We accept that because what else is the ultimate goal in this country?. https://t.co/q2BGN0pxNF pic.twitter.com/CbLQlpK9Qz. 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. American Essence highlights the morals and traditional. [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. Whether BeautyCon becomes a platform to help combat those inequities remains to be seen. I think its cool that it has pockets. Those findings have not changed the views of some. - Edward long Timeless reading that calms and reassures is hard to find. Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) was founded in 1968 by Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth, Jonathan Blount, Denise M. Clark, and Edward Lewis. "There's nobody who owns a factory like this that could make thousands, 10 thousand pieces or more, that pays New York 48 . Were never lacking content; were never lacking a story; were lacking an opportunity to compete, she added. However, she also doesnt think BeautyCon will suffer from the negative stain of Essence. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Essence Ventures announced in a press release, in November, Unilever acquired the parent company for SheaMoisture, Sundial Brands. SheRea DelSol, a Black content creator on YouTube who focuses on natural hair content, told The Daily Beast she wont be participating in BeautyCon now that Essence and Dennis are at the helm. Like SheaMoisure, she said. American Essence Magazine is also a nonpolitical magazine that aims to showcase the values and traditions of American culture with stores of the people and places, past and present, that helped and continue to help shape this nation. Lol, FAMILY: The children and I @University Circles Parade the Circle, Modeling for: http://www.afropunk.com/ Brooklyn, New York, August 2014. filed for bankruptcy last year after being ravaged by the pandemic. We 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, Dennis said in a statement. It is a brand I only see at Target. Bennett Raglin / Getty Images For SheaMoisture, Lifestyles publisher Meredith buying Time Inc. in Koch brothers-backed deal. Ms. Wanga joined the company as its chief growth officer on Monday. I spent 30 years of my life breaking down the racial barriers of beauty, he said. Mr. Dennis would not discuss the details of the sale. I dont believe in losses, she wrote. 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 track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Originally from Liberia, he founded Black beauty brand SheaMoisture and then Sundial Brands, the parent company to SheaMoisture. They faulted a previous Essence leader, Michelle Ebanks, blaming her for a toxic culture. Ms. Ebanks stepped down as the chief executive of Essence Communications in March, after nearly 20 years at the company, and is a member of the Essence board. We have an opportunity to control our media and tell our own story and that is often muted when traditional media companies that represent the African-American culture are owned by someone outside of an African-Americans hands it loses something. Savor each page [of American Essence]. Ebony is a monthly magazine that focuses on news, culture, and entertainment. The most valuable part of writing a business plan is the education you gain by researching and . A target of Black Female Anonymous is Richelieu Dennis, the owner of Essence Ventures, the parent company of the magazine and Essence Communications. 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. Later in the essay, the writers said the problems at Essence predated the arrival of Mr. Dennis. iEmerge in a duo. Entertainment & Arts How a $970,000 award represents hope and change for a Black L.A. dance company Jan. 15, 2021 Founded in 1945 by Chicago-based publisher John H. Johnson, Ebony magazine was. The whole idea when [BeautyCon] was founded was to be an inclusive place for all women to express their individual beauty, Dennis said. The group has given Ms. Wanga, the interim leader, until the close of business on Friday to comply. Ebanks is referring to the fact that Essences executive team consists entirely of black women. Essence Ventures was founded in 2017 by Richelieu Dennis, who also. Essence Ventures is an African-American owned company focused on merging content, community, and commerce founded by Richelieu Dennis, the CEO and founder of Sundial Brands. 