NewsOne is reporting that magazine Essence is set to formally hire Elliana Placas, a former staff member of O! Magazine and US Weekly.

Citing a Clutch Magazine interview with both a current writer and former employee, the article reveals that the company that owns Essence, Time Warner, is behind the move.

It is obviously too soon to know what backlash the magazine might suffer as a result of the decision, but it does raise some interesting issues.

Can a woman who is not black successfully coordinate the fashion orientation of an iconic magazine directed at black women?

Is it a slap in the face of the loyal readers of Essence to hire her?

What direction will the magazine take in the near or long term future?

You can read more of the except from NewsOne by clicking the link below.

Controversy Surrounds Essence Hiring White Fashion Director

Diddy…that’s all that needs to be said.

FROM THE NY TIMES:

Vonetta McGee, a film and television actress originally known for blaxploitation pictures like “Blacula,” “Hammer” and “Shaft in Africa,” died on July 9 in Berkeley, Calif. She was 65 and a Berkeley resident.

The cause was cardiac arrest, said Kelley Nayo, a family spokeswoman.

In “Blacula” (1972), Ms. McGee portrayed the love interest of Mamuwalde (William Marshall), an African prince who, after an ill-fated trip to Transylvania centuries earlier, re-emerges in modern Los Angeles as a member of the thirsty undead.

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Take a look at some videos of Vonetta below:

Check out this video and stay updated on EVERYTHING LEBRON including his big announcement today at 9pm. We will keep you updated. Follow us on twitter @Z1079

The ONLY thing I have to say is…Home is where the Heart is!!!! Check out this video dedicated to King James!

CLEVELAND — The New Jersey Nets are on the clock in their courtship of LeBron James.

Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov and rap mogul Jay-Z are in Cleveland to make their pitch to the two-time MVP, who became the most celebrated free agent at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

Prokhorov, who intends to give James a global pitch during New Jersey’s expected two-hour presentation, was accompanied by new Nets coach Avery Johnson and club president Rod Thorn. Jay-Z is a part owner of the Nets and a longtime friend of James.

After landing at Hopkins International Airport at 10:36 a.m. the Nets’ contingent made the short drive to Cleveland to meet with James at the office of his business manager, Maverick Carter. James arrived about eight minutes before New Jersey’s delegation.

James was driven from his home in Akron in a white SUV and was quickly escorted through a side door at the IMG Building, where dozens of reporters and photographers were waiting. Wearing a gray Nike T-shirt and sunglasses, he made a brief stop in the lobby before heading up to Suite 823, the headquarters of LRMR Marketing, the company James began with Carter and two other longtime friends.

Read more…

“We’ve had to deal with situations in the past where black women would give her attitude or not acknowledge her, and you’ve gotta nip that s**t in the bud. But for the most part, people have been really positive and I’m proud of that,” said Diggs.

The ‘Private Practice’ star went on to say that it wasn’t so much of the attitude as it was the “shunning” by black women that affected him.

“I mean, us actors, we wanna be loved by everybody,” he said. “So it did hurt my feelings, especially when it was black women [shunning me] – my mother’s a black woman. But you can only be who you are and be proud of that and just brush the other stuff off.”

However, as he has gotten older, Diggs said he’s become less and less concerned about what people think of his relationship with Menzel. “I realized what the important things in life are. I can’t worry about changing the way that people see me. If you like me, you like me, if you don’t, you don’t.”

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