Tag: Essence Magazine

Celebrity /

THE ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE PLANS FULL RETURN TO NEW ORLEANS IN JULY 2022

Essence Communications, Inc., the leading media, technology and commerce company dedicated to serving Black women and communities, today announced the full return of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture to New Orleans from June 30 – July 3, 2022.

After pivoting to a virtual experience in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, the ESSENCE Festival will host a fully live gathering for the first time in two years, celebrating the culture and resilience of the Black community with the theme “It’s the Black Joy for Me!”  In addition, with its strong digital performance – including a 65% increase in Festival content streams from 2020 (45 million) to 2021 (70+ million), the ESSENCE Festival of Culture will build on the global audience gained via its virtual programming to continue to deliver a comprehensive and engaging digital experience to attendees both live and around the world.

“The reimagining of the 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans – fully physical and fully digital – experience will be epic,” said Caroline Wanga, CEO, Essence Communications, Inc. “Given what we have collectively experienced over the last two years, the opportunity to convene and uplift in the spirit of culture, equity, celebration – and joy – is more of a privilege and honor than it has ever been. We look forward to our homecoming in the City of New Orleans and to strengthening our impact as a cornerstone of Black culture, entrepreneurship and economic inclusion – working always to serve Black women and communities deeply.”

The unparalleled live experience will include almost one million square feet of space for empowerment programming (networking, finance, career, wellness, fashion, beauty and more) at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, nightly concerts at Caesars Superdome and other entertaining and inspirational activations in venues across the city.  The Festival’s robust digital programming will include live streaming of select on-the-ground activities in New Orleans, as well as new and exclusive digital content and experiences created for the live and virtual audiences.

“We are elated to announce the return of the ESSENCE Festival to New Orleans in the Summer of 2022,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell.  “ESSENCE brings so much to our city and our economy, and I can’t wait to see what this year has to offer. The City of New Orleans and the ESSENCE Festival are inextricably linked through our remarkable history and our steadfast focus on and commitment to culture, community, and economic inclusion.  We look forward to continuing this partnership to create an even deeper legacy of impact and inclusion for our city and for all who will join us in July to make this experience the best yet.”

Launched in 1995 as an event to commemorate the 25th anniversary of ESSENCE magazine, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture has since evolved into the world’s largest celebration of Black women, culture and communities.  Regularly convening more than 530,000 people annually over July 4th weekend in New Orleans, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture is now also the nation’s largest festival by per day attendance.

Additional details regarding the 2022 ESSENCE Festival of Culture – including ticketing, schedules, talent line-up, COVID protocols (based on recommended guidance from Public Health Agencies and the City of New Orleans), and more – will be released in January 2022.  Visit www.essencefestival.com for the latest information.

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS INC.

Essence Communications is the number one—and only 100% Black-owned—media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities.  With a community of more than 31 million Black women, ESSENCE inspires a global audience through diverse storytelling and immersive original content rooted in Culture, Equity and Celebration.  The brand’s multi-platform presence in/ publishing, experiential and online encompasses its namesake magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; and signature live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture.

Essence Festival /

FAMED UCLA GYMNASTS ON ESSENCE GIRLS UNITED APRIL DIGITAL COVER

ESSENCE Girls United’s April digital cover features famed University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) gymnasts Chae Campbell, Nia Dennis, Margzetta Frazier and Sekai Wright who are bringing a whole new wave of Black girl magic (and are looking stunning doing it!) In the cover story Flipping the Culture, writer D’Shonda Brown talks to these collegiate superstars who are the embodiment of Black excellence and Black representation in athleticism as they soar to chart-topping scores with cultural playlists, rhythmic floor routines and Black Lives Matter activism. The athletes talk to ESSENCE Girls United about their love for the sport, representation, elevating the culture…and even getting Janet Jackson’s attention!:
  • Margzetta Frazier, 21: [EXCERPTED]: Who else can say they woke up to a nod from their inspiration, Janet Jackson, after using choreography inspired by her hit “If” and “Nasty” music videos? That’s what happened to the three-time uneven bars All-American and 2021 Pac-12 champion after her floor routine went viral. She states: “Being in a sport like this and seeing women of color rock the world really is a dream come true. Gymnastics has consumed so much of our lives with the concept of flipping and being perfect…But being recognized by ESSENCE for bringing so much more to the table than just athletics truly is an honor…”
  • Chae Campbell, 19: “Growing up in the sport of gymnastics, I didn’t see a lot of Black people…I was the only one in my group that looked how I looked. Having more representation and seeing people thrive, not just Black gymnasts, but also other races and ethnicities, is really encouraging for the young girls out there…”
  • Nia Dennis, 22: “My main goal was to inspire people to do what they love and to have fun and be their most authentic self. So if we have done that in any way, then I would definitely say that the goal has been accomplished…”
  • Sekai Wright, 20: “We do our best to stay positive because we know what we’re representing…As young Black women, it’s so satisfying that we can express and elevate our culture through our gymnastics.”
Celebrity /

