The Essence team denied the allegations in a statement Monday, calling them mischaracterizations and unfounded attempts to discredit our brand and assassinate personal character.. An op-ed, titled The Truth About Essence and written by Black Female Anonymous was published on Medium on Sunday that outlined allegations of a toxic workplace culture in which Black employees are systematically suppressed by pay inequity, sexual harassment, corporate bullying, intimidation, colorism and classism.. The American Hotel & Lodging Association recommends $1 to $5 a night left daily, preferably in a marked envelope making it clear that it is intended for the housekeeper. Inside 'The Epoch Times,' a Mysterious Pro-Trump Newspaper - The Atlantic The group has given Ms. Wanga, the interim leader, until the close of business on Friday to comply. [W]e are excited to be able to return this culturally relevant and historically significant platform to ownership by the people and the consumers whom it serves, and offer new opportunities for the women leading the business to also be partners in the business, said Dennis of the Essence brand acquisition. In the summer of 2020, a Medium article was published with damning accusations against Essences owner Richelieu Dennis. Clearly, Ebanks team hopes that Essence wont just evolve, but thrive and survive for the next 48 years. 40 Founders Of Black-Owned Hair Care Brands You Should Know About | Essence At the helm of these beloved brands are Black business owners who've made it their mission from the beginning to. Its branding was so popular . I hope this means there is an opportunity for us to stay in business, she said. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. On Thursday (Jan. 4), Essencethe nations leading African American-focused publicationwas sold by Time Inc. to a newly formed company backed by Richelieu Dennis, a multimillionaire personal-care-products mogul. The original name in concept was Sapphire. After the former CEO Michelle Ebanks stepped down in March, the company announced that Dennis would have direct oversight of the company while it searched for a new CEO. In the essay, Black Female Anonymous tied their efforts to the larger social protest movement that has swept the country. Our objective is to make it into that by making it inviting, by diversifying subjects, by being inclusive in the brands, by being intentional in the commitments.. The executive team will also have an ownership interest in the business. The authors called for the resignation of Dennis and other executives, urged for an advertising boycott and painted a damning portrait of Dennis, including alleging that his surface-level commitment to Black women is driven by greed and a debaucherous sexual appetite, that he has sexually harassed multiple women and has used NDAs to protect his family against liability or disparagement. That superseded the priority of Black hair care.. This article was originally published in American Essence magazine. She looked like a statue of an ancient African goddess, sort of that Grace Jones bold look, but with clothes. Today, however, Time Inc. is set to be owned by Midwest magazine publisher Meredith Corporation, which bought the conglomerate late last year in a $2.8 billion take-over, partially funded by the conservative-focused Koch brothers. Later in the essay, the writers said the problems at Essence predated the arrival of Mr. Dennis. The essay said Mr. Dennis tried to force Essence employees and contractors to sign nondisclosure agreements to protect him and his family from liability or disparagement after a string of wrongful layoffs. It also said that Mr. Denniss wife, Martha Dennis, whom it described as the companys head of human resources, should not serve in that role, calling the arrangement a blatant conflict of interest. (An Essence spokeswoman denied that Ms. Dennis was the head of human resources, saying that she had advised the company in its ongoing HR transition as the company searched for a full-time HR lead.). Historian Victor Davis Hanson on the Farmer's Virtues - American Essence All rights Reserved. Magazine articles are $250 per article. We idolize Black capitalism, Black consumerism, and Black wealth over Black people, and I dont see this being an issue at all for them. The Daily Beast attempted to reach out to former and current Essence magazine employees to get their views on Dennis latest business ventures in light of the 2020 controversy. A target of Black Female Anonymous is Richelieu Dennis, the owner of Essence Ventures, the parent company of the magazine and Essence Communications. It began publishing Essence magazine in May 1970. This was an important week for minority media. Know Thyself sweathshirt available @Alkebulan Ujaama Book Store. We can now invest in women of color as consumers., With Sale, Essence Is Once Again