According to an article in the New York Post, White who began working for the magazine in 2011, was dismissed last Thursday. Beauty editor Corynne L Corbett and Greg Monfries, the creative director, will be also be leaving Essence, the Post reported.

WHITE… leaves Essence after nearly two years

According to the newspaper, an Essence spokesperson confirmed Friday that White had left the company and said Executive Editor Vanessa Bush would serve as acting managing editor.

It added that Time Inc, which owns the magazine, recently laid off 500 persons in a cost-cutting move.

A veteran journalist and past student of Meadowbrook High School, White began her career at Ms magazine, as assistant to co-founder Gloria Steinem, an icon of the women’s liberation movement of the 1960s.

White was style director, brand consultant and spokeswoman for eBay, before leaving for Essence, the leading magazine for black women in the US.

Among the celebrities who graced Essence’s cover during White’s tenure are President Barack Obama, Jill Scott, Jada Pinkett Smith, Nia Long, Alicia Keys, and Kerry Washington.

Previously, White occupied posts at Talk Magazine, The New York Times and Elle magazine. She was also associate editor at Women’s Wear Daily and W Magazine.