Essence Communications Names New Interim CEO Following Accusations of Toxic Work Culture

Getty Images

Essence Communications on Tuesday named a new interim CEO of the 50-year-old magazine dedicated to celebrating Black women — two days after a Medium post by anonymous staffers calling themselves Black Female Anonymous accused top management of enabling a toxic work culture and demanded their removal.

Caroline Wanga, who joined the company on Monday as chief growth officer, will serve as interim CEO of Essence Communications — a position that had officially been vacant since the March resignation of longtime magazine leader Michelle Ebanks (who is still on the board of parent company Essence Ventures).

Dennis, a haircare mogul who bought Essence from Time Inc. in 2018 for an undisclosed amount, had been serving as interim leader of the magazine with direct oversight over its daily operations, in addition to his position as owner and chairman of Essence Ventures.

“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,” Essence said in a statement posted on Twitter by commentator Roland Martin.

Also Read: Essence Leaders Deny Accusations of Toxic Workplace Culture: ‘We Refute Them Without Reservation”

On Monday, Essence management had publicly denied the accusations in the Medium post. “The allegations and mischaracterizations throughout — whether of pay inequity, intimidation, and otherwise — are unfounded attempts to discredit our brand and assassinate personal character,” the statement said. “Further, accusations of sexual harassment or misconduct are extremely serious matters, and we fully understand the gravity of the implications. As such, these are also not claims to be recklessly and untruthfully thrown about — particularly when there have been no claims to respond to or any evidence of such defamatory accusations. In fact, there have been multiple comprehensive reviews of the HR function, and no evidence has been found to substantiate these anonymous claims. We have and will continue to review any legitimate claims of any nature that come to our attention.”

The Medium post accused Dennis of trying to force some Essence employees to sign nondisclosure agreements “that exclusively protects his family from liability or disparagement after a string of wrongful layoffs” and of intimidating those who raised questions or showed reluctance to sign. Dennis’ wife, Martha, is also accused of being “complicit in her husband’s abuse of power” as head of human resources.

The anonymous authors did not name of any of the employees subjected to acts of wrongdoing, nor did it offer much detail about specific accusations.

For the record: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Richelieu Dennis had the title of interim CEO of Essence Communications after Michelle Ebanks’ exit in March.

10 of the Best Black Father (Figures) in Film to Spend Father's Day With

Black filmmakers, creators and actors have, for years, worked to portray the gamut of black fatherhood on screen and dispel societal prejudices of the no good, or absentee black father. Here's a list of just some of the best representations of black fatherhood and father figures on the big screen.
Furious Styles ("Boyz n the Hood") Laurence Fishburne held nothing back, and dropped some serious knowledge as Furious Styles, the father of Cuba Gooding Jr.'s Tre in "Boyz n the Hood." Whether it was preaching about gentrification and the plight of the crack epidemic or talking Tre down from seeking revenge with a gun, Furious did whatever necessary to ensure his son became a man growing up in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Check here for streaming options.
8FLIX
Mr. Jones ("Friday") The late, great John Witherspoon was known mostly for his exaggerated hilarity -- plenty of which unfolds in "Friday" -- but as Mr. Jones, the father of Ice Cube's Craig, he borrows a page out of the book of Furious Styles in a rare heartfelt and crucial lesson on what it means to be a man.

Check here for streaming options.
New Line Cinema
Rod Tidwell ("Jerry Maguire") While Tom Cruise's titular character is busy figuring out what it means to be a winner in life, Rod Tidwell, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., is the consummate family man. While trying to prove he's worth a new contract, he time and again shows Jerry what it looks like to be a caring, affectionate husband and father. Rod Tidwell puts it all on the line for his family.

Check here for streaming options.
Columbia TriStar
John Quincy ("John Q") John Q. pretty much aces the question: How far are you willing to go for your children? Played by Denzel Washington, John Quincy, in an attempt to save his son, who needs a life-saving heart transplant, takes a hospital emergency room hostage after finding out his insurance won't cover the costs.

Check here for streaming options.
New Line Cinema
Chris Gardner ("The Pursuit of Happyness") Based on a true story and starring real-life father and son, Will and Jaden Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness" follows Chris Gardner as he sacrifices everything in hopes of providing a better life for his son.

Check here for streaming options.
Columbia Pictures
Dr. Larabee ("Akeelah and the Bee") Laurence Fishburne plays the father figure, Dr. Joshua Larabee, to Keke Palmer's Akeelah Anderson when he decides to coach the inner-city student all the way to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Along the way he teaches her much more than how to simply spell words, but the power they have.

Check here for streaming options.
Lions Gate Entertainment
Monty ("Daddy's Little Girls") Idris Elba plays struggling mechanic Monty in Tyler Perry's "Daddy's Little Girls," which defies stereotypes for divorced fathers, and black fathers. Monty, with the help of Gabrielle Union's Julia, is fighting for custody of his three girls.

Check here for streaming options.
Lions Gate Home Entertainment
Juan ("Moonlight") The relationship between young Chiron and Mahershala Ali's Juan in Barry Jenkins' Oscar-winning film "Moonlight" is one of pure love and support. Juan becomes a father figure to Little and an important figure in his journey to understand and grapple with his identity. As a drug dealer he's not without his flaws, but he paints a perfect picture of a complicated man.

Check here for streaming options.

A24
Maverick Carter ("The Hate U Give") Russell Hornsby's Mav Carter is a father making sure he arms his children with the tools and knowledge they need not only to survive, but take a stand again police brutality and the gangs ravaging their community. Mav not only makes sure Amandla Stenberg's Star know's her rights, what to do when dealing with the cops and the Black Panther's 10 step program, he's caring, supportive and by her side through everything.'

Check here for streaming options.
20th Century Fox
("Hair Love") This Oscar-winning animated short film written and directed by Matthew Cherry is the epitome of black love. The film tells the story of a black father for the first time struggling to help his daughter style her hair just the way mama does it.

Watch the short film here.

1 of 11

From “Boyz n the Hood” to “Moonlight,” here are some of the best representations of black fatherhood and father figures in film

Black filmmakers, creators and actors have, for years, worked to portray the gamut of black fatherhood on screen and dispel societal prejudices of the no good, or absentee black father. Here's a list of just some of the best representations of black fatherhood and father figures on the big screen.

View In Gallery

10 of the Best Black Father (Figures) in Film to Spend Father's Day With

Related Content

Essence Leaders Deny Accusations of Toxic Workplace Culture: ‘We Refute Them Without Reservation”

Essence Magazine Staffers Demand Resignation of Leadership Amid Accusations of Toxic Workplace Culture