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.. Thank you for being in our corner over the last 47 years. Other businesses and contractors who worked the event were reported to have filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau or sought assistance from collections agencies. Long a touchstone of Black culture, Essence celebrated its 50th anniversary with its May issue, which featured the model Naomi Campbell on the cover. Published January 6, 2018. Forbes reports that he and his cofounder and mother Mary owned 51% of the company and walked away with an estimated $850 million fortune, making them two of the wealthiest Black entrepreneurs in the world. So lets GOOOOOOOOOO!!! Essence currently reaches over 16 million people via social media, print, digital engagement and live events, according to a spokeswoman for Essence Ventures. It began publishing Essence magazine in May 1970. And last year Denniss firmwhich generates some $240 million in annual salespartnered with Unilever to create a $100 million New Voices Fund to support black female entrepreneurs. Edward Lewis, Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth and Jonathan Blount founded Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) in 1968. At the time of the purchase, Mr. Dennis, who was born and raised in Liberia, said Essence would serve and empower women of color under his stewardship. It does not store any personal data. 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.. Despite the allegations made against him, Dennis has broken some racial barriers within the beauty industry. READ: Missy Elliott To Receive Essence 2018 Black Women In Music Honor. Articles in classical art, music, craft and architecture aims to showcase the timeless beauty of master artists and craftsman throughout antiquity. 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, Essencepresident Michelle Ebanks told Business Wire, who will keep her place at the helm of the company will also joining its board of directors. Print fond memoriesThis pocket Bluetooth printer lets you print your precious memories before they hit Instagram. Although financial details remain confidential, Essences sale comes at a precipitous time for both the magazine and the larger media landscape. The original name in concept was Sapphire. Essence currently reaches an audience of more than 16 million across its various platforms, including its print magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; and live events, such as the annual Essence Festival, a 22-year-old cultural celebration that attracted more than 450,000 attendees to New Orleans last summer. Essence CEO Richelieu Dennis Resigns Following Scathing Op-Ed (Page Six), These Mother-And-Son Entrepreneurs Went From Selling Soap On Harlem Streets To An $850 Million Fortune (Forbes). For the last 50 years, Essence Magazine has consistently found innovative approaches to archiving Black women's lives by immortalizing our intellect, literature, and culture on glossy pages. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Citing an abusive work culture, the essays writers also said that Black women at the company are systematically suppressed by pay inequity, sexual harassment, corporate bullying, intimidation, colorism and classism.. IE 11 is not supported. Essence has always had a close connection to its readers. It is with great joy that we announced that Essence is under new ownership and is now an independent African-American-owned company. 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. Essence Names Interim Chief After Claim of Abusive Work Culture, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/02/business/media/essence-magazine-accusations.html. In 2018, he bought the Essence brand, vowing to scale Black-owned brands and bring much-needed diversity to the beauty and lifestyle world. The top editor of Bon Apptit, Adam Rapoport, resigned last month after a photo of him costumed in stereotypical Puerto Rican attire resurfaced on social media. Mr. Dennis said that he was raised by a single mother who read Essence magazine and that his four daughters read it. The website for Bright is The Epoch Times (see below). No one cares about Black women, she continued. Anyone can read what you share. 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. American Essence FO R E V E RYO N E W H O LOV E S T H I S C O U N . Essence said that he helped lead the team but never took on the role and responsibilities as CEO. I am happy to be alive! Last year, The Wrap reported that a year after a huge event that attracted thousands of attendees, BeautyCon was still struggling to pay vendors. - Charles Middlemas Uplifting stories about exceptional Americans. Essence Communications Inc., the 48-year-old mutliplatform brand that owns Essence magazine and the annual Essence Festival, has gone back to black (ownership), having been acquired by Essence Ventures LLC, an independent African-American-owned company, Essence Ventures announced in a press release. 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. Essence Ventures started in 2017 and is chaired by founder, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist Richelieu Dennis. Ms. Luu, the head of content, will step back from day-to-day operations during the course of the review, the statement said. For more than 50 years, ESSENCE has been a leader in promoting Black-Owned beauty brands. 