Essence Editor-In-Chief responds to controversy

Essence's Editor-in-Chief Angela Burt-Murray broke her silence about the controversy to blackvoices.com, issuing this statement.

I understand that this issue has struck an emotional chord with our audience,” says Burt-Murray. “However, I selected Ellianna, who has been contributing to the magazine on a freelance basis for the last six months, because of her creativity, vision, the positive reader response to her work and her enthusiasm and respect for the audience and our brand. We remain committed to celebrating the unique beauty and style of African-American women in Essence magazine and online at Essence.com.”