a Fully Black-Owned Magazine, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/us/essence-sale-black-owned.html. Its target audience is the African-American community, and its coverage includes the lifestyles and accomplishments of influential black people, fashion, beauty, and politics.. Ebony magazine was founded in 1945 by John H. Johnson, for his Johnson Publishing Company.He sought to address African-American issues . They dont take into account victims unless its close to home or it happens to them personally.. Mr. Dennis said that he approached Time Inc. about buying Essence after Time Inc. agreed in November to be sold to the Meredith Corporation, the owner of Better Homes & Gardens and Family Circle, in an all-cash transaction worth about $2.8 billion. Get notified about exclusive offers every week! Long a touchstone of Black culture, Essence celebrated its 50th anniversary with its May issue, which featured the model Naomi Campbell on the cover. Co-founded by Ed Lewis and Clarence Smith in 1968, Essence has been one of the lifestyle go-to companies for African-American women. U.S. Magazine Industry - Statistics & Facts | Statista No one cares about Black women, she continued. As reported earlier by Journal-isms for The Root, the Essence brand was not part of the historic, nearly $3 billion sale of Time Inc. to the Meredith Corp. in November 2017. Yet the sale, no matter its community significance, suggests that minority-focused magazines will forever remain along the fringes of major media. who owns essence magazine | Orbit According to Page Six reporting, the employees are giving Essence executives an ultimatum: respond in five business days or they will release personal testimonials of pay inequity, workplace bullying, lay-offs while on maternity leave and immediately after giving birth and sexual harassment. Using the Black Female Anonymous nom de plume again, they launched a change.org petition to get signatures for their resignation. By clicking submit, you agree to receive emails from Rolling Out and accept our web terms of use and privacy and cookie policy. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Essence covers African-American beauty and style. This pocket Bluetooth printer lets you print your precious memories before they hit Instagram. The owner of Black business empire Essence Ventures, who vowed to step away as the acting CEO of Essence magazine after being an awful boss during last years racial reckoning, is not-so-quietly asserting his power againand Black influencers are torn. It's nearly a 200-mile commute home for historian Victor Davis Hanson from the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he travels once a week, to his quiet family farm in the fertile Central Valley of California. The owner of Black business empire Essence Ventures, who vowed to step away as the acting CEO of Essence magazine after being an awful boss during last year's racial reckoning, is. Mr. Dennis said that he was raised by a single mother who read Essence magazine and that his four daughters read it. The magazine, a mainstay of black culture for almost half a century, was bought by Richelieu Dennis, the founder of Sundial Brands, a large personal-care products company, from Time Inc., Essence Ventures announced on Wednesday. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Niecy Nash and Jessica Betts are the first same-sex couple on Essence I spent 30 years of my life breaking down the racial barriers of beauty, he said. We knew they wanted to help Black people with Black hair care, especially with people who do their own hair. HOME - American Essence Ebanks insists this sacred wall will still be honoredand that Essence is not directly owned by Sundial, but rather a separate Dennis-helmed entity. This acquisition of Essence represents the beginning of an exciting transformation of our iconic brand as it evolves to serve the needs and interests of multigenerational black women around the world in an even more elevated and comprehensive way across print, digital, e-commerce and experiential platforms, said Ebanks. American Essence April 24, 2022 Liberty Tree: A Look at Thomas Paine's Song Celebrating the Beauty of American Freedom In a chariot of light from the regions of day, The Goddess of Liberty. Whether BeautyCon becomes a platform to help combat those inequities remains to be seen. More curiously, his history with beauty brands, which will be core Essence advertisers, also raises questions about the magazines ability to truly separate its business and editorial sidea core value of traditional media that is quickly eroding in the age of advertorials and native advertising. Essence has necessarily brokered introductions between Black ideas and Black people. