Has Essence Become A Minstrel Show: Black face, white operation?

Local African-American Businesses respond.

Inspirational Author/OWN network host  Iyanla Vanzant pictured with Community Book Center
Owner Vera Warren at the store's location 2523 Bayou Road in New Orleans.

Pictured with Ms. Linetta Gilbert r., Author Iyanla Vanzant signed copies of her inspirational books for several hundred devoted followers at Community Book Center during the 2013 Essence Music Festival to support the long-serving cultural institution of 30+ years. Her manager Rodney Scott stated that it was important for her to "support" Community. "This is where she started," he said, "in a room just like this."

By Rhodesia Jackson

NEW ORLEANS -- Essence came to town for its annual music festival in July and it was not without controversy.

Early Friday morning, WBOK hosts, Tracie Washington and Oliver Thomas Jr., went on a rant rage regarding the lack of African-American business participation in the Festival.  

They attacked the DBE arrangement of the "white" marketing contractor who employs no African Americans, but maintains a "pseudo" partnership with an "African American" outside of the city.

"It's a shame," stated Thomas, a former City of New Orleans Councilman-at-large.  "More and more the people here are being squeezed out.

"What happened to 'the party with a purpose?'" insisted Thomas.  "Where is it?"

The trademark slogan represented a founding principle of the Essence Music Festival to ensure African-American businesses inclusion. Since then, the company changed ownership from African American to non-African American.

Thus, more and more longstanding African-American contractors have been forced out from security providers to book store vendors.  The situation is particularly ironic since Essence Magazine was created to serve African-American women.

Case in point:  African-American Owner/2012 Essence Festival Pioneer Award Recipient Vera Warren of Community Book Center was replaced by Garden District Book Store, located in the heart of Uptown New Orleans in a predominately "white" section of town, carrying very few African American books or authors.

"As the city realizes the economic impact of the festival, it is important for that impact to fill out to all corners of the city, " stated Warren.  "What Essence did by pulling the plug on Community Book Center is pull the plug on the "Community" itself, eliminating its access to knowledge, resources and power."

Doug E. Fresh, a Hip Hop entertainer/entrepreneur, performing during the Essence festivities, who was waiting on-line that Friday during the WBOK broadcast, when asked by the hosts his views, responded diplomatically: "It comes down to understanding the infrastructure."

Eugene J. Green Jr., President of Nationwide Real Estate Corporation/former Chief Executive Officer of the City of New Orleans's Division of Economic Development added: 

"What local New Orleans Leaders have to do is organize and demand better of Essence and to hold them accountable, particularly because of the great incentives provided by the city and the state," stated Green.  "This has to be proactive.  I suggest that a private sector entity partner design and conduct a series of workshops to inform the African-American Business Community about these opportunities and how to access these opportunities to do business with Essence."