EDDIE MURPHY, ARSENIO HALL AND ALL-STAR CAST ON ESSENCE’S “COMING 2 AMERICA” TRIPLE COVERS

Prepare the royal jet! Coming 2 America is finally arriving, with Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall and an all-star cast of returning and new faces—including Jermaine Fowler, KiKi Layne and Bella Murphy. It’s been more than three decades since the beloved original Coming to America hit theaters and became a true cult classic that has spanned multiple generations and demographics. Now, in the ESSENCEMarch/April issue triple cover article, The Fresh Princes of Zamunda, Regina R. Robertson talks to the cast about why this was the right time to do the sequel, their fave moments and what the film means to the culture:

  • EDDIE MURPHY ON WHAT THE FILM MEANS TO THE CULTURE: “Coming to America is one of my films that has really worked its way into the culture. People get dressed up as the characters for Halloween, and they still walk around saying catchphrases like ‘Sexual Chocolate.’ So many people grew up with Coming to America and have a lot invested in it, so I didn’t want to taint that…Once the ideas started coming together, it took about four or five years to get the script all the way right. Once we got it right, I knew it was time…”

  • ARSENIO HALL ON DOING THE SEQUEL: “A lot of people have posted about Coming to America and said things like, ‘Please don’t mess with my movie’ or ‘I don’t want no sequel!’ We’ve been pitched all kinds of ideas, but I remember reading the script in Eddie’s backyard and it was all making sense. That’s when I knew that this was going to be the sequel…”

  • KIKI LAYNE ON PLAYING MEEKA: “Meeka is loyal to her family. I’m interested in showcasing strong Black women— and being a part of this film was an opportunity to play in such a classic world and also to work with straight-up legends, all the way around…”

  • BELLA MURPHY ON PLAYING OMMA AND WORKING WITH HER DAD: “Omma is super-smart, a little bit of a badass, and she’s super-cool. Being able to do my first film with my dad is really special…I’m over the moon…”
  • JERMAINE ON PLAYING LAVELLE—AND WATCHING HIS DREAM COME TRUE: “In some ways, Lavelle reminds me a lot of myself when I was growing up and trying to figure out life. As a fan of the original film, I was honored to be a part of this whole world—but when they told me how Lavelle becomes part of the story, I just laughed my ass off and thought, All right, let’s do it…”  
  • SHARI HEADLEY ON WHAT AUDIENCES WILL LOVE: “I’m as excited as the audience and have no doubt that this will be a film that people will love. I’ll venture to say they’ll love it even more than the first one…”

  • WESLEY SNIPES ON JOINING THE FILM: “I was like, ‘Whatever the role is, I want to be in it.’ Later, I was told that I was going to be a General—but really, I could have played a zebra and been just fine…”

Celebrity /

ESSENCE.COM’S DIGITAL COVER FEATURES “SYLVIE’S LOVE” STARS TESSA THOMPSON + NNAMDI ASOMUGHA!

