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Essence (magazine)

•  In your sandbox, write a few sentences about what you plan to contribute to the selected article. 
  • I plan to add more of Essence's history to its Wikipedia entry. For example, I learned that the magazine was connected to Playboy for funding purposes. This and more details about the publication's past, including the absence of black women in the various decision-making processes, should be included for the reader's benefit.
    •  Think back to when you did an article critique. What can you add? Post some of your ideas to the article's talk page, too. 
      • I can add historical information to the article, such as previous business deals, and also more information about the underlying race and gender relations that impacted the magazine's creation and production.
    •  Compile a list of relevant, reliable books, journal articles, or other sources. Post that bibliography to the talk page of the article you'll be working on, and in your sandbox. Make sure to check in on the Talk page to see if anyone has advice on your bibliography. 
      • "Black Womanhood: Essence and its Treatment of Stereotypical Images of Black Women" Journal of Black Studies
      • "The male voice in women's magazines" Gender Issues
      • "The Media as a System of Racialization: Exploring Images of African American Women and the New Racism" American Behavioral Scientist
      • "Race and Gender in the Media: A Content Analysis of Advertisements in Two Mainstream Black Magazines" Journal of Black Studies
      • :"The Recession Has Devastated Black Magazines" The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education

"Begin Drafting Your Article Edits" Assignment- 2/28/17

What the current form of the article is missing:

• "Style" section- as seen in "Time (magazine)" entry
• "Special editions" section- as seen in "Time (magazine)" entry
• "Staff" section- as seen in "Time (magazine)" entry; only editors are listed in "Essence (magazine)" entry
• Discussion of connection to Playboy
• Discussion of decision-making processes and the role of black women
• Discussion of race relations in the office

Notes for improvement:

• Add detail about white ownership
• Add more information about current, updated state of circulation and business
• Develop "Contents" section- include information about the magazine's biggest, most impactful covers, stories, and efforts
• Develop "Awards" section- add winners of Black Women/Men in Hollywood awards
• Develop "Activism" section- add more recent information about what the magazine is currently doing
• Develop "History" section- include important highlights of the magazine's history
• Add more external and related links to other entries about African American media
• Add more media- pictures, videos, charts, and graphs of featured celebrities and figures and important facts and trends

Split Image: 405, 406

“The year 1970 was a significant one in the history of the black press in the area of consumer magazine publication. In that year alone, thirteen consumer magazines were published. Some were short-lived; they included Black Academy Review (Buffalo, New York, 1970-74); Black Business Digest (Philadelphia, 1970-73); Black Creation  (New York, 1970-75); and Black World (1970-76). Among those that continued to thrive through the 1980s were Black Collegian (New Orleans), Black Sports (New York), and the two largest new publications, Essence (New York) and Black Enterprise (New York).

Essence: The Magazine for Today’s Black Woman, a privately owned periodical, enjoyed phenomenal success from the beginning. The publication was the brainchild of Jonathan Blount, an advertising salesman, and Clarence Smith, an insurance salesman, who had been inspired by a Wall Street brokerage firm’s invitation to discuss ideas for black business ventures. Blount and Smith formed a partnership with a printing expert and a financial planner. The partners then sold their proposal for a black woman’s magazine to financial backers on Wall Street, engaged an experienced and talented editorial and journalistic team, and began publication of a magazine that emphasized ‘more woman and less black.’ The publication relied more on prose than pictures and came close to being a black version of Cosmopolitan, a popular white general market publication.

“While Essence focused on black women’s concerns, a new concept about African Americans and the corporate workplace in America’s free enterprise system emerged at the same time. Black Enterprise, from its inception, focused on the economic viability of African Americans as an integral part of the nation’s economic structure.”

Literacy, A Critical Sourcebook- Cushman

291

“By the late 1880s, women were perceived to be the major consumers of household goods and perhaps to be the key decision makers in the purchase of clothing, entertainment, and other items.”

“Many women’s magazines founded in this period had explicit ties to women’s new functions in the consumer economy.”

“The recognition of women’s power to consume thus led to the creation of magazines for women that were highly identified with consumption, a pattern that would only be strengthened throughout the twentieth century.”

302

“Since the founding of the Ladies’ Home Journal in 1883, women’s magazines had been heavily dependent on advertising revenues, and that dependence only increased as the century wore on.”

