Source: Rich Polk / Getty
Essence Magazine is coming under fire as it celebrates its 50th year anniversary for allegedly mistreating its Black women employees—only this time it’s supposedly at the hands of other Black women.
On Sunday (Jun 28) in an anonymous essay posted to the Medium, the author-listed only as “Black Female Anonymous”-discloses unfair business practices used by the iconic Black publication including sexual misconduct and harassment, unfair pay, and abuse of power by senior staff.
“We demand the immediate resignation of Chief Executive Officer Richelieu Dennis, Essence Ventures board member and former Essence Communications CEO Michelle Ebanks, Chief Operating Officer Joy Collins Profet, and Chief Content Officer Moana Luu.
Essence’s C-suite leadership team strategically tells the market it “serves Black women deeply” under the safe seal of 100% Black ownership, but for the Black women who make up over 80% of the company’s workforce, they are systematically suppressed by pay inequity, sexual harassment, corporate bullying, intimidation, colorism, and classism.”
At a company town hall during the second half of 2019, some employees asked Michelle about pay raises at market and industry rate in New York City, Michelle, then CEO casually pointed to the door and told staff they could leave if they could find better compensation elsewhere.”
