Attendees of the April 7th dinner included Meryl Streep, who presented the Global Trailblazer Award to Kiran Bedi for the film Yes Madam, Sir, Megan Mullally and husband Nick Offerman (star of "Parks & Recreation"), Jill Scott, 14-year-old fashion blogger Tavi, Beacon Award recipient Sheryl WuDunn, The New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and former Essence editor-in-chief Susan Taylor.
She is taking over the job from Susan L. Taylor, Essence's editor the last 19 years, who will become editorial director of Essence Communications.
Vanessa K. Bush, Essence's editor-in-chief and Bethann.
Jada's query comes just weeks after the firing of ESSENCE's editor-in-chief, Constance C.R. White.
"What we're trying to say in the study is that, if there were balance, if we saw more diversity, and it was more multi-dimensional there would be a truer picture of who we really are," explained Essence magazine Editor-in-Chief, Vanessa K. Bush, in an interview with Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC.
Celia Smith, Essence.com fashion editor, and Reneise Francis, Essence fashion market editor.
Before Essence, she was editor in chief of Inside New York, an annual guidebook for hip newcomers, and the founding managing editor of Fashion Almanac, a defunct quarterly magazine.
That same sense of humility and drive was echoed in a speech Monáe delivered after Bush, Essence acting managing editor, presented her with a framed copy of the magazine cover.
Essence Acting Managing Editor Vanessa K. Bush described the vigil as an extension of the magazine's "Guns Down" series, a print and social media initiative aimed at leading conversations on how to stop violence plaguing America's cities.
Wilbekin, Essence magazine's editor-at-large, has also lived through highs, lows and in-betweens in his storied career, which he graciously detailed during a lively Q&A session.
In addition, African Americans have held executive level positions at mainstream publications--Corynne Corbett the beauty director at Essence was the executive editor at Real Simple and Minor was the executive editor at Brides before this recent promotion.