303

“Women’s magazines as a genre adapted to the smaller amounts of advertising that they were able to attract, avoiding going out of business completely.”

“Middle-class women’s magazines have had to lower their sights in terms of audience share and advertising revenue in order to stay in business, but stay in business they have.”

304

“From the 1880s, when Cyrus Curtis and Louisa Knapp fashioned a mass magazine for women, to the 1980s, when Ms. struggled to remain a mainstream periodical, advertising has played a crucial role in shaping gender-targeting magazines’ identities and success. The relationship between advertising and women’s magazines has been clear and powerful from the beginning: Women were viewed as the culture’s primary consumers; magazines were conceived as forums for national advertisements to women; and traditional woman-targeted advertising and magazines alike have flourished ever since.”

“Feminists suggest that mass-circulation magazines perform a disservice to society by reinforcing stereotypes about men and women.” “popular magazines, especially those for middle-class women, have come under attack for encouraging traditional images of women and men and for promoting consumption through images and claims that have little to do with products’ characteristics or consumer’s actual needs.”

“In spite of the critics, the relationship between advertising and magazines is unlikely to change. It is durable, it is circular, and it is subject to minimal regulation. For both sexes, but especially for women, magazines provide a forum for gender-targeted advertising; in turn, gender-targeted advertising supports whose magazines that best showcase their messages, to wit, magazines with the strongest emphasis on consumption and on sex roles that most resemble those in advertisements.”

305

“Gender segregation is pervasive in magazines and advertising, as is the promotion of consumption through images and anxieties related to traditional sex roles.” “Public opinion about women’s roles is shifting, and public policies in related areas, such as affirmative-action hiring of women and sex-role socialization in classrooms and textbooks, may eventually contribute to reducing sexist content in magazines and advertisements.”

“popular magazines reflect and reinforce a culture divided by gender. The divisions are stubbornly persistent because they are so intimately involved in the social strategies of capitalism and consumption.”

"Black Womanhood: Essence and its Treatment of Stereotypical Images of Black Women" Journal of Black Studies

Abstract

One could assume it is a given that Essencemagazine dispels stereotypical images of Black women and that it works to liberate them from the strictures imposed on them by a world in which they live as an undervalued and marginalized minority. After all, this is the only longstanding women’s magazine that targets Black women and addresses specifically their cultural and emotional needs as African Americans and women. This content analysis examines whether Essenceworks as a liberating feminist text that dispels, as opposed to validates, stereotypical images of Black women. We hypothesize that (a) there will be more evidence to dispel the stereotypes than to perpetuate them and (b) that of the four major African American women stereotypes—mammy, matriarch, sexual siren, and welfare mother or queen—the matriarch and sexual siren stereotypes will be dispelled more frequently. Results support the former hypothesis entirely and the latter hypothesis partially.

264-265

Essencecontinuesto give Black women variedimages of themselvesto look at andread 265

about,imagesthatappearonly rarelyin mainstreamWhitepublica- tions, if at all. Its mastheadproudlyproclaimsthatEssence is the

magazine"forandaboutBlackwomen,"andmanyBlackwomen

haveanintimate,personalrelationshipwithEssence.

Onecouldassumeitis agiventhatEssencedispelsstereotypical

imagesof Blackwomenandthatit worksto liberatethemfromthe stricturesimposed on them by a world in which they live as an undervaluedandmarginalizedminority.AfricanAmericanwomen

have a rich literaryhistory of fighting oppressionthroughwords (hooks, 1981, 1989). AlthoughEssence magazineis presentedas being a continuationof the rich history that forms and informs

Black feminism, the magazine is owned and operatedby Black men, and Black men in American society perpetuatetheir own

patriarchythat mirrorstheir White male counterparts(Collins, 1991; Guy-Sheftall, 1995). The present owners (two of the five

originalfounders),EdwardT. Lewis andClarenceO. Smith,pres- ent Essence as a "lifestylemagazinedirectedat upscale African Americanwomen"(Whitaker,1995,p.79). Atitsheart,Essenceis a very successful moneymakingventurethat noticed a neglected marketandcapitalizedonit.Therefore,thepurposeofthiscontent andcontextualanalysisis to examinewhetherEssence worksas a liberatingfeministtextthatdispels,asopposedtovalidates,stereo- typicalimagesof Blackwomen.

