'Essence' Names White Fashion Director

TONY COX, host:

Last week, Essence magazine announced a management change that lit up the blogosphere and set off an intense debate among long-time readers. The 40-year-old publication targeting beauty, fashion and cultural concerns for black women announced the hiring of a white woman as its full-time fashion director, a first for Essence, which has been owned by Time Warner since 2005.

What really is at stake, asks cultural critic and Professor Mark Anthony Neal, about a once black-owned publication, whose connection to the community is no longer what it was but remains important.

For some answers, today, we look at the color of change at Essence magazine. What difference does it make to you, Essence readers? Do you care whether the new fashion director is white? Our number here in Washington is 800-989-8255. Our email address is talk@npr.org. And to join the conversation, just go to our website, npr.org, and click on TALK OF THE NATION.

Mark Anthony Neal is professor of African-American studies at Duke University. We have posted a link to his blog post on the change. Go to that same site, npr.org. He joins us now from their studios in Durham, North Carolina. Welcome back to the show, Mark.

Professor MARK ANTHONY NEAL (Duke University): Hey, Tony. Long time.

COX: Yes, nice to talk to you again. So let's begin with this simple question: Why does this matter?

Prof. NEAL: You know, on the one hand, the fact that this young woman is now going to be the fashion editor is not really the issue. But the change occurs, this new position occurs at a time when the political discourse in this country - you know, call it the Obama era - you know, really does put a lot of pressure on black institutions to carry the brunt for diversity.

And so we've heard language in terms of describing, you know, this new hiring as, you know, it's a black institution or a black magazine showing how progressive their race politics are. And in some way, I took - you know, I was pushed aback by that.

You know, in my mind, there's nothing really progressive historically about whites controlling, you know, black intellectual production or black cultural production. That has been very much the history of blackness in this country where, you know, where we're talking about great literary magazines or newspapers and so many other different black institutions. There were always white benefactors and, in some cases, white who were overseeing the production. So this is not a new phenomenon.

But why is it that Essence now has to carry the blood-stained banner, if you will, for diversity in publishing, where if you look around the publishing industry and look at the numerous magazines, you know, fashion magazines and other magazines in which is very hard to find, you know, major editorial input coming from black editors and there's no public outcry about that, but yet, there's going to be public outcry when folks are critical of the fact that Essence magazine decides to hire a white editor?

COX: Is it legitimate to ask that - well, let me put it this way. What if we argue that the new hire - I think her name is Ellianna Placas, if I am saying it correctly - is simply the best person for the job?

Prof. NEAL: That's illegitimate claim. You know, on the one hand, you know, Essence can hire whoever they want to do whatever they want. But the history of Essence suggests a different kind of trajectory. I mean, the reason why, you know, Essence was important when it launched in the early 1970s - and, again, this is coming on the heels of the civil rights movement, more importantly the heels of the black arts movement. And this was really the first time that you had a major national periodical that was run by black folks - editorial staff was black - in which they could dictate how America was going to view black beauty and black fashion.

You know, the idea of black beauty, you know, was a very treacherous sight, you know, for battles historically, obviously, for black folks, particularly for black women in terms of skin color and hair and all these range of issues. And Essence coming on the scene meant that suddenly, there would be black input in terms of how blackness would be presented into the public sphere.

I think what we've seen with Essence, particularly since, you know, Time Warner buys that first 49 percent back in 2000, of course, completing the sale - the purchase in 2005 with the final remaining 51 percent, is that systematically we have seen a different editorial direction for Essence magazine, which is fine. You know, corporate entities that want to present black themed magazines, or television networks like BET is fine for them to do that, but is also fine for black audiences, you know, or black readers who had a very different relationship with Essence.

You know, I begin my piece talking about my introduction to Essence as a 15- or 16-year-old in the 1980s. You know, I picked up Essence as a young man, simply because there were pretty black women in the magazine. And to be quite honest, there were few places where I could find pretty black women as, you know, as represented as they were, except for a magazine like Essence. But, you know, I first read, you know, folks like Audre Lorde and James Baldwin - you know, I first read about the exploits of Stokely Carmichael I was first introduced to Louis Farrakhan, all of people, you know, in Essence magazine. And I think Essence, at some point, really became more representative of black Americas magazine than even, you know, Ebony magazine, you know, the old veteran, had been.

And I think, systematically, you know, over the years, weve seen a shift from that. And particularly, since Time Warner has taken over. And again, the Time Warner moment, you know, reflects a broader trend. You know, were you have Viacom buying back BET. COX: Right, right.

Prof. NEAL: Its a part of what I was responding to was that, you know, this is really not a moment for outrage. You know, Essence magazine has long, not really been the magazine that it was for black America. And theres...

COX: Well, hold that thought because I want to let people get the number and join in on the conversation. This is TALK OF THE NATION. Were talking about Essence magazine, which hired a new white fashion director and has gotten a lot of people, well, talking about it. If youd like to join the conversation, please give us a ring at 800-989-8255. The email address is talk@npr.org.