ESSENCE‘s newest digital cover features Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha, the stars of the movie, Sylvie’s Love. The two portray Sylvie and Robert–an aspiring producer and successful saxophonist in the 1960’s whose deep love never seems to be perfectly timed. The beautiful and sensual homage to Hollywood’s golden era by writer-director Eugene Ashe–set against the backdrop of both the civil rights and women’s rights movements–will begin streaming on Amazon Prime Video on December 23. In the ESSENCE digital cover story, Falling In (Sylvie’s) Love, Asomugha (who’s married to Kerry Washington) and Thompson talk to writer Joi-Marie McKenzie about:
  • NNAMDI ON SYLVIE AND ROBERT’S LOVE CHALLENGES: “None of it is simple. None of it is one-sided. Love and life are complex, no matter which lens you’re looking at it through…” 
  • TESSA ON WHY THE TIMING OF “SYLVIE’S LOVE” COULDN’T BE SWEETER: “At a time when we’re talking about the value and dignity of Black life…it’s really great to have a [love] story that offers some escapism for audiences, and that feels sweeping and beautiful and hopeful about love. We really need those kinds of narratives…” 
  • NNAMDI ON SHOWCASING BLACK MALE VULNERABILITY: “That was important for us to show, especially during that time when there was a hypermasculinity that said, ‘I’m immovable…'”
  • TESSA ON HOW SHE’S SIMILAR TO SYLVIE: “Certainly women like Sylvie existed during the time, but those stories aren’t told…I’m in a period in my career, personally, where I’m launching my own production company. I’m working as a producer, and I… stand on the shoulders of women like Sylvie who came before me—career women who were [pioneers] in a time when it was hard enough to be that as a woman, never mind as a Black woman…” 
  • WRITER-DIRECTOR EUGENE ASHE ON SYLVIE+ROBERT’S LIFE-CHANGING LOVE: “Even Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. still had a bunch of babies and fell in love…It’s really important to show that we existed in the past [beyond] the ‘struggle culture’—that Black folks were still falling in love. I think not showing that is a way of erasing us…”  
In addition, ESSENCE will kick off its “Behind the Scenes Look on Sylvie’s Love” this Monday, 12/14, on ESSENCE STUDIOS. Join us for a series of conversations with the cast and crew of this incredible film throughout the week. For more on this digital cover story, visit ESSENCE.com. (Cover attached, photo credit, J.D. Barnes.)
Celebrity /

EMMY-WINNING ACTRESS+ACTIVIST ZENDAYA ON ESSENCE’S NOV/DEC COVER

Zendaya is undoubtedly one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars – and one of Black Hollywood’s wildest dreams. At just 24 years old, the actress has led two successful series on two of the biggest networks in TV land; costarred in a huge blockbuster Marvel film; and become the youngest woman ever to win the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama, Euphoria. As much as the actress and activist has broken barriers in her past, it’s her present and future in Hollywood that’s winning.

For ESSENCE’s November + December issue, Zendaya graces the cover with stunning and picturesque black and white imagery that pays tribute to icons of the past while squarely establishing her as a leading force in the present and an icon of the future. The special issue is part of the brand’s ongoing 50th anniversary celebration and also features Zendaya on three bonus digital covers (with fashion styling and creative direction led by renowned celeb stylist Law Roach.) In her cover story, A Work of Art, Zendaya talks to writer Sylvia Obell about everything from her historic Emmy win, speaking truth to power and carrying our legacy forward. She tells ESSENCE:

ON WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH HER MIND RIGHT BEFORE HER HISTORIC EMMY WINNING: “There’s a video of me that a family friend took while I was waiting, and you can see my leg shaking. In my head I was like, ‘Dude, just chill out. What will be, will be.’ I remember taking a deep breath, and then hearing my name, and then my family screamed. I was worried that if they kept screaming for too long, I wouldn’t have any time to actually say anything—but I didn’t want to stop them, because they were having a great time. It was a very special night. I’ll definitely remember that one forever…”

ON RECEIVING SUPPORT FROM OTHER BLACK WOMEN AFTER HER EMMY WIN: “I’m honored to have that support, especially from my fellow young Black creatives. Through this Emmy’s period, especially, I felt a strong sense of support within our community, which I’m really grateful for. I think what’s slowly starting to happen is, artists like Issa Rae and Lena Waithe have created opportunities that have resulted in more of us being in these rooms. That’s such a special feeling, and I think it’s definitely changing the idea that there can only be “one at a time,” which is false. I love to see that genuine love and respect for each other’s work. I hope that we continue to expand that in all kinds of beautiful ways, because I think we’re on a really good path…”

ON LAW ROACH’S CREATIVE + FASHION DIRECTION: “I also felt very excited that ESSENCE allowed Law [Roach] and me to be a part of the creative team and do something a little bit different. I had so much fun on this shoot paying homage to Donyale Luna, the first Black supermodel. A lot of what I do, specifically within fashion, is a tribute to fashion icons who came before me—many of whom are Black women. I love the way it turned out. I’m very proud of it. It’s one of my favorite cover shoots I’ve ever done.”