"The male voice in women's magazines" Gender Issues

Male Voices In A Black Woman's Magazine: Essence Magazine

Male authors accounted for 16 percent of the total number of authors in Essence magazine. Women wrote 85 percent of the articles (n=99) and men wrote 15 percent (n=17).

The vast majority of the articles written by males were about men (typically in heterosexual relationships).

The messages written by males about males examined biological differences between men and women and explored social conditioning. Many of these male authors viewed men and women as inherently distinct but proposed that black women and men could, and must, live in harmony. Thirty-five percent of the articles written by males addressed the importance of heterosexual relationships. These male authors acknowledged differences between the genders, but also highlighted the imperative nature of heterosexual relationships in the personal lives of blacks and for the future of blacks in America.

Men in Essence provided insight, helping readers (generally female) to understand the black male. They also advocated that women should exist within heterosexual relationships. They suggested that differences between the genders could be overlooked and similarities emphasized. Though the genders were distinct, heterosexual coupling was deemed imperative to the future of the black race.

At least 29 percent of the articles by men used their space in Essence magazine to define and rebuke black women.

Male authors in Essence magazine took the time to discuss themselves and heterosexual relationships. They also exercised power by defining appropriate behavior and ideologies for black women.

"Race and Gender in the Media: A Content Analysis of Advertisements in Two Mainstream Black Magazines" Journal of Black Studies

8

Leslie (1995) conducted a content analysis of the portrayal of Black

people in Ebony from 1957 to 1989. He found that the percentage of ads

featuring natural Black hairstyles increased, while ads featuring straight-

ened hair decreased and ads featuring a variety of Black hairstyles also

increased. In addition, ads featuring Black people adhering to White stan-

dards of beauty decreased, as did ads featuring Black people adhering to

Black standards of beauty; ads featuring both types of Black models increased.

9

McLaughlin and Goulet (1999) compared the portrayal of women in White-oriented magazines (i.e., Cosmopolitan, Us, People) and Black- oriented magazines (i.e., Ebony, Essence) for October 1996. The researchers found that women were presented in submissive poses much more often in White-oriented magazines. Women in Black-oriented magazines were por- trayed as financially strong and holding occupational status. Images of single-parent families were prevalent in Black-oriented magazines, and fam- ily images were scarce in White-oriented magazines. Finally, the researchers found that approximately 50% of the ads featured confident, full-facial images of women.

Baker (2005) compared the portrayal of women in magazines geared toward White women (i.e., Cosmopolitan, Vogue), magazines geared toward Black women (i.e., Essence, Honey), magazines geared toward White men (i.e., GQ, Maxim), and magazines geared toward Black men (i.e., Black Men, King) for the year 2002. She found that the majority of female models fea- tured in White-oriented magazines were White and that most female models featured in Black-oriented magazines were Black. In addition, Baker noted that women were more often portrayed as dominant in magazines geared toward Black women than in magazines geared toward White women. Furthermore, she found that White women were much more likely to be objectified (i.e., with their faces hidden and emphasis being placed on their physical attributes) than Black women in magazines geared toward White men, White women, and especially Black men. When Black women were presented with men in Black-oriented magazines, these women were por- trayed in higher positions than the men with whom they are featured. In terms of physical characteristics, Baker found that overall the Black women fea- tured in the ads had medium complexions, straight hair, and curvy figures.

10

More specifically, when featured in White-oriented magazines, Black female models with lighter skin tones, straighter hair, and thinner figures tended to be presented.

13

Racial characteristics of the models. In both Essence and Jet magazines, most of the models were Black, with other races being represented signifi- cantly less frequently. This finding replicates Baker's (2005) finding that most models in Black magazines are Black. In the 2004 issues of Essence, the number of White models increased. This appears to indicate that advertisers

14

are deeming it acceptable to advertise products with White models to Black women, possibly because Black women are willing to buy products geared toward White women to live up to White ideals. More racially diverse models were featured in Essence magazine than in Jet magazine, as the latter only featured Black, White, and mixed Asian-Black models, whereas the former also featured Indian and Asian models.

In the 2003 issues of Essence magazine, most of the models had light complexions, whereas a significant and equal number of models had medium or dark complexions. In 2004, though, most of the models had dark complexions, with the number of models with medium and light com- plexions following closely behind. Most models in Jet magazine in 2003 had medium skin tones, followed by dark and light skin tones, and most models in 2004 had dark skin tones, closely followed by medium and light skin tones. Thus, it appears that the number of models adhering to White standards of beauty in Black magazines is decreasing as the number of models adhering to Black standards of beauty is slowly increasing.

