Clarence O. Smith, one of the four pioneering founders who launched ESSENCE Magazine in May 1970, passed away on Monday, April 21, at the age of 92. A passionate strategist, a masterful communicator, and a relentless champion of Black women, Smith’s contributions helped redefine not only the magazine industry, but the broader cultural and economic landscape for African Americans.
Throughout his more than three decades at Essence Communications, Smith served as President, leading the advertising and marketing efforts that fueled the magazine’s growth. His visionary leadership helped establish what became known as the “Black Women’s Market,” a concept that recognized—and celebrated—the unparalleled spending power and influence of Black women, long overlooked by mainstream advertisers. Smith’s strategic brilliance shifted the advertising world’s attention, moving investment toward Black audiences with a new level of respect and understanding.
Susan L. Taylor, the magazine’s former Editor-in-Chief and one of its most guiding lights, reflected on Smith’s passing with profound reverence. “He shifted hearts, minds—and investment choices—in the conventional advertising world,” Taylor wrote. “With the income he and his teams primarily generated, we editors were able to grow the magazine’s beauty and depth.”
Smith’s legacy extended far beyond the pages of ESSENCE. His work helped lay the foundation for an empire that included the ESSENCE Awards, ESSENCE Television, a line of Essence-branded eyewear, hosiery, travel offerings, and, perhaps most notably, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture—an annual gathering that, per Taylor, “remains the largest gathereing of Black people in the nation —if not the world.”
Underneath his strategic mind was a heart devoted to uplifting Black culture with dignity and pride. His work was never simply about business—it was about love, empowerment, and the celebration of a people whose beauty, brilliance, and resilience had too long been ignored.
“With Clarence Smith’s passing,” Taylor wrote, “we have lost a mighty mind, but not a legacy. It lives on.”
Smith is survived by his beloved wife, Elaine, and their family. In the legacy he leaves behind, in every festival stage, every magazine page, and every story Essence continues to tell, Clarence O. Smith’s spirit endures—undaunted, unwavering, and everlasting.