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The magazine focuses on fashion, pop culture, music and black life. Thoughts have power; thoughts have energy. Essence Ventures announced in a press release, in November, Unilever acquired the parent company for SheaMoisture, Sundial Brands. I like my face in this, though. I remember in December 2012, in a meeting to set the definition of solutions journalism, Tina insisted we use the word "rigorous" so as to differentiate it from fluffier stories about firefighters saving cats from trees. Since 1970 Essencehas been the premiere fashion and culture magazine for women of color. Meet The Founders Behind 75 Black-Owned Beauty Brands You Should Be Im not surprised people are not talking, DelSol said. THE GRIOT PROJECT: Akron with Umojah Nation Reggae band and student Patrick Warner, poet in training. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Richelieu Dennis, the owner of Essence Ventures, at the 2018 Essence Festival in New Orleans. It tells the stories of real Americans who take individual initiative to make their lives and the lives of others better. Under the pseudonym Black Female Anonymous, Essence magazine staffers demanded Dennis resignationalong with other leadership changesafter they said women were systematically suppressed by pay inequity, sexual harassment, corporate bullying, intimidation, colorism and classism and the company had been hijacked by cultural and corporate greed and an unhinged abuse of power. The staffers blasted execs for an ironic turn of events: A publication that was meant to empower Black women instead mistreated and abused the women who worked for it. Despite being profitableand operating the massively successful music festival that anchored the summer-movie hitGirls Tripno major publisher thought that Essence was a worthy acquisition. Similar uprisings have taken place at The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the womens lifestyle website Refinery29. And while BeautyCon devotees have described the event as an inclusive community that allows beauty and lifestyle enthusiasts to network, meet their favorite influencers and get discounted makeup, Black influencers have not always felt welcome. However, she also doesnt think BeautyCon will suffer from the negative stain of Essence. I would have to see change, see an apology, in order to participate or contribute. The company owns . A person who identified herself as a representative of the essays writers, contacted through the Black Female Anonymous Instagram account, declined to be interviewed for this article. It took me 16 years before I agreed to go into mass retail. . So, these Black women in particular, if they come forward, where will they go? An anonymous post on Medium that said it was written by current and former Essence employees is part of a social media campaign for change at the groundbreaking Black media brand. Essence magazine sold (Image Source: Facebook/@Essence) Since 1970 Essence has been the premiere fashion and culture magazine for women of color. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Edward Lewis, Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth and Jonathan Blount founded Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) in 1968. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Creating Effective Employee Resource Groups | HISPANIC Network Magazine Ivie is a Nigerian-American, native New Yorker, and journalist covering, Essence Ventures LLC, an independent black-owned company today announced its acquisition of Essence Communications Inc., home of, magazine, from Time Inc. on Wednesday. Gerren Keith Gaynor March 13, 2013 918. In a statement on Thursday, Latraviette Smith-Wilson, an Essence spokeswoman, described the essays accusations and demands as unsupported and outdated., The statement also addressed Ms. Ebanks, saying she has had no role in day-to-day operations since her departure, and said that Ms. Collins Profet had already accepted a new role with another company before the anonymous blog was posted.. The acquisition represents the beginning of an exciting transformation of our iconic brand as it evolves to serve the needs and interests of multigenerational Black women around the world in an even more elevated and comprehensive way across print, digital, e-commerce and experiential platforms, Ms. Ebanks said in the statement. The move returns 48-year-old Essence to black ownership for the first time in over a decade, and solidifies the magazines status as the most important minority-owned publication in America. This flare shirt is amazing! American Success - American Essence Sources familiar with Essence told Page Six that it is likely that current and former employees wrote the anonymous op-ed. In a phone interview on Wednesday, Mr. Dennis, 48, said that he bought the magazine to serve and empower women of color., This will give Essence a platform and a voice to serve its consumers, which are women of color, Mr. Dennis said during a flight from his native Liberia to the United States. 