Tag: Culture

Beauty /

First-Ever Virtual Festival Includes Two UNSTOPPABLE Weekends of #ESSENCEFEST

WHAT:​           ESSENCE, the leading media, technology, and commerce company serving Black women and communities, today announced new additions to its stellar line-up for the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture: Unstoppable Virtual Experience Presented by Coca-Cola. Taking place June 25-28 and July 2-5 (Thursdays-Sundays) and streaming on ESSENCEStudios.com, the multi-day experience will extend to a global audience of viewers and feature virtual performances, summits, panels and more including leading musical artists, influencers and experts from around the world.

For the first time in the Festival’s 26-year history, the much-anticipated celebration – which annually draws more than 500,000 attendees and contributes almost $300 million in economic impact over July 4th weekend in New Orleans–will be produced as a fully virtual experience spanning two weekends of programming that entertain, empower, inspire, educate and mobilize. This year, in partnership with Michelle Obama’s national, nonpartisan organization, When We All Vote, ESSENCE will share voter registration and voting resources. The Festival will also include a benefit initiative to raise funds to support the critical needs and sustainability of Black and Brown entrepreneurs, micro and small businesses, and organizations focused on racial equity across the U.S. For an up-to-date artist lineup and schedule, click here.  The 2020 ESSENCE Festival is presented by Coca-Cola.  Major sponsors include Ford, McDonald’s, Walmart, My Black is Beautiful, P&G. For more information and to register, visit www.essencefestival.com.  Join the conversation via social @EssenceFest.

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WHO:​              NEWLY ANNOUNCED: First Lady Michelle Obama; Kerry Washington; Naomi Campbell; Lena Waithe; Ayesha and Stephen Curry; Rev. Al Sharpton; Marc Morial; Tamika Mallory; Tarana Burke; Jon Batiste; Chronixx; Michaela Coel; Wyclef; Iyanla Vanzant; Sarah Jessica Parker; Iman Shumpert & Teyana Taylor. PLUS: Marco Borges; Jemele Hill; Misa Hylton; Jeanette Jenkins; MC Lyte; Jodie Patterson; Michael Jai White & Gillian White; Ebonie K. Williams; and many more.

Previously announced performers include:

Headliner Bruno Mars plus: Amanda Black, Andra Day, Bell Biv Devoe (“BBD”), Burna Boy, Common, D-Nice, Damian Marley, Diamond Platnumz, Doug E. Fresh, Elephant Man, Estelle, India.Arie, John Legend, Ledisi, NAS, Patti LaBelle, Raphael Saadiq, Rapsody, Sauti Sol, Shaggy, Swizz Beatz, and more, hosted by Loni Love.  Leading a special tribute to the city of New Orleans will be Mayor LaToya Cantrell, PJ Morton, Big Freedia, Irma Thomas, Tank and The Bangas and Big 6 Brass Band.  Also, featured in the popular Sunday gospel Get Lifted celebration are Anita Wilson, Bri Babineaux, Erica Campbell, Fred Hammond, Greater Sound of Greater St. Stephen FGBC, Jonathan McReynolds, Kierra Sheard, Kirk Franklin, Koryn Hawthorne, Marvin Sapp, Tamela Mann, The Clark Sisters, The Walls Group, Tye Tribbett, and more, along with Sunday sermons from Bishop Paul S. Morton and Bishop T.D. Jakes.

Other culture-leaders and influencers raising their voices to speak include New Orleans, LA, Mayor LaToya Cantrell; Atlanta, GA, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; Chicago, IL, Mayor Lori Lightfoot; Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser; Ferguson, MO, Mayor-Elect Ella Jones; San Francisco, CA, Mayor London Breed; Don Lemon; Ryan Michelle Bathe; Kirk and Tammy Franklin; Lori Harvey; Ryan Destiny; Lexi Underwood; Egypt Sherrod; Lisa Nichols; Master P.; Shaun T.; Tabitha Brown and more.

*Artists and schedules are subject to change.

