Essence editor Angela Burt-Murray
*Uh oh Essence! You done did it now. Obviously, black women have been patronizing Essence magazine because it was the black women’s magazine.
Now you’ve gone and got yourself a white woman to sit at the helm of the fashion pages and tell a black woman what’s right for her image? Her fierceness? Her swag?
The move to hire a white woman in the top spot by Essence editor Angela Burt-Murray was not celebrated and has ruffled the feathers of some black women who are incensed by a sort of break in tradition. (more…)
For several years towards the end of the 60s, I believe that Motown was the highest grossing black owned company. Berry Gordy began hiring some white executives and this, of course, caused ripples. But if we are to ever have full equality for all, at some point, shouldn’t we open to a diverse workplace? The possible difference between what happened at Motown and this announcement, is that a black man retained the highest position of power.
Although I get where you’re coming from, I think you refuted your own point.
That difference is the most significant.
I don’t have much of a say in this because I dont’ read Essence but I would imagine that black women (target audience) would feel the same way if a man was named editor in chief.
As a radio listener, would you be upset if they replaced your local DJ with a white person? Would rock fans object to a black DJ?
Of course this assumes that only people w/in a group are able to relate to said group..which isn’t necessarily true. A man “could” be the head of the National Organization for Women.
But….
Bartholomew, BG ALWAYS has whites at his company from the early 60s on at KEY positions. Read BG’s ex-wife’s book where she explains that BG hired these men, partly because they were white and that it help his company move forward. In the end, it proved to be detrimental because BG got ‘caught up’ and got off track. I wouldn’t compare BG’s situation with this one simply because it was the 1960s and whites would not support black businesses unless there was a white face or faces behind the scenes.
I totally don’t agree with the decision and until they get black female editors at Cosmos, Vanity Fair, Marie Clare, etc., I think they are making a big mistake. Why do black people always have to ‘diversify’ automatically without question yet whites have to be ‘forced’ to do it? Bad move, IMO.
Point understood and taken. I am a child of Motown and know its history very well. Without getting sidetracked, I am not certain exactly where it was ever felt that he lost his way because of hiring non-black employees. In fact, it gave him an entree into areas like Sales, marketing and wider opportunities for his artist roster because without that face, even getting a meeting was not an easy thing to do at the time.
What you are proposing amounts to a quota system of some sort. Again, the difference in this and Motown is Berry maintained final say. Doesn’t the editor have final say on how the magazine does go out? If that be the case, then this decision differs because it removes a black person from the final word on how they want their magazine to speak to the community. Someone has to be first in breaking tradition or pattern, the question is when is it appropriate? That I am not certain because it depends on so many different factors. Your last question might best be answered by “as long as that is where the power lies, the one holding the leverage in business is better equipped to answer that question. I wish the answer was so, “black and white”, if you will.
I know Motown’s history,too
and I just want to clarify a point that you misunderstood.
What I meant that BG ‘lost his way’, I meant, that even when there were whites in the company, it still folded. Now, it’s just a ‘brand’ and has been out of business since 1988. I always felt that the company could have been a major had BG have people that could expanded the company’s brand instead of staying stuck in the past. Some of those white guys in BG’s company became very wealthy in contrast to his predominantly black artists that ended up broke (that’s another conversation). So in the long run, if the purpose of having these guys in such high positions in this company because, according to BG, they could ‘do the job’, what happened?
Quota systems have been in place since this country was built and is still in effect whether we want to admit it or not. If we are going to truly talk about ‘equality’, then let’s be equal across the board. Those mainstream magazines probably already have a ‘quota’ system and wouldn’t be surprise if you do see one or two blacks in certain positions of power (and it’s probably not much ‘power’ either). The purpose of the Essence was about giving black women a voice and a place where we can see ourselves in all shades, especially, in the fashion industry. The fashion industry shuts us out yet they want us to support to their product.
I totally agree with musb’s comment below. We are still locked into the ideas that if it ain’t ‘approved, supported or controlled’ by whites, then we can’t succeed. We truly believe we can’t succeed on our terms. I see black women buying cosmos all the time but white folks never support anything black oriented unless they have a say in it. That’s what makes this move very disheartening. If the purpose is to draw women to Essence, they will be in for a rude awakening.
Sorry for the bad grammer. I was typing fast.
Because we are taught and thus ingrained with the notion that the way to success/american dream is to be guided by whites.
I often have this conversation when gentrification is the topic.
Essence wants to switch from being a magazine geared towards Black women anyway and that is obvious to those who are now former subscribers. I didn’t renew my subscription after the Reggie Bush cover and it wouldn’t bother me if Essence folded completely.
I remember that horrible hatchet job a non-Black woman did on Mary J Blige when she appeared on the cover of Vibe or Source magazine a few years ago and the ensuing outrage. The original owners of Essence didn’t even bother soliciting potential Black owners when they sold out. Hopefully a new magazine will emerge to replace Essence as it bends over backwards to insult it’s core readers every chance it gets.