'Essence magazine' sold: Returns to all-Black ownership, female leadership Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. Shanygne Maurice, creator of beauty product reviews on a YouTube channel called TooMuchMouth, said she had a rather unpleasant experience as a Black creator at the last BeautyCon but actually sees the Essence buyout as an opportunity to make the event more inviting and inclusive for Black influencers and enthusiastsgiven Essences history in the Black community., Im not sure if Id participate in the first one [under Essences ownership], she said. As a classicist, he's at ease with the ancient world but often brings a historian's insightful perspective to current . Founded in 1970, Essence has now expanded, reaching a global audience of more than 16 million across its many platforms. You win and you learn. Essence Ventures is founded and chaired by Richelieu Dennis, founder of Sundial Brands which owns Shea Moisture. With this sale, the legacy of essence is back in the control of Black owners. But while Meredith hopes to cut costs, Essences new owners are planning to investheavily. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 40 Founders Of Black-Owned Hair Care Brands You Should Know About | Essence It is with great joy that we announced that Essence is under new ownership and is now an independent African-American-owned company. Copyright 2022 Rolling Out. Essence Ventures LLC, an independent black-owned company today announced its acquisition of Essence Communications Inc., home of Essence magazine, from Time Inc. on Wednesday. Essence Magazine Leaves Time Inc. And Is Now Completely - Okayplayer But if I were to see how that goes and hear about the event moving in the right direction and it being the fun and inviting event its supposed to be, Id certainly attend in the future., Nottingham, however, questioned whether Essence could really change BeautyCon or if it was another case of diversity initiatives being whitewashed.. I thank the entire ESSENCE team for their tremendous passion and unrelenting commitment to driving the brands success. And you can make your world or break it by your own thinking. -Susan Taylor, When is Kwanzaa and my daily Kwanzaa practice, "I saw the Angel in the marble, and carved until I set him free", Prime my subconscious, one hint at a time. This was an important week for minority media. - Charles Middlemas Uplifting stories about exceptional Americans. READ: Missy Elliott To Receive Essence 2018 Black Women In Music Honor. Derek T. Dingle, chief content office of Black Enterprise magazine, described it as groundbreaking, and lauded Essences return to black ownership as a rare event in contemporary black business history.. The first time I picked up an issue of Essence magazine, I noticed Susan Taylors picture. Why the FT bought a majority stake in Endpoints News, Vice News Tonight canceled, company announces layoffs, The Messenger hires Scotti as a biz and finance editor, Traditional Art (Paintings and Sculptures from Renaissance to early 1900s), Classical Architecture and Houses of Beauty in America as well as Europe, History of Performative Art (opera, theatre and ballet), All applicants must send a sample of their writing along with their resume. Bennett Raglin / Getty Images For SheaMoisture, Lifestyles publisher Meredith buying Time Inc. in Koch brothers-backed deal. It is a magazine that focuses on traditional American values and great American stories. Michelle Ebanks will continue to serve as president of ESSENCE Communications and will join its board of directors. Dennis serves as CEO and executive chairman of Sundial under the Unilever partnership. We value Black activism. In addition, the all black female executive team of Essence, including Ebanks, will have an equity stake in the business. The City of Cacapava, Sao Paolo, Brazil, owns No. You may opt-out by. ! She ended her statement with the hashtag #BlackWomenRiseTogether., Black Female Anonymous replied to Ms. Wanga on social media. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The demand for a new America calls for the complete accountability of all Americans, even those of us in Black America and our cultural institutions, the writers said. Co-founded by Ed Lewis and Clarence Smith in 1968, Essence has been one of the lifestyle go-to companies for African-American women. This is historical.. All of that changed this week after it was announced that the company has been sold to Essence Ventures LLC, a company launched in 2017 by Shea Moisture founder Richelieu Dennis. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Anyone can read what you share. Ebanks is referring to the fact that Essences executive team consists entirely of black women.
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