ON FILMING “MALCOLM & MARIE” WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST SHUT DOWN: “It was a dream, because I’ve always wanted to be able to just strip everything away. I love what I do—and like most people, I was finding ways to stay inspired and stay creative, and luckily I know people who are the same way. It was great sitting in a room with John David Washington, Marcell Rév and Sam [Levinson], literally writing scenes as we went, coming up with ideas as we moved through the characters, and finding new things every day. That was the coolest part. That is why I do this.”

HER NEW YEAR’S WISH FOR BLACK WOMEN: “For us to continue to fully realize our power and harness it to do great things, because we are incredibly powerful. We’re often convinced that we’re not, and taught to shrink—but we have to believe in our collective power. I always think of that Beyoncé song, ‘They’ll never take my power, my power, my power.’ Let’s take that energy into the new year…”

ESSENCE’s November + December issue also includes a special Election 2020 package featuring a History Maker profile on Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris and her historic run for the White House. In the piece, News & Politics editor Tanya Christian details her year-plus coverage of the Senator—including her live appearance at the 2019 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans during her presidential run. The issue also features The Black Women Behind the Biden-Harris Campaign, an article showcasing key movers and shakers who helped drive the campaign to victory.

ESSENCE’s November + December issue hits newsstands on November 24th. For more on this issue, visit ESSENCE.com. (Photo, AB+DM) Also join the conversation @Essence. 

 

Essence Festival /

ESSENCE DEDICATES 2020 ELECTION PACKAGE TO VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE KAMALA HARRIS’S HISTORIC WHITE HOUSE RUN

ESSENCE, the number one, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women, is dedicating its 2020 Election special coverage to vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s historic run for the White House, featuring Harris on the cover of its Election 2020 digital package and the stories of the Black women leading the campaign.

For more than a year, ESSENCE has documented Harris’s groundbreaking run for the White House. In the midst of what many perceive to be multiple pandemics affecting the African-American community—from the unprecedented coronavirus, social unrest, police brutality, economic instability, incendiary rhetoric on the political stage, and more—ESSENCE continues its multi-platform coverage at the cusp of one of the most historic elections in our lifetime.

In the piece, History Maker, News & Politics editor Tanya Christian details her coverage of the Senator—including her live appearance at the 2019 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans during her presidential run last year. Now more than a year later, Harris weighs in on a number of topics including:

  • ON THE BIDEN-HARRIS AGENDA: “There’s no question that we need immediate change and drastic change, and that’s so much of what the Biden-Harris platform and what the Biden-Harris administration will be about. It’s about saying, ‘We need to immediately address a number of issues that demand priority….’ And that relates to getting people back to work. It means investing in infrastructure and creating millions of new jobs. It means fighting for health care for all people…”
  • ON SOCIAL UNREST AND POLICE BRUTALITY: “I have seen too many cases of not only unarmed Black folks being killed, but women, and we need to speak their names and understand that we have to have justice…”

ESSENCE’s Election 2020 digital package also includes The Black Women Behind the Biden-Harris Campaign, which features key movers and shakers such as Senior Advisor Symone Sanders; Vice-Presidential Nominee Chief of Staff Karine Jean-Pierre; National Coalitions Director Ashley Allison; Senior Advisor for Strategic Planning Ashley Etienne; National Director for State Coalition Outreach Sherice Perry; National Political Director Erin Wilson; National Women’s Vote Director Carissa Smith and more.

ESSENCE has also partnered with Higher Heights for America to live stream the vice-presidential debate. Tune in tonight at 7:45 PM (ET) via ESSENCE’s Facebook page. In addition, ESSENCE.com will feature the results of the ESSENCE + Black Women’s Roundtable “Power of the Sister Vote” poll next week. The sixth annual survey gauges the political concerns, attitudes, and opinions of Black women across the country.

ESSENCE’s Election 2020 digital package is available now. For more on this issue, visit ESSENCE.com or pick up next month’s November/December issue. Also, join the conversation @Essence.

(PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Rowe)

 

Beauty /

LALA ANTHONY STUNS ON ESSENCE SEPT/OCT COVER

In the September-October issue of ESSENCE, La La Anthony — best-selling author, actress, designer, producer, and multihyphenate maven — graces the cover and provides perspective on the often-discussed issue of Black women and identity. In the cover story, Finding Success on Her Own Terms, Anthony talks candidly with ESSENCE Deputy Editor Allison McGevna about everything from co-parenting, raising and protecting her Black son in America, celebrating her Afro-Latina identity and the importance of telling Cyntoia Brown’s story.

