Essence Competition of Tradition featured the likes of Vice President Kamala Harris, Oprah Winfrey and Megan Thee Stallion. But, the drama surrounding Essence Fest’s lawsuit in opposition to a Black-owned New Orleans bookstore dominated the nationwide headlines and social media discourse.
Essence Fest filed authorized paperwork in opposition to Baldwin & Co. bookstore, claiming that the proprietor and promoter Tamika Newhouse have wrongly used the Essence Fest model title to advertise its occasion highlighting outstanding Black authors and celebrities, in accordance with WWL-TV.
Essence has since withdrawn the cease-and-desist in opposition to Baldwin & Co., however continues to pursue the lawsuit in opposition to the promoter, Newhouse, together with two different defendants for allegedly making an attempt to revenue off the model’s title. The opposite two being sued are Delphine Legacy Media Co. and Lit Diaries LLC, in accordance with Axios.
Baldwin & Co. bookstore proprietor Dernell “DJ” Johnson was pressured to cancel the deliberate occasions to characteristic Black authors on Friday, June 30, 2023, the identical day he acquired the cease-and-desist letter.
“Though relieved that the lawsuit has now been dismissed, Baldwin & Co. stays dedicated to pursuing needed adjustments within the metropolis’s adoption of the unconstitutional “clear zone” ordinance,” Baldwin’s lawyer stated, in accordance with WWL-TV.
Not everybody agrees with Essence’s lawsuit.
The occasion organizers misled artists into believing that they have been collaborating in an Essence Competition occasion. Shockingly, the occasion charged every creator a $650 price to take part beneath the guise of working with Essence. Essence does NOT cost authors to take part of their…
— ESSENCE Competition (@essencefest) July 1, 2023
On Sunday, after the lawsuit was rescinded in opposition to Baldwin & Firm, proprietor Johnson stated he’ll combat to clear his title from the insinuation that he tried to use the Essence Fest model title for private gratification.
Johnson, on the proper, additionally posted a photograph of lawyer Ben Crump, district lawyer Jason Williams and others who got here to look and assist Baldwin.
A number of the New Orleans councilmembers vowed to change the “Clear Zone” that almost all agreed upon to stop an incident like this from occurring sooner or later.
“It’s fully inappropriate for any large-scale occasion visiting town of New Orleans to negatively impression our native companies with one thing akin to a non-compete clause,” Council President JP Morrell stated.
Take heed to the complete report beneath.