Hair characteristics. There were a wide variety of hairstyles featured in Essence and Jet magazines. In the 2003 issues of Essence, the hair of the female models were equally likely to be long (i.e., shoulder length or longer) as to be short or chin length and tended to be black and curly or wavy. In 2004, most of the female models had hair that was long, black, and straight. These findings appear to indicate that Black models are adhering to White standards of beauty in terms of their hair (i.e., long, straight, curly, or wavy hair rather than naturally coarse hair). Black standards of beauty in terms of hair (i.e., shorter hair, curly/coarse hair) were less prevalent, but most Black models did have black hair rather than lighter hair colors, and the discrepancy between the number of models with long hair and the number of models with short hair was relatively small.

The female models in the 2003 issues of Jet tended to have hair that was long, black, and straight. In 2004, female Jet models tended to have hair that was long and black and were almost equally likely to have straight hair as to have curly hair. These results are similar to those found in Essence magazine, also demonstrating that Black models are adhering to White standards of beauty in terms of their hair. The 2004 trends indicate, how- ever, that Black standards of beauty are becoming more widely accepted as curly haired models become more prevalent in magazine ads.

Most of the male models featured in both Jet and Essence magazines in 2003 and 2004 had short black hair. In the 2003 issues of Essence, most of these models also had facial hair, but this trend decreased in 2004. Perhaps this

15

is because Black men are perceived to be less threatening without facial hair and would thus be more conducive to selling products. Because of the short- ness of the male models' hair, it was too difficult to determine hair texture.

Facial characteristics. Most of the female models in both Essence and Jet

in 2003 and 2004 had averaged-sized noses and lips. Although the second most popular facial features in 2003 issues of Essence were large noses and lips, in 2004 the second most popular facial features in Essence were small noses and small and large lips. The second most popular facial features in both 2003 and 2004 issues of Jet were also small noses and large lips. This appears to indicate that advertisers are featuring more models with smaller noses and lips who thus better adhere to White standards of beauty. Black standards of beauty were also prevalent, however, as more models with large lips were featured in the ads. This supports Leslie's (1995) findings that both the number of Black models adhering to White standards of beauty and those adhering to Black standards of beauty have been increasing.

Male models in the 2003 issues of Essence magazine tended to have average- or large-sized noses and lips. In 2004, most of the male models had average-sized noses and lips, but the second most prevalent nose size and lip size were small. Thus, the same trend for female models is occur- ring for male models, as smaller facial features become more prevalent because of the perpetuation of White ideals of beauty. Most of the male models in Jet magazine also had average-sized noses and lips in 2003, whereas in 2004 most of the males had average- or large-sized noses and average-sized lips. Thus, Jet magazine appears to be more accepting of Black ideals of beauty than Essence, as their ads featured more male models with larger facial features.

Body types. The bodies of female models in Essence tended not to be shown (e.g., only a head or bust shot). This finding supports McLaughlin and Goulet's (1999) finding that most of the ads presented in Black magazines emphasize the faces of female models to portray them as self-confident and dominant. In 2003, the second most prevalent body type in Essence maga- zine was an average body type, but in 2004 the thin body type was second most popular. Furthermore, no ads featured models with larger body sizes, despite the fact that Black people are more accepting of this body type. Thus, these findings indicate that White ideals of thin body types are being imposed on the Black population.

Similar findings were found in Jet magazine. In 2003, most female models were presented either without their bodies being shown or with an

16

average body type. In 2004 though, most female models had a thin body type, closely followed by an average body type. This appears to indicate that White ideals of beauty are even more prevalent in magazines geared toward both Black men and women. Furthermore, the number of models featured without their bodies decreased in 2004 relative to the number of

models with other body types. Perhaps this is because facial and bust shots

are intimidating to men as a result of the dominance portrayed by the women in the ads.