After Susan Taylor left, Essence tanked and fast. This might be why the beauty Editor, Micky up and retired. The new editor has made the magazine less desirable and meaningless. This will be their ultimate downfall. With Susan Taylor, their front cover was always really pretty and it grabbed you but when the new editor put Diddy and Kim Porter on the cover talking about black love only for everyone to find out that he had ANOTHER trick pregnant down in ATL was a bad move. I stopped my subscription many years ago. The quality is not there and the articles are all the same, just different titles.
ITA. Susan Taylor was the face of Essence the way John H. Johnson was the face of Ebony. I totally agree with you that the magazine’s slide began with that Kim & Diddy story. I also wasn’t ‘feeling’ it when they had foxy brown and lil kim on the cover either.
I forgot about that Foxxy Brown fiasco…I loved Susan Taylor. You talk about style and grace…have you notice the cover isn’t the same anymore???
Angie doesn’t look so black, and now I know why her survey on Michael Baisden is so lame. like msubdherbs, I don’t read it unless I’m in the Dr’s office
I agree about Angie. Hence the reason it’s so easy to sell Black women out.
wow, weve come along way from judging a person by their character and heart to judging them by their skin color. Sounds like it was just a speach to you and you dont get it. Whites this whites that, blacks this blacks that. This is the problem when you make a product specificly for ONE RACE AND GENDER. It is exclusive and racist. Kinda like BET. Can I work there? Please masters please. Once minorities figure out that segregating themselves into groups is bad, we can grow up racialy as someone pointed out. It is so disapointing to see little cults like BET and magizines go after 1 audience, as if YOU ARE ALL THE SAME, every black person loves rap right, and only watch Juice and Im gonna get you sucka. I have actualy known a black person or two that hate rap and “black” movies. And yes, its ok to have gender groups like Mens Health and such, because we are grown ups and do realize that men and women differ. But if you want to argue that the races are different, we need to have a talk on how we are different and who is naturaly superior. Said that just to piss you off becuase you know we are all individuals and race has nothing to do with success or superiority.
I’m so glad people are ignoring you because it’s crystal clear that you’re clueless.
Susan Taylor was the life blood of “Essence.” I luv that sister. What it also says is “Essence” is in serious trouble subscription wise. This is a desperate move. One that surely will backfire.”Essence” biggest problem is. It
like “Ebony” magazine is too celebrity driven. But this presents a golden opportunity for a sister or sisters to produce a far greater media property.
I say media property because it’s cheaper to go the internet route. Verses putting together a physical magazine.With e-readers being so hot. I would think that would be a cheaper and far greater media property to put together. I’m just putting it out there in the heavens. I have total faith in the genius of my sister or sisters. To put it all together.
Essence lost its way when it was sold to Time Warner in the early 2000′s. Its brand mission “to inspires Black women of all shades and shapes to lead bold, fulfilling lives. We encourage their passions and dreams and celebrate their community. As a trusted friend, we reflect their best selves and motivate them to live without limits” is a joke right about now. How can you celebrate our community when you’re not a part of it? To place a white woman in charge of an establishment which is “suppose” to celebrate African American women is a slap in the face to every subscriber of Essence. The fashion industry has been cruel to Black woman since its inception. It took the creators of Essence along with a village of like-minded others to force the industry to acknowledge the beauty, fierceness and trendsetting of Black women. To say its time that the magazine diversify is BS. Tell that to the companies who run Cosmo, Marie Claire, Vogue, InStyle, Elle, Glamour, Jane, Allure, Harper’s Bazaar, Lucky and shall I go on? All of these mags rarely feature a Black woman within its cover God forbid if ever on their cover! This move isn’t as simple as hiring “the person who had proven themselves to be a great addition to the team” as Angela Burt-Murray stated. What about the qualified Black woman you didn’t bother to interview because your friend was filling in and you didn’t bother to extend the opportunity. As a Black woman, I’m not pleased with this move on several levels. As a subscriber, I’m canceling Essence ASAP.
This does not upset nor suprise me at all given the fact that African American beauty has been based on WHITE EUROPEAN ideals in the past 20+ years. Just look at the above pic of the editor- how much you wanna bet that nose of hers is the result of plastic surgery.
When Susan Taylor left she took true black outter and inner beauty with her. Its a darn shame that today a black woman can not even wear braids without being labeled “ghetto” by other black people.
Not true– re plastic surgery comment. I went to college with her and the nose/mouth are the same now as they were back in the day.
LOL at the comment at the end of the story by Amnau Eele—: “Why so much anger black women?
you have no problem gluing the white woman’s hair to your scalp, so why do you have a problem with her being your fashion editor?” So true, so true.