essence
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The D&I We Deserve: Ulta's Newest Diversity and Inclusion Advisor Is Tracee Ellis Ross
Two years ago this month, I gave myself a challenge: realizing that I wasn’t walking the talk I preached daily on TGU, I launched a Black-Owned Beauty Month challenge in February of 2019, restricting myself to only Black-owned cosmetics and personal care products for Black History Month. The results were, at turns, comical, insightful, inspiring…
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Got Love on the Brain? Rihanna Sent Us an Early Valentine—and an Iconic Essence Cover Collab With Lorna Simpson
Does working from home change the terms of what’s “not safe for work”? With her latest tease for Savage X Fenty, Rihanna’s certainly testing those boundaries, debuting a pinup-inspired Valentine’s Day promo that would make Betty Boop blush. Cavorting in a red mesh garter set and heart-shaped pasties from her wildly popular lingerie brand paired…
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Icon to Icon: Zendaya Paid a Stunning Homage to Modeling Legend Donyale Luna. Now, Can We Get a Biopic?
Another week, another Zendaya cover? Well actually, there are, in total, four versions of Zendaya’s December-January collector’s edition cover for Essence. But there’s also more than one woman being immortalized in this series of highly stylized black-and-white images conceived by Zendaya’s longtime stylist and creative director for the shoot (and 2019 The Root 100 honoree),…
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Citing the Unprecedented Impact of COVID-19, Essence Announces Staff Furloughs
It’s been a difficult year for all of us—and as a statement published in Essence magazine Tuesday night revealed, “Essence Communications, Inc. (“ECI”) has not been immune to it.” Framed as an update on the actions taken by the company in response to the now six-month-long impact of COVID-19, the legacy imprint, which celebrated its…
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Further Refuting the Claims of #BlackFemaleAnonymous, Essence Publishes Results of Final Independent Review
The saga that began with a bold public plea to #TakeBackEssence seemed one step closer to ending as of Tuesday, as Essence released the results of yet another independent legal review, this time conducted by the law firm Morgan Lewis. The firm’s report appeared to quash claims of discrimination, sexual harassment, and toxic work culture…
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Me Too and Essence to Host the Black Women and Girls Survivor Town Hall Featuring Tarana Burke and Angelica Ross
We are in the midst of a renewed focus upon Black safety and survival—and Black female political power—and yet, as we were reminded by our peers at Essence today, “While Black women have the highest turnout rate at the polls, they also have the [second] highest rates of sexual assault,” eclipsed only by Native American…
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Essence Answers Sexual Harassment Claims Against Owner Richelieu Dennis With Results of 1st Internal Review
As the 26th annual—and first virtual—Essence Festival dawned this year, #BlackFemaleAnonymous, a group of “former and current employees” of the 50-year-old magazine published an indicting missive titled “The Truth About Essence.” The open letter (subsequently legally referred to as “the Article”) alleged a toxic workplace culture, pay inequities, nepotism, and “an unhinged abuse of power.”…
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![4 Days Into Their Effort to #TakeBackEssence, the Collective Known as #BlackFemaleAnonymous Declares Success [Updated]](https://assets-server.theroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/29112605/ibdgsduolu9wfvedrmmp-300x169.jpg)
4 Days Into Their Effort to #TakeBackEssence, the Collective Known as #BlackFemaleAnonymous Declares Success [Updated]
After a barrage of accusations and threats to publish incriminating evidence to support their claims, the group of current and former Essence staffers who comprise #BlackFemaleAnonymous say their conditions have been met. The announcement, made via a tweet on Thursday night, came a day ahead of the collective’s pronounced July 3 end-of-day deadline, after a…
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Amid a Firestorm, Essence Appoints an Interim CEO, Promising an Independent Review and 'Transparency' [Updated]
The pioneering and still most prominent media brand for Black women will once again have one at the helm—at least, for the immediate future. This is just one of the announcements Essence Communications made in a statement emailed to The Glow Up on Tuesday night, just two days after a now-viral open letter was published…
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Mr. America: Billy Porter Covers Essence's July-August Issue [Corrected]
It’s unfortunate that in the midst of celebrating its 50th anniversary, Essence has also been implicated in a rising controversy as past and current Black female staffers have anonymously launched a campaign to #TakeBackEssence. But as we also commemorate 50 years of Pride and the closing of Pride Month, we can simultaneously celebrate another milestone…