No, Kamala Harris Shouldn’t Pen Monthly Op-Eds for Essence
June 17, 2019
On Sunday evening, Yesha Callahan, Essence’s Editorial Director News, Politics & Issues, announced that Kamala Harris will now have a monthly feature on Essence. Called #KamalasCorner, Callahan described it as a space where Harris will “pen an op-ed to the readers of Essence”. Although the tweet ended with Callahan declaring Essence’s excitement, the announcement should be met with scrutiny.
The 2020 presidential candidates are no stranger to op-eds. Just last month, Elizabeth Warren wrote about the need to invest in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for Blavity. However, Essence is the first platform to extend a monthly feature to one of the presidential candidates. By doing so, Essence has essentially offered itself up as a PR playground for Harris’ campaign, rather than a platform that can offer real answers and accountability.
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