Yep. Now move on. No controversy to see here. I understand the uproar, but I feel it is unfounded.
What do you think?
André Leon Talley is the former American editor-at-large for Vogue magazine... nuff said. https://sites.google.com/site/mayuradocs/PinIt.png
13 comments:
i see nothing wrong with it.
what i see wrong is Essence's overall direction as a mag.
I don't think that it's an issue of race so much, it's that we think of Essence has being a magazine for Black Women, and who better to understand Black women, than another black woman. However, I think that Essence is attempting to crossover or has crossed over and didn't bother to advise their readers and black women are upset about that. I know personally that I don't read it as much. I tend to read my blogs, they tend to give me the real deal.
Au contraire Bro Brimm.
Actually, it is a complicated issue. If Essence wasn't a magazine specifically created on the principle of empowering and recognizing blacks, women specifically, in ways that the status quo does not, there wouldn't be anything to discuss.
But that's not the case. If Essence feels that society has grown to the place where the ethnicity of the people who fill their top positions of power is mute, then I must question the need for a race exclusive pub like Essence.
Apartheid is a mean mama.
Au contraire Bro Brimm.
Actually, it is a complicated issue. If Essence wasn't a magazine specifically created on the principle of empowering and recognizing blacks, women specifically, in ways that the status quo does not, there wouldn't be anything to discuss.
But that's not the case. If Essence feels that society has grown to the place where the ethnicity of the people who fill their top positions of power is mute, then I must question the need for a race exclusive pub like Essence.
Apartheid is a mean mama.
@Anonymous, I so concur with your comments.
Craig,
I could not agree with you more. How can we call for justice and equality, if we don't lead by example our selves. I don't see the big deal. No one complained when they hired her to do some write a few pieces.
Where was the outrage when Essence sold out to the man?
This is just a progression of what began years ago.
I understand that Essence has historically been a place where Black women come to read about themselves and appreciate words that are written by women who mirror their concerns, I think fashion is a thing that transcends race. I don't really see a problem here.
The question should be: Should Essence have a fashion editor who is best qualified to serve the publication’s audience? Seems like a simple question. And if you start by answering that question – by conducting an open search for a candidate with the greatest experience, credibility and passion for the role – everything else will hopefully take care of itself.
amazing answers. will these woman leave essence to go on to work for bigger pubs and why is a better question. And will the former editor find a progression in her career to bigger (perhaps general market) publications? it seems the ball rarely rolls that way.
@The AOC, the thing is that Essence is not a fashion magazine. It's a lifestyle magazine. Like Tafari mentions, Essence has been sold to a non-black entity. Where were we then? fact remains this magazine was built on the readership to black women, not to say that we don't want to address issues of other cultures, but where do we take a stand. We always seem to sell out, and hold on to our history. You must know where you can from to know where you are going. I'm tired of the watered down version.
This is why in General Market advertising u rarely see a person of color fill a creative role higher than the designer level. Just like in Essense mag, the white folk that run General Market agencies know it will stir up trouble to have a person of color in a Creative Director role. To them thats "their thing". Who gives a damn what color the essense director is. Dammit Im tired of seeing the same clitche magazine articles. Time for a change. If the editor was half-white or half black or whatever who cares! Cats are still stuck on race. So pathetic, black folk in particular who are complaining what if it was vanity fair, and their was a uproar over a black editor. You all would be screaming racism. Funny how people act, saying this is "our magazine"--so pathetic, this is not a post racial society.
The funny thing is, the essence staff is already diverse, the new issue has photos of the entire staff, and white people already work for them, asians etc. So the fact that black people were all in an uproar was just plain ignorance.
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