One of the things that you mentioned, Mark Anthony Neal, is that you read it, even though the magazine was created not for males like you and me...

Prof. NEAL: Yes. I was a 14-year-old boy.

COX: ...and it was for females. And I understand that. And so, in a way, we are at a disadvantage even talking about this. But how do you believe that the magazine will change from what it is now, because of the new fashion director -or will it?

Prof. NEAL: I think, you know, the editorial direction of Essence over the last five years has been set. I dont think anything is going to dramatically change. You know, from everything I hear, this is a talented woman. You know, in the world of meritocracy, perhaps, she deserves the job. You know, again, I dont have a problem with that. I think we are, though, at a particular historical moment where, you know, we really dont have to have the kind of public outcry about this hire at this point in time, because there really are so many more opportunities for black women and for black fashion at this particular time, because of the Internet. You know, because of social media, because of the blogosphere. You know, one great example, you know, the one online magazine that really brought the story, you know, Clutch magazine. You know, Clutch magazine has been a great opportunity. I mean, Felicia Pride wrote about this in her Loop21...

COX: I saw that.

Prof. NEAL: ...you know, piece last Friday.

COX: Yes, she did.

Prof. NEAL: You know, this is often a great opportunity for women who may have been constricted, you know, at a vehicle like Essence. And the Internet is offering this kind of wild moment for folks to actually re-imagine ourselves in that regard. So I think - you know, I think this hire gets very differently if it was 15 years ago.

COX: Than now?

Prof. NEAL: You know, in part of what Im saying to black American now is that, okay, its been done. This really hasnt been our magazine for a decade. You know, lets just move on. You know...

COX: All right. Can I yeah. All right. Well, lets get a call. We have a caller coming in from Beaufort, South Carolina. Im not sure how to pronounce your name. So if get wrong, I apologize in advance. Is it Jovesa(ph)?

JOVESA (Caller): Jovesa.

COX: Jovesa. Okay, Jovesa.

JOVESA: Yeah.

COX: Now, welcome to TALK OF THE NATION. Finally, a female voice that can put give us another perspective. But Mark and I are doing the best that we can. What do you have to say about this, Jovesa?

JOVESA: Well, I grew up with Essence magazine. I remember when I Essence magazine was one of those prizes that the winners from "Soul Train" scramble board would win.

(Soundbite of laughter)

JOVESA: And I remember they would always say: for today's black women. And so, I have to honest. When Essence was sold to CBS and then I was disappointed. And then, there was a change in the magazine. There was a change in the appearance. It seems they have more advertisers once it went to CBS. And then, I was one of those people I dont subscribe. Im one of those people that subscribe. I cant call in and protest in my subscription. But I was disappointed and it felt like I we had given something away.

And I dont doubt this womans qualifications, but I think there is a perspective that a black female will bring to that magazine that may be a white female will not bring, just because she is white. And maybe, times are changing out from that old school, but my heart sank. It just really kind of sank to learn that theyve hired this woman. And Im sure there were so many black women that were just as qualified for that position that, I think, could've been given such an opportunity.

COX: Jovesa, thank you for that call. By the way, it wasnt CBS that bought them. It was Time Warner.

Prof. NEAL: Time Warner.

COX: But she made a point that let me ask you. I cant speak on behalf of Time Warner, certainly, or Essence magazine. But she Jovesa was saying she was an example of someone who had left the fold. So she's already off the book, so to speak, as far as Essence magazine would have been concerned. And if there were others like them, what alternatives does a magazine have, to try to build new readership and get the ads, which are the source of revenue for them by not trying something different when they lose people like her?

Prof. NEAL: You know, the reality is that, you know, blackness is cutting-edge American culture at this point in time. And Im sure, part of the thinking at Essence magazine, even though its a magazine explicitly directed towards black women, it is to expand the audience for Essence in that regard. Youve seen many entities do that over the last 15 years. I mean, thats part of what the focus on urban culture is. You know, what we call urban culture 30 years ago, you know, was black. You know, in 2010, its multicultural. Its diverse. Its multiethnic. And Im sure, in order to survive in this kind of environment, you know, Essence and Time Warner felt that the editorial direction should really push more towards that kind of urban look as opposed to specifically dealing with black women's issues.

COX: Mm-hmm.

Prof. NEAL: You know, on the other side, I mean, part of what weve seen also in terms of editorial content of black - of Essence vis-a-vis black women, is that, you know, some of the messages consistently, you know, directed towards black women in the magazine or that, you know, there's something wrong with you. You know, you're less than something and the magazine becomes this whole process, almost a self-help, you know, entity for black women to recover themselves and, you know, given all the narrative these days about black women being unmarriable.

COX: (Unintelligible)

Prof. NEAL: You know, Essence have been kind of on the front line of pitching these arguments about what's wrong with black women and why don't black men like you?