 

WEEK 1 (6/25-6/28):
Celebrity /

STATEMENT FROM ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC. ON THE 2020 ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE

“New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell bravely recommended yesterday that no large events take place in New Orleans in 2020, and ESSENCE fully supports that decision.  After continued monitoring of the evolving developments in the COVID-19 global pandemic and remaining in close contact and collaboration with our partners in the City of New Orleans and State of Louisiana, we are confirming today that we will no longer move forward with the 2020 ESSENCE Festival of Culture live experience – and look forward to returning to New Orleans in 2021.

 

We are excited to now announce that our ‘ESSENCE Benefit Series to Fight COVID-19’ will raise money and provide support for businesses and organizations in Black communities across the country and that our first-ever ESSENCE Festival of Culture: The Virtual Edition taking place over July 4th weekend will be included in this effort as a multi-day experience and benefit celebration.  This Festival will be hosted on our new ESSENCE Studios streaming platform, which will extend the experience to communities everywhere providing unfettered access to the power, purpose, and party that has made the ESSENCE Festival the largest cultural, entertainment and empowerment experience in the world.  Women across the globe and their families will engage in interactive, live opportunities to be inspired, empowered, entertained and transformed as they enter a new economic, spiritual and wellness journey ahead.  The virtual Festival will be a benefit celebration in honor and support of the City of New Orleans, which has been an incredible partner over the Festival’s 26 years and continues to be especially hard hit during this crisis.

From the beginning, we have shared that the health, safety, and well-being of our Festival-goers, local citizens and others who contribute to making the Festival such a unique experience were our top concerns and would be the foremost considerations in our decision-making.  While we initially hoped that a reschedule from our July 2020 dates to later in the fall would be feasible, current information and projections by public health officials and agencies have made it increasingly clear that any large-scale events this year could potentially and unnecessarily put attendees and surrounding communities at risk.  So, what would have typically been a very difficult decision for us was not because people come first, and we will continue to do everything that we can to serve our community during this time.  We will honor all tickets sold for the 2020 Festival in 2021 and will also offer full refunds.  Ticket holders should visit essencefestival.com for further information.

 

‘ESSENCE and the City of New Orleans have a partnership that thrives in good times and is made even stronger in challenging times,” said Mayor Cantrell.  ‘We share an uncompromised commitment to the best interest of our local community and our tourist community, and the priorities right now are providing support to those who have been affected by the disproportionate impact of the pandemic here in New Orleans and ensuring a safe and healthy environment for all.  We look forward to welcoming everyone back to our great city in 2021 for the return of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture and to once again helping to create such an unmatched and magical experience.”

 

‘We greatly appreciate the Essence family for working with the City of New Orleans and Louisiana as we face this ongoing public health crisis,’ said Governor John Bel Edwards of Louisiana.  ‘We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the Essence family and look forward to continuing the celebration in 2021.’

 

We continue to understand that in these times, accurate information and critical resources from trusted sources are vital.  So, ESSENCE created the ESSENCE of the Matter: COVID-19’s Impact on Black America digital platform to provide Black women and communities with the tools, information, resources, solutions, inspiration, and empowerment needed to address the multitude of issues arising from this pandemic. ESSENCE Studios will deliver these live virtual experiences and produce the content our community needs as we continue to navigate this unprecedented time together and beyond.  Experiences to date have included our first-ever virtual ESSENCE Wellness Houseä and ESSENCE CARES Act information sessions, with the next – the  ESSENCE & New Voices Entrepreneur Summit – included in our Benefit Series and scheduled for Friday, April 24.  Visit essence.com  for more information.  In addition, our editorial team is producing daily content on our dedicated page to educate our community on the coronavirus, its impact, best practices for prevention and how we can not only survive, but thrive, through this time.’

 

Beauty /

ESSENCE FULL CIRCLE FESTIVAL LAUNCHES IN SUPPORT OF CULTURAL OWNERSHIP AND ECONOMIC COLLABORATION IN AFRICA AND BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN AFRICANS ON THE CONTINENT AND IN THE DIASPORA

Essence Ventures, an independent Black-owned consumer technology company merging content, community, and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of people of color and the parent company of Essence Communications, Inc., today announced that it has partnered with Full Circle Festival, LLC to create the ESSENCE Full Circle Festival.  The ESSENCE Full Circle Festival partnership will focus on a three-part mission: (1) supporting cultural ownership and economic collaboration among Africans on the continent and people of African descent in the Diaspora; (2) connecting Black communities globally for the exchange of ideas and shared objectives that leads to cultural monetization and community reinvestment; and (3) facilitating the learning and discovery of the many facets of Africa’s beauty, excellence and opportunity globally.  In addition, the annual ESSENCE Full Circle Festival experience will focus on showcasing African nations increasingly as global destinations by highlighting their critical roles as ancestral, spiritual, cultural and commercial epicenters.

