Questlove weighs in on Okayplayer CEO's resignation after harmful workplace allegations: 'It was long overdue'
Roots co-lead singer and drummer Questlove has addressed the resignation of Abiola Oke, the CEO and publisher for Okayplayer and sister site OkayAfrica, on June 24 amid harmful workplace allegations from black female employees.
Okayplayer is an online hip-hop and alternative music news website and community, created and launched by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Angela "Stress' Nissel in 1998, according to their site. The community is comprised of recording artistes, the site's visitors and individuals who post on the site's message board. Okayplayer has been identified as an online community that lets people bypass traditional media and network with one another, and is one the first online hubs where fans could interact directly with their favorite artistes.
Other than OkayAfrica (a site with a focus on African culture, politics, and music), the website also hosts affiliated sites the Revivalist for jazz, OkayAfrica for African music, LargeUp for reggae, and OkayFuture for electronic music. The news of Oke's resignation comes after several black women who are former and current employees of Okayplayer and OkayAfrica shared an open letter on social media, June 23, revealing the terrible experiences they faced in both newsrooms.
Citing "lack of support and resources, below market salaries, inadequate leadership, targeting and sabotage, slander, verbal abuse, inappropriate behavior, gaslighting, lack of empathy, manipulation, rationalizing poor or unethical conduct and wrongful termination" they wrote, "We have spoken out about our experiences in hopes that this is not taken as a cautionary tale, but also to hold our own accountable in light of recent conversations within the Black community about what it looks like to stand up for Black women."
They noted, "We want to be clear about our goal. Our ask is simple: Abiola Oke should step down or be removed as CEO and Publisher of Okayplayer and OkayAfrica. His management and leadership under the guise of pushing Black culture forward has been hindering, unproductive and destructive." According to Billboard, the women have also endured sexual harassment from Oke.
Questlove wrote on Instagram, "More announcements coming up. This was long overdue," while sharing Okayplayer and OkayAfrica's joint statement that addressed the serious nature of the allegations and the action they are taking. "Effective immediately," the statement read that they have "severed all ties" and accepted Oke's resignation.
"We take the allegations that have surfaced very seriously, and we stand with the brave woman who came forward," the statement continued. "We have begun the process of engaging an outside advisor to review and investigate our current and past policies and practices. We're committed to creating a work environment that's inclusive and respectful for all." Read the full statement here.