Black Elegance magazine is like the bastard stepchild of Essence. The stepchild that was sired from a woman with shriveled ovaries. As such, B.E. doesn’t secure A-list celebrities when they are A-list. The trajectory is either early or well after. They usually sell the most when Essence has already sold out. They don’t make the kind of money that Essence makes from ad revenue because they don’t have that machinery behind them as yet. What they do have is a staff of people that are willing to give of their time and their skillsets doing the things they love – writing articles, styling artists and taking photographs. Folks understand that this time is being traded up for the credit and connections that come from building a brand.
Anyhoo, most magazines, even the crappy ones host a launch party where their staff gets a moment to exhale and preview their collective work before the magazine is released to the public. It’s a chance to hobnob and network with other industry people as well. Why do you think that the Editor in Chief at B.E. didn’t invite staffers to the launch event after having them work on the magazine for free. Prah’lee because she had no intentions of honoring the sisterhood agreement she made with them. The people at Black Elegance are just as empty and vapid as the staff at Essence. I had a meeting at the Essence corporate offices with two V.P.’s and four editors and they all agreed that Black Women did not know OR CARE about what the ‘Black Code’ meant. Forget how these magazines treat their staffers for a moment and recognize that their view of their readership is even more disgusting.
With HIV/AIDS still a scourge in America and to African American women more than ever Essence wants to give you a detailed essay on the swinger sex clubs in your neighborhood. Essence and Black Elegance have long ago left the stance of progressive empowerment for women of color. You are only a customer now and they intend to keep you shopping. Essence won’t stop until you are emotionally and financially bankrupt. Their articles claim to tell you what men think, or why he cheats, or why you should. Nothing describes the preservation of the family unit so I should assume that it doesn’t exist in Black families. It does and Essence and Black Elegance have an investment in the opposite. That is why I am asking you not to vote for them this holiday season.
We vote every single day, not just on the first Tuesday in November. We vote every time we go to the grocery store and buy a loaf of bread or a tube of toothpaste. Our dollars co-sign our trust in brands and products that we think will help our quality of life. Please don’t vote for either Essence or Black Elegance since these brands have betrayed the public trust.