In terms of male models, in both 2003 and 2004 and in both Essence and Jet magazines, male models tended to have average-sized bodies. The sec- ond most prevalent ads were ads that did not feature the bodies of the male models at all. It appears that facial or bust shots of men were not the most prevalent type of ads, most likely because of how Black men are viewed as intimidating by the White population. This could also explain the lack of ads featuring male models with larger body s

"The Recession Has Devastated Black Magazines" The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education Other black magazines also saw a decline in advertising pages but by less than the national average of 26 percent. Essence, a magazine whose readers are primarily black women, has experienced a decline in advertising pages of 12 percent.

Essence, also known as The Magazine for Today's Black Woman, is a "privately owned periodical," and most of its readers are black women. The magazine covers fashion, lifestyle and beauty, with an intimate girlfriend-to-girlfriend tone, and their slogan "Fierce, Fun, and Fabulous" suggests the magazine's goal of empowering African-American women. The topics the magazine discusses range from celebrities, to fashion, to point-of-view pieces addressing current issues in the African-American community.

History[edit | edit source]

Advertising salesman Jonathan Blount and insurance salesman Clarence Smith thought up Essence, receiving inspiration from an opportunity to brainstorm black business ideas with a Wall Street firm. After partnering with people in finance and printing, they sold their magazine idea to Wall Street and started publication with the help of a team. The magazine was meant to focus more womanhood than blackness. At the time, text dominated images in the magazine, and it was considered to be on its way to becoming a black Cosmopolitan.

The publication of black consumer magazines experienced a boom in 1970, with 13 being published. Some of them only lasted until the middle of the decade, but Essence was one of the black publications that lived on throughout the '80s. It had a stellar beginning and was one of the largest of the new magazines to hit the black press scene at the time. Its initial circulation was approximately 50,000 copies per month, subsequently growing to roughly 1.6 million. Gordon Parks served as its editorial director during the first three years of its circulation.

In 2000, Time Inc. purchased 49 percent of Essence Communication inc, a publishing company that publishes magazines aimed at African-American women, namely Essence and Suede magazines. In 2005 Time Inc. made a deal with Essence Communication Inc. to purchase the remaining 51 percent it did not already own. The deal placed the ownership of the 34-year-old Essence magazine, one of the United State's leading magazines for women of color, under white ownership. Black male patriarchy was also furthered by owners and staff members in the Essence workplace and was similar to white male patriarchy.

Contents[edit | edit source]

Black women can look to Essence for information about matters concerning them.

In "Black Womanhood: Essence and its Treatment of Stereotypical Images of Black Women," professors explained that diverse images of black women are not often included in white magazines and media but that those black women can see themselves in different lights in Essence. The magazine features sections called Celebrity, Fashion, Beauty, Hair, Love, and Point-of-View. The magazine has covered topics from family, to social issues in the African-American community, to African-American women in the military, to being HIV positive. Celebrities including Michelle Obama andWhitney Houston have appeared on the cover and been featured in the magazine through interviews and photo spreads. Originally launched primarily as a fashion magazine, Essence has grown to be a guideline for African-American women in many aspects of life.

Frequent contributors, including current editor-in-chief Vanessa K. Bush, provide advice for the business-minded black woman, helping them to reach their full potential. The section named "Tanisha's Tips", written by the magazine's senior editor of personal finance and careers, gives tips on workplace conduct and how to handle a rough job.

Male staffers use their voice

While 85 percent of the magazine's articles were written by women, 15 percent of the stories were written by men, who held 16 percent of the magazine's authorial positions. Male staff members mostly wrote about being a man and dealing with a relationship with a woman.

The articles they wrote highlighted how men and women differed biologically and related socially. Heterosexual relationships and their importance in present and future black life occupied over 30 percent of the article topics explored by male writers. The black male voice revealed more about the black male to the black female reader and promoted the coming together of men and women despite gendered differences.

Male Essence authors dedicated about another 30 percent of their articles to criticism of their black female counterparts. As a display of power, between their black-male and relationship-oriented pieces, male writers also ventured to outline how black women should act and think.

Advertising

Women were identified as a significant influence in consumption in the 1880s, so magazines targeting women began to cater to the increased economic role of women. Once women's power of consumption was realized, magazines for them began to appeal increasingly to their ability to consume.

From the 1880s on, income from advertisements was largely important to the financial health of magazines for women. Although women's magazine publications could rake in little advertising revenue, they worked with the amounts they received and stayed in business.

In 2009, the number of pages of advertisements in Essence had dwindled by 12 percent.

Magazines with large circulations perpetuate society's gendered stereotypes, according to some feminists, and others have disapproved of the use of conventional gender images in advertising that distract from the goods and services being sold to consumers.