 

“As someone born and raised in West Africa and who has spent adulthood in the U.S., there is no greater joy than forging partnerships with a purpose rooted in the elevation and the promise of the people of the African continent and the Diaspora,” said Richelieu Dennis, founder, and chair of Essence Ventures.  “My family and I spent three decades building a global beauty business and business model that empower, among others, women Shea butter processors in Northern Ghana – women just like my grandmother.  We believe economic inclusion is a human right, and now with ESSENCE Full Circle Festival, our continued goal is to be catalysts and connectors for long-term economic empowerment, growth and cross-sector job creation in Black communities globally through increased engagement, innovation, entrepreneurship, and investment.”

 

The 2019 ESSENCE Full Circle Festival will take place in Accra in December and complete the Year of Return commemoration – marking 400 years since the first slave ships left Ghanaian coasts for the transatlantic slave trade.  This specially-curated, week-long immersion will enable engagement between U.S.-based cultural influencers and business executives with Ghanaian and regional leaders and communities, including explorations of history, cuisine, music, fashion, beaches, nightlife, commerce and more.

 

“This partnership recognizes Ghana’s role as a beacon for people of African descent in this Year of Return,” said Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo.  “The Year of Return, Ghana 2019, is a conscious effort to cement our pan-African legacy.  Throughout the Year, the Tourism Authority has worked with several partner organizations to welcome home our brothers and sisters from the Diaspora.  The Essence Full Circle Festival is a welcome addition to the activities and will hopefully become one of the legacies of the year which celebrates African resilience.”

 

The inaugural Full Circle Festival also included the participation of President Akufo-Addo and took place in Accra on December 2018, led by Full Circle Festival, LLC partners Boris Kodjoe, Patrick Kodjoe, Bozoma Saint John – all of Ghanaian descent – and Nicole Ari Parker.  More than 120 invited guests including business executives, influencers, and celebrities from the United States traveled to Ghana for cultural engagement and ancestral reconnection, resulting in nearly 10,000 positive social media posts and half a billion media and social impressions, as well as an estimated economic impact of more than $70 million in tourism revenue.

 

The 2019 ESSENCE Full Circle Festival will include the first ESSENCE Global Black Economic Forum: Africa, which will convene entrepreneurs, executives, entertainers and government officials to discuss how new opportunities for economic development and cultural exchange can be created.  This inaugural international Global Black Economic Forum will explore topics including connectivity within the African diaspora, environment and sustainability, post-colonialism, contemporary racial dynamics, entertainment and fashion industry growth, and other themes via a series of panel discussions, keynotes, and interactive sessions.  A solution-driven dialogue will be at the core of this event, which will include ESSENCE Full Circle Festival guests as well as local and regional participants.

 

“In furthering our mission to serve Black women deeply across the globe, ESSENCE is honored to answer the call to ‘Return’ with the creation of the ESSENCE Full Circle Festival, beginning with Ghana and subsequently extending across the continent,” said Michelle Ebanks, CEO of Essence Communications, Inc.  “We are grateful to be able to use the power of our platforms and the influence of our networks to positively impact narratives about Africa, as well as positively impact the people of Africa and the Diaspora through cultural and economic exchange.  We are thrilled to celebrate the Year of Return and our African ancestry, culture, and achievement in the vibrant country of Ghana as we reconnect over our heritage, connect over new experiences and co-create viable opportunities for the future.”

 

To capture the diversity of images and narratives that truly reflect the country and culture, ESSENCE Full Circle Festival participants are encouraged to share their first-hand experiences via their social and digital platforms.  In addition, select events will be live-streamed for broader community participation, engagement, and input.  Lastly, with the goal to inspire, encourage and assist as many people of African descent to visit the continent as possible, ESSENCE Full Circle travel packages will become available to the public in 2020.