COX: Well, let's take another call. We have Elizabeth(ph) from Cleveland, Ohio. Elizabeth, welcome to TALK OF THE NATION.

ELIZABETH (Caller): Hi. I wanted to comment on two things. One is your guest said there are no strong black voices in fashion right now, and I think that she's forgetting Andre Leon Talley who's probably the most powerful voice in American fashion at this moment from his position at Vogue.

COX: Mm-hmm.

ELIZABETH: And also and incredible...

Prof. NEAL: But he's not a fashion editor? Now, I got you, but he's not a fashion editor?

ELIZABETH: But his influence is tremendous amongst the fashion industry...

COX: Okay.

ELIZABETH: ...in the United States.

COX: (Unintelligible)

ELIZABETH: And secondly, I wanted to say, if this were reversed - I understand tradition is hard to break - but if this were reversed and a black woman was hired for a traditionally (unintelligible) a magazine that had - where that position had been held by a white woman forever, there will be accusations of racism. And I understand the difficulties here, but aren't we supposed to be hiring according to who's the best person for the job in the United States, and not according to race - no matter what the job is? But...

COX: You know, that's an interesting point that you raised, Elizabeth. Thank you for the call. I am not an expert on this, Neal. I don't know whether you are or not, but have there not been African-American women who have been hired at fashion magazines in editorial managing positions?

Prof. NEAL: Not as managing editors. I mean, they've been in other different positions, obviously. I mean, there clearly has been, you know, black bodies at various institutions that have had input, but none with the kind of creative control that black women knew they could get at some place like Essence. I mean, part of it - Hariette Cole, when she appeared on "The Today Show" this weekend, I mean, part of her argument about the importance of Essence, that Essence became a training ground for many black women and black professionals who were not going to get those opportunities, you know, in mainstream publications.

I mean, the history of the black press in this country, whether we're talking about the black press at Historically Black College and Universities or black newspapers, is that it was a training ground in journalism and reporting for a generations of black folks, because they didn't have those opportunities, you know, at mainstream, white institutions.

I think part of, you know, what the Obama era has done is that we get a - we get the end piece of the story, right? So we're wondering how come a black magazine, you know - why is it a big deal for a black magazine to hire a white woman at this point in time when the whole, larger history, you know, has been very rarely have there been even black entities running black institutions at this point in time.

COX: And we see that there are changes in media of all sorts, not just at...

Prof. NEAL: Right, right.

COX: ...black fashion magazines. BET certainly is an example of that, and there are others as well. We have another caller. This is Michael(ph) from New York. Michael, welcome to TALK OF THE NATION.

MICHAEL (Caller): Hi. Good afternoon. I've been a fashion designer for over 30 years, and there has always, always been a major difference between black style and white style. When I first started out, we always used to look at Essence magazine to see what was the current trends and styles that black women were wearing and tried to adapt them to something that white women would wear. I think - I agree with one of your previous callers, that having a white woman, regardless of her credibility, her talent - she's not black. And if Essence is to remain something that is for the black community, then I believe its fashion designer should be black.

COX: So do you think, then, based on what you're saying, that this new editor is likely to take the fashion design strategy, if you will, in a different direction at Essence?

MICHAEL: Well, you know, it's hard to tell, but I can't imagine that any white fashion designer who has gone through the educational process that she did, the training process that she did, is going to have her thumb on what the black style is. It's - I mean, the - in the same manner that some forms of music are more represented by certain ethnic groups, it's the same type of thing. I don't necessarily know that it's good or bad, but I can't imagine - I certainly don't know a single woman - and I've been in the business for over 30 years - that I would have recommended to any black fashion house or black periodical, as the fashion editor.

COX: Michael, thank you very much for the call. Our time is running really short, Mark. What are we to make of this, in 30 seconds or less? Is it a tempest in a teapot, is it going to pass over, or is it going to get bigger?

Prof. NEAL: I think passes over. Essence magazine is owned by Time Warner. Time Warner is going to make the decisions that it thinks it needs to make to maintain and increase circulation, and to put the right product out there. I think, you know, Michaela Angela Davis said it well. Her first response was that it's like a girlfriend has died. And, you know, I - in my piece was the idea, yeah, a girl friend has died. And we need to mourn her and lament that she's leaving - that she's left. But we need to move on. And I think there are so many other opportunities for us to talk about black culture and black fashion and black imagery, you know, that cyberspace offers us now, that we don't really have to go on and debate the meaning of Essence. You know, Essence has moved on for a while. Editorial direction, you know, was cemented a decade ago.

COX: All right. Our time has run - as you can hear that music in the background? It's been a good conversation though, Mark, thank you very much.

Prof. NEAL: Thank you, Tony.

COX: Mark Anthony Neal is professor of African-American studies at Duke University. His blog is newblackmen.blogspot.com. There's a link at npr.org. He joined us from Duke Studios in Durham.

And tomorrow, why preachers and rabbis and ministers are so much more likely to suffer from obesity, high-blood pressure and depression. This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Tony Cox.

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