Essence Fest drops lawsuit against Black-owned bookstore over author event
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Baldwin & Co. offers a coffee shop and a curated selection of books focusing on social justice and Black authors. Photo: Courtesy of Baldwin & Co.
Essence Festival dropped its lawsuit against a Black-owned bookstore last night, but is continuing legal action against an event organizer it described as trying to profit off of the festival’s brand.
Catch up quick: Baldwin & Co. in the Marigny was forced to cancel an event celebrating Black authors Friday after Essence issued a cease-and-desist letter to Baldwin, claiming that marketing materials for an event at the bookstore improperly used Essence's name and logo.
- Yes, but: Essence told Axios Sunday it is still suing the organizer, Tamika Newhouse, and two other companies affiliated with the event.
Why it matters: The Essence Festival brought in big names for the weekend, like Vice President Kamala Harris and Oprah Winfrey. But the drama surrounding the fest is what New Orleanians are talking about instead.
- The tussle left many on social media questioning why Essence, which promotes celebrating Black America, seemingly targeted a Black-owned business.
The other side: Essence on Twitter said the event organizers "misled artists into believing that they were participating in an Essence Festival event."
- On Sunday, Baldwin owner Dernell "DJ" Johnson posted on Instagram that Baldwin did not create any marketing materials for the event, pointing to the event organizer. He added, "We respect and appreciate the importance of trademark and copyright law."
Catch up quick: New Orleans on Friday found Baldwin’s event to be in violation of the city’s “clean zone” ordinance, according to a statement from Mayor LaToya Cantrell's office.
- The new city ordinance is supposed to protect against competition in designated parts of town. A previous version was challenged by the ACLU.
What he's saying: “Such actions are not only unjust but also tarnish the reputation of Essence and raise questions about its commitment to supporting the Black community as a whole,” Johnson told the Associated Press in response to the restraining order.
- "Let's continue to stand together, uplift one another, and amplify the voices of Black-owned businesses," a Sunday morning post on Baldwin's Instagram page said, along with a photo of DA Jason Williams and high-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump in the bookstore.
- After Essence dropped Baldwin from the lawsuit, Johnson released a statement comparing the saga to David and Goliath and saying he will continue "fighting against the unconstitutional 'Clean Zone Ordinance' that suppresses local businesses in favor of big corporations."
What we’re watching: Cantrell, in a statement, called the "miscommunication" and the cancellation "unfortunate" and said the "city and Essence remain committed to uplifting and celebrating Black culture and creators."
- City Council President JP Morrell, who was critical of how the clean zone ordinance was invoked, said his office is working on "how to prevent it from ever happening again."
- "It is completely inappropriate for any large scale event visiting the city of New Orleans to negatively impact our local businesses with something akin to a non-compete clause," Morrell's statement reads.