 

“It’s so important that as people of African descent, we see and feel the beauty of the continent and the majesty of our people for ourselves,” said Full Circle Festival, LLC co-founder Boris Kodjoe.  “There isn’t a more transformative and empowering experience than to honor the Year of Return and its 400-year history while in Ghana reconnecting with our cultural heritage, celebrating our ancestry and co-creating our future with our brothers and sisters on the continent.  I hope that our ESSENCE Full Circle Festival partnership will ultimately encourage more people to visit nations across Africa, as well as serve as an example of the impact that can be made when we join in the spirit of collective purpose and progress.”

 

About Essence Ventures

Essence Ventures is an independent Black-owned consumer technology company merging content, community, and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of people of color.  The company began in 2017 and is chaired by its founder – entrepreneur, investor and social impact innovator Richelieu Dennis.

 

About Essence Communications Inc. 

Essence Communications is the number one media company dedicated to Black women and inspires a global audience of almost 25 million through diverse storytelling and immersive original content.  With a multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online, ESSENCE encompasses its signature magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; as well as live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival.  Essence Communications is owned by Essence Ventures.

Celebrity /

McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Experience at 25th Essence Festival: Uplift and Inspire Entrepreneurs

McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden movement was lit at the 25th Essence Festival! The (em)power-packed weekend was full of activities to uplift and inspire up-and-coming entrepreneurs everywhere. With appearances by actress/businesswoman La La Anthony, entertainer Luke James, reality television stars Cynthia Bailey, Tamar Braxton and Trina Braxton, vocal powerhouses Jazmine Sullivan and Kierra Sheard, the always-suave actor/host Terrence J and more, some of the culture’s brightest stars came out to support the Black & Positively Golden movement, which celebrates Black excellence through empowerment, entrepreneurship and education.

BLACK & POSITIVELY GOLDEN WELCOME BREAKFAST: McDonald’s kicked off the explosive weekend with an exclusive Black & Positively Golden Welcome Breakfast. The intimate event was hosted by McDonald’s Head of Cultural Engagement and Experiences Lizette Williams — the spearhead behind the brand’s largest African American-focused campaign in 16 years — and New Orleans franchisee Henry Coaxum.

WE SHINE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PANEL: Actress and self-made businesswoman La La Anthony moderated McDonald’s We Shine Entrepreneurship Panel before a crowd of thousands. She interviewed rising moguls, Dana Chanel (Sprinkle of Jesus, Founder), Nicole Walters (The Monetized Life, Founder & CEO) and Jewel Burks-Solomon (Part Pic, Founder), alongside McDonald’s franchisees Jade Colin and Tanya Hill-Holliday. At 29, Colin is McDonald’s youngest owner/operator, while Hill-Holliday is the brand’s first female owner/operator in Philadelphia.

EMPOWERING MUSIC PERFORMANCES: R&B songstress Jazmine Sullivan brought down the house Saturday with some of her classics. Gospel music vocalist/actress Kierra Sheard left it all on the stage Sunday afternoon. Thousands of fans gathered at the Black & Positively Golden Booth for both performances to rock out to some of their favorite tunes.

BLACK & POSITIVELY GOLDEN LATE NIGHT PARTY: After a long day of empowerment, McDonald’s hosted it’s Black & Positively Golden Late Night Party — the official Essence After Party. Celebs, such as actor/singer Luke James; reality television stars Cynthia Bailey, Tamar Braxton and Trina Braxton; actor Tyler Lepley; and social media star Karlton “@notkarltonbanks” Humes, sparkled at Club XLIV as attendees and Hiplet-style dancers showed off their best moves to the sounds of DJ Rashida and DJ B-Hen.

BLACK & POSITIVELY GOLDEN SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATIONS: To close out the weekend, McDonald’s empowered the next generation of leaders by supporting college education. In partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the organization’s national ambassador and HBCU alum Terrence J, McDonald’s presented two, $10,000 Black & Positively Golden Scholarships to well-deserving incoming HBCU freshmen.

