Yanick Rice Lamb, a former Heart & Soul editor, told Journal-isms by email, “We are all thankful to the National Writers Union for representing us over the past year and a half. Unfortunately, this settlement covers only some of Heart & Soul’s contributors and a portion of the total amount owed to those represented by NWU, which is theft of services. A large number of writers, editors, stylists, photographers and others are still owed money for work and expenses — many thousands of dollars and a few more than $50,000.
“Heart & Soul has traditionally been a wonderful brand that delivered much-needed service and journalistic excellence to African Americans who suffer disproportionately from a host of health disparities. Under each previous owner, the magazine has always prided itself on practicing what it preaches — focusing on the well-being of women and their families internally as well as externally for a truly strong connection to the readers. As someone who has been associated with the magazine at various times since its inception, I hope that it can restore this invaluable tradition.”
Julia Chance, who was senior editor, beauty and fashion, added by email, “I’m grateful to the National Writers Union for assisting my colleagues and me through this unpleasant ordeal. Not getting paid fully by H&S for the work we performed is unconscionable and we’ve all suffered varying levels of hardship as a result. One of my writers was undergoing treatment for breast cancer and lost her mother during this period. Timely payment would have served her well. When she expressed this to one of the owners upon trying to get paid what was owed her she never even received a response.
“H&S, through all of its various owners, was always been the little train that could, providing much needed health information to the black community which suffers disproportionately from health afflictions. The irony of how it, under current ownership, mistreated a segment of the very demographic they claim to serve is not lost on me. It’s unfortunate, and goes against the mission of the magazine.”