music, LGBTQ+ issues, Black lives, and activism. He has appeared in many publications and TV channels. These include New York Times, CNN, and MTV. He often speaks about the passing of famous artists. He spoke to CNN about Aaliyah in 2001. He live-blogged Michael Jackson's memorial service in 2009. He also commented on Aretha Franklin's funeral in 2018.

He also shared his thoughts on Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Music Video Awards. He said it was not West's place to speak for Beyoncé.

Native Son Now

In 2015, Emil Wilbekin started thinking about turning his company, World of Wilbekin, into a movement. He realized that Black gay men needed more unity. They needed more ways to connect, network, and celebrate each other. When he returned to New York, he was inspired by James Baldwin's book Notes of a Native Son. He decided to create an organization to support Black queer men. He named it Native Son Now.

Launch and Early Initiatives

Native Son Now officially launched in 2016 with an awards ceremony. It celebrated the achievements of Black gay men. Honorees included Don Lemon and George C. Wolfe. Wilbekin continued to promote the Black queer community. He partnered with Google for an event about Black gay men in tech. He also worked with Bloomingdale's for gay pride merchandise. Native Son Now also worked to challenge harmful ideas about masculinity. They also pushed to end the stigma around HIV.

Expanding Reach in 2020

In 2020, Native Son Now teamed up with Human Rights Campaign and Color Of Change. They pushed for data on COVID-19 to address its unfair impact on Black communities. Wilbekin also launched The Black Gay Leadership Forum. This was the world's first online meeting of its kind. It brought together 100 Black gay leaders, activists, and business people. They talked about staying connected during isolation.

This focus on Black gay men expanded in 2020. It included Black gay innovation in fashion. Wilbekin also helped produce Darnell L. Moore's Being Seen podcast. This podcast also highlighted the achievements of Black gay men. Native Son Now also held its 2020 Native Son Awards. They honored people like Lee Daniels and Billy Porter. The year ended with the release of the Native Son 101. This was the first list of over 101 successful Black gay men from many different fields.

Awards and Honors

Since starting Native Son Now, Emil Wilbekin has received many awards.

• In 2016, he was named a Black Enterprise Modern Man.
• In 2017, Out magazine and Cadillac gave him the "Master of Style" award.
• The Boy Scouts of America honored him with the 2017 Harlem Good Scout Award.
• He received GLAAD's 2018 Ric Weiland Award.
• Fast Company named him one of the Most Creative People of 2019.
• He won ADColor's 2019 Advocate Award.
• HIV Plus declared him the #1 most amazing person living with HIV in 2019.
• TheBody.com called him a Renaissance Man.
• He was honored at Cincinnati's 2020 Black gay Pride event.

Personal Life

Emil Wilbekin is openly gay. He is a Christian and also a Universal Life minister.