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. He vowed that Essence Ventures would bring heightened inclusivity to BeautyCon. [3] [4] Lewis and Smith called the publication a "lifestyle magazine directed at upscale African American women". This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The magazine has a circulation of more than one million and its website attracts nearly seven million unique visitors each month. The brand was looking for another buyer and has apparently found one with Essence Ventures, which was founded and is chaired by Liberian-American Richelieu Dennis, who also is founder of SheaMoisture (in November, Unilever acquired the parent company for SheaMoisture, Sundial Brands). Essence has been an influence for African-American women since its first publication in May 1970. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This major move marks. Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning. We value Black activism. I thank the entire ESSENCE team for their tremendous passion and unrelenting commitment to driving the brands success. His firm, Sundial Brands, was founded to provide hair- and skin-care products to minority women, and was inspired by traditional shea-butter recipes found in Denniss native Liberia. I hope this means there is an opportunity for us to stay in business, she said. 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. But this month, he was back. The Epoch Times is looking for writers who are passionate and knowledgeable in the field of classical art. Mr. Dennis, the founder of Sundial Brands, a Black beauty products company, bought Essence from Time Inc. in 2018. Performing Love: standing by college sisters side for her big day in the A (ATL). The company also runs the annual Essence Festival in New Orleans, a celebration of Black culture that has drawn headliners like Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and John Legend. Instead, Essence is now in the hands of Dennis, a media newcomer who made his fortune in shea-butter cosmetics. On Thursday (Jan. 4), Essencethe nation's leading African American-focused publicationwas sold by Time Inc. to a . In 2017, it was sold to the conglomerate Unilever, but Dennis remains Sundials CEO and executive chairman. Please email all questions and submissions to jennifer.diane@epochtimes.nyc. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". This is a BETA experience. Melody Spann-Cooper, chairwoman of Midway Broadcasting Corporation, which owns WVON, a Chicago radio station whose target audience is black, welcomed Essence's return to being an. Thoughts have power; thoughts have energy. Sundial Brands announced in November a partnership with Unilever to acquire Sundial. Essence Ventures swooped in at a foreclosure sale to acquire BeautyCon, the so-called Super Bowl of the Beauty industry that nearly filed for bankruptcy last year after being ravaged by the pandemic, financial issues, staff layoffs, and unpaid bills. According to reports, Merediths goal upon full ownershipis to save $400 million to $500 million over the next two years. Everybody aint lying, she said. ESSENCE Co-founder Ed Lewis, former editors-in-chief Marcia Ann Gillespie and Susan L. Taylor speak on the evolution of the magazine and brand. The reason is because of the racist structures that existed in mass retail., He said hair care products were once racially segregated on store shelves but, thanks to his efforts, retailers have come to realize theres a much bigger market opportunity when you engage in Black brands on a fair and consistent basis. 2,017 people have signed it. The City of Cacapava, Sao Paolo, Brazil, owns No. In its tipping guide . I read her letter from the editor and it became my favorite part of the magazine. Taylor served as Editor-in-Chief of Essence from 1981-2000, but worked for the magazine since its conception in 1970. 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. 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. Richelieu Dennis, the founder of Sundial Brands, said he bought the company to serve and empower women of color.. 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. The essay also had criticism for two other Essence leaders, the chief operating officer, Joy Collins Profet, and the chief content officer, MoAna Luu. This is a magazine for Americans who love their nation. Edward Lewis, co-founder of Essence Magazine, is defending his decision to sell the legacy publication to Time Inc. after recent criticisms from recently . 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. They also alleged that he tried to force Essence employees and contractors to sign non-disclosure agreements to protect himself and his family members who worked in leadership positions at Essence. African-America backing, she notes, is not only symbolically important, but ownership is an important pillar of economic empowermentand directly builds wealth and strengthens communities of color., Black media insiders also applauded the Essence deal. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 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. Clearly Dennis has committed his life (and substantial economic resources) to supporting minority women. The essay, titled The Truth About Essence, was published on the digital platform Medium under the byline Black Female Anonymous, which has identified itself as a group of former and current Essence employees.