Reality television star Cynthia Bailey attends McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Late Night Party during the 25th Essence Festival.  McDonald’s activities at Essence Festival are an extension of it’s Black & Positively Golden movement, which celebrates Black excellence through empowerment, entrepreneurship, and education.

Actor/singer Luke James attends McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Late Night Party during the 25th Essence Festival.  McDonald’s activities at Essence Festival are an extension of it’s Black & Positively Golden movement, which celebrates Black excellence through empowerment, entrepreneurship, and education.

R&B songstress Jazmine Sullivan strikes a pose at McDonald’s mobile restaurant before her showstopping performance on the Black & Positively Golden Experience stage during the 25th Essence Festival. McDonald’s activities at Essence Festival are an extension of it’s Black & Positively Golden movement, which celebrates Black excellence through empowerment, entrepreneurship, and education.

Celebrity /

The 2019 ESSENCE Festival Draws More Than Half A Million Attendees For Historic 25th Anniversary Celebration

The 2019 ESSENCE Festival presented by Coca-Cola® attracted more than half a million attendees to New Orleans this Fourth of July weekend (July 4-7) for a historic 25th-anniversary celebration representing one of the largest gatherings in the event’s history. Forever First Lady Michelle Obama commanded the main stage at the sold-out Superdome on Saturday, July 7 for her first ESSENCE Festival headline appearance.  Throughout the weekend, seven 2020 Presidential candidates joined Power Stage segments at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to directly engage the influential audience of Black women in attendance and share plans and policies to address some of their most pressing issues.  In addition, the debut of the ESSENCE Global Black Economic Forum connected attendees with accomplished leaders and chief executives including Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, Chase Consumer Banking CEO Thasunda Duckett, Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard Tyson, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey, and TDJ Enterprises CEO TD Jakes, among others.

“The 25th-anniversary ESSENCE Festival represented a truly transformative global homecoming celebration for Black women and the Black community,” said ESSENCE Chief Executive Officer Michelle Ebanks.  “This year’s extraordinary turnout reflects ESSENCE’s uniquely powerful engagement of Black women around personal empowerment, community, and culture as the only ESSENCE can.  With the debut of 10 new Festival experiences, activations at more than 40 venues across New Orleans, and engagement with more than 300 small businesses and local vendors, we have redefined the Festival as the largest and most impactful destination at the epicenter of Black culture.”

Ebanks continued, “Lastly, in honor of us embodying all that Black excellence and culture represent – beyond entertainment and beauty, we were thrilled to reveal the Festival’s official rebrand to the ‘ESSENCE Festival of Culture,’ with a mission to inform, inspire and uplift Black women and provide a holistic approach to how we offer and deliver Black culture in every way.”

Additional highlights of the 25th Anniversary ESSENCE Festival include:

  • Live broadcasts of Power Stage ‘Presidential Spotlight’ and “Candidate Conversations” segments on MSNBC and CNN, featuring keynote addresses from Senator Michael Bennett, Senator Cory Booker, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Senator Kamala Harris, Former Representative Beto O’Rourke, and Senator Elizabeth Warren. In addition, exclusive live to tape segments on MSNBC’s PoliticsNation with Rev. Al Sharpton.
  • New, stand-alone consumer experiences including the ESSENCE Global Black Economic Forum, ESSENCE Fashion House, ESSENCE Wellness House, ESSENCE After Dark, and ESSENCE Passport25, among others, as well as the return of reimagined live content platforms and experiences including Beauty Carnival, Entertainment All Access, business & career summit E-Suite and ESSENCE Honors.
  • Over 100 performing artists across the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Many of the biggest names in the entertainment industry including Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, H.E.R, Nas, Pharrell, Patti LaBelle, Teyana Taylor and others performed at the event’s concert series and dozens of others across ESSENCE’s Center Stage and All-Star Gospel Celebration.
  • More than 300 influencers, leaders, creators and celebrities participated in the Festival’s daytime experience – featuring powerhouse speakers Rev. Al Sharpton, Ava Duvernay, Yara Shahidi, Tyler Perry, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Marsai Martin, Valerie Jarrett, Iman, Common, Mona Scott-Young, Miles Brown and Iyanla Vanzant, among many others.

TAMERON HALL NEW DAYTIME TALK SHOW