Two days after Essence Communications leadership was asked to resign for creating a toxic workplace culture, owner Richelieu Dennis has stepped down as CEO of the iconic magazine dedicated to uplifting Black women. They have also hired a law firm to conduct an independent investigation into their workplace culture.
In a statement from the company, Essence announced its new Chief Growth Officer Caroline Wanga would be stepping in as interim CEO. The company said it was making that, and other changes “out of an abundance of caution and an unwavering commitment to transparency.”
“ESSENCE is in the process of hiring law firms and other independent external experts to assess and review the company’s policies and practices and conduct comprehensive employee interviews, as well as independently review any harassment, discrimination, retaliation or other behaviors or issues that may adversely impact workplace culture,” the statement read.
Journalist Roland Martin broke the news of Dennis’ exit Tuesday on Twitter after a letter entitled “The Truth About Essence” was posted to Medium by authors identified as “Black Female Anonymous.”
In the letter published June 28 coinciding with the brand’s first ever virtual festival, the authors said they were concealing their identities out of a fear of retaliation. They wrote despite its founding principle that “Black women come first … the Essence brand promise is fraudulent.”
They alleged essence’s leadership engaged in toxic behaviors including sexual harassment, pay inequity, abuse of power, fear and intimidation tactics, etc. As a result, the authors said, “The once exalted media brand dedicated to Black women has been hijacked by cultural and corporate greed and an unhinged abuse of power.”
In addition to Dennis, Black Female Anonymous called for “the immediate resignation of Essence Ventures board member and former Essence Communications CEO Michelle Ebanks, Chief Operating Officer Joy Collins Profet, and Chief Content Officer Moana Luu.”
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They also asked the media company’s major sponsors “AT&T, Coca-Cola, Chase Bank, Ford, McDonalds, Procter & Gamble, Walmart and Warner Media to immediately eliminate all active or future sponsorships and media buys at Essence Ventures until the company is under new leadership.”
While Essence denied the allegations that they were “failing Black America,” the statement released Tuesday struck a humbler tone.
“At ESSENCE we remain committed to fostering a safe, transparent and respectful workplace for everyone. Our decision to commission an independent review is to ensure the ongoing trust of our communities and employees. The findings will help guide us as we continue to stand strong in our work to create the healthiest workplace possible. #BlackWomenRiseTogether” the statement concluded.