Circulation[edit | edit source]

• Rate Base 1,600,000
• Subscriptions 78%
• Single-Copy Sales 22%

Essence Music Festival[edit | edit source]

The Essence Music Festival is the nation's largest annual gathering of African-American musical talent, and has been going on annually for 18 years in New Orleans, bringing more than 400,000 people. The festival is a three-day event, which has cultural celebrations and empowerment seminars with nights of musical performances, and there are often awards given out honoring prominent musicians in the African-American community. The festival is held every Fourth of July weekend, and has featured some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Prince, Beyoncé, Tamia, Mary J. Blige, Lionel Richie and others.

In 2007, president Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton made special appearances at The Essence Music Festival, and in 2009 the festival was held in honor of Barack Obama's inauguration and presidency, with Beyoncé as the headliner. In 2008, after partnering with Essence to develop and tape a co-branded special presentation Black in America: Reclaiming the Dream, CNN reported live on-site throughout the Music Festival weekend.

In 2013, the Essence Music Festival rebranded to the Essence Festival to showcase the event as more than a music festival.

In 2016, the first ever sister event to the Essence Festival was announced – Essence Festival Durban – set to take place in Durban, South Africa from the 8 – 13 November. Essence President Michelle Ebanks commented at the time, "This is a milestone year for the Essence brand as we get ready to bring one of our most beloved events to the heart of South Africa in the coastal city of Durban which represents an exciting mix of cultures. This inaugural Essence Festival Durban will bring together voices of influence and power from the continent of Africa, the U.S. and across the globe to connect communities and empower women spanning the diaspora."

Activism[edit | edit source]

In January 2005 Essence launched a 12-month initiative to combat misogyny in hip hop culture. The campaign, entitled "Take Back the Music", was intended to inspire public dialogue about the portrayal of black women in rap music. Essence also works to empower women through the magazine, instilling confidence in full-figured African-American women, and giving tips on how to love their hair, and their body, by holding a Young Women's Leadership Conference, and releasing a book in 2009 entitled Essence Presents: The Black Woman's Guide to Healthy Living.

Awards[edit | edit source]

Black Women In Hollywood[edit | edit source]

Essence magazine holds an award ceremony annually to honor black women who have achieved success in Hollywood.

Black Men In Hollywood[edit | edit source]

Ceremony Annually to Honor black men who have achieved success in Hollywood

Essence Literary Awards[edit | edit source]

Essence magazine hosted the first-annual Essence Literary Awards in New York City on February 7, 2008. The awards were created to celebrate both emerging and established African-American authors in nine categories: Fiction, Memoir, Inspiration, Non-fiction, Current Affairs, Photography, Children's Books, Poetry and Storyteller of the Year.

Reception[edit | edit source]

In 2008, Essence won 12 New York Association of Black Journalists awards in the Investigative, General Feature, International, Business/Technology, Science/Health, Arts and Entertainment, Personal Commentary, Public Affairs and Online categories. The same year, Essence also won an American Magazine Vanguard Award (AVMA), recognizing the magazines that are innovating beyond just the printed word.

The 2005 purchase of Essence Communications Inc. marked the first time an African-American magazine would be owned by a white man, sparking controversy because of the company's 34 years under African-American ownership.

The magazine also started controversy in 2011 when the editor-in-chief Constance C. R. White announced that the magazine's new managing editor was a white male by the name of Michael Bullerdick. White assured readers that Bullerdick has no control over the content of the magazine and is only to oversee the day-to-day operations of the magazine. In April 2012, Bullerdick parted way with the magazine after politically conservative views that run counter to what Essence has historically stood for were discovered on his private Facebook page.

Editors[edit | edit source]

• Ruth Ross (1975)
• Ida Lewis (1970–71)
• Marcia Ann Gillespie (1971–80)
• Susan L. Taylor (1981–2000)
• Monique Greenwood (2000)
• Diane Weathers (2000–05)
• Angela Burt-Murray (2005–10)
• Constance C. R. White (2011–13)
• Vanessa K. Bush (2013–present)*The headings in the contents section needs to be edited and I'm not sure what the advertising section is doing. It contains general original research that is disconnected from Essence. The lead has improved, but still needs to be in your own words. I know we are meeting this week, let's further discuss at that time."