 

She shares with ESSENCE:

  • ON PROUDLY BEING AFRO-LATINA: “I’m Afro-Latina: I’m Black, I’m Puerto Rican, I’m all of it. I’m proud of it.’ But no one really understood that. They were like, ‘You’re one or the other, and that’s it…”
  • RAISING A BLACK SON IN AMERICA: “I always talk to him about how he needs to deal with police. It’s sad that these are the conversations we have to have with our children, but this is the world we live in. I make sure he knows that and understands the seriousness of it. I’m not trying to scare him in any way, but I want him to live in reality.”
  • HER APPROACH TO CO-PARENTING WITH CARMELO ANTHONY: “My son is at the center of everything… he is watching us, so if we’re out here being reckless or not leading with love, then what kind of example are we setting for him about how he should treat women or how people treat and love each other? … A lot of times, people forget that, and I understand, because you get emotional when you’re going through different things in relationships. But I always want my son to be able to say, ‘No matter what, my parents loved each other. My parents loved me.”
  • ON BRINGING CYNTOIA BROWN’S STORY TO THE SCREEN: “For her to trust me with this story, after everything she’s been through, it’s not something I take lightly.”

Timed with its cover launch, also ESSENCE announces the newly launched online hub titled “Protect Black Women and Girls.” As the leading media, technology and commerce company serving Black women and their communities for 50 years, the hub was created to help provide more persistent visibility of systemic racism, racial inequities, and police misconduct today with particular attention to justice yet seen for the Black women of the movement like Breonna Taylor and Toyin Salau. The hub includes a series of essays and op-eds from Black women activists, academics, and thought-leaders including Tarana Burke, Kimberlé Crenshaw, LaTosha Brown, and more. As Kimberle Crenshaw says in her original essay for the hub, “If we are ever to truly protect young Black women like Toyin Salau or Breonna Taylor, we must first tell their stories.”  For more on ESSENCE’s Protect Black Women and Girls Hub, visit ESSENCE.com.

The September-October issue of ESSENCE hits newsstands on Tuesday, August 25. For more on this month’s issue, visit ESSENCE.com.

Entertainment /

Iconic Supermodel Naomi Campbell Graces Essence 50th Anniversary Issue

For months, ESSENCE – the leading media, technology, and commerce company serving Black women and communities – had planned an impressive schedule of activities and celebrations to launch in May 2020 in honor of its 50th anniversary.  Then, the COVID-19 global pandemic hit – with Black communities being most disproportionately impacted in the United States.  Still, demonstrating how it has been able to thrive for five decades, ESSENCE has continued with a relentless commitment and innovation in service to its community – providing critical content, digital and virtual offerings, a new streaming platform, and more to inform, empower and inspire during these times.

That same sense of purpose compelled ESSENCE to shift its 50th anniversary strategy amidst the pandemic and launch its Golden Anniversary Collector’s Edition issue entirely remotely for the first time — paying homage to the incredible legacy of its community, while also capturing the current realities brought on by a global pandemic.  In honor of ESSENCE’s milestone year, iconic supermodel Naomi Campbell partnered with ESSENCE to grace the magazine’s first self-shot and styled cover.  In Campbell’s cover story, At Home With Naomi Campbell, the supermodel prepares to celebrate her own milestone 50th birthday later this month and takes readers inside her life with an intimate self-portrait during COVID-19 social isolation.  Using an iPhone, Campbell shot and styled all the photos herself — marking the first time she has ever photographed herself for a cover.

ESSENCE’s special Golden Anniversary issue also takes a look at some of the joys, pains, laughter, triumphs, and stories that have impacted the Black community over the past half-century—including the novel coronavirus and its effects on the lives of Black women and the community-at-large today.  Throughout this special edition, readers will be able to travel through time for some of the most inspiring, stirring, and significant moments shaping and shaped by Black culture throughout ESSENCE’s 50 years—as well as look to what’s ahead, particularly post-COVID-19.  ESSENCE is also inviting its community into the coverage and conversation by sharing their own COVID-19 stories for ESSENCE.com.  Click here for details.

“Our nation and our world are enduring a crisis at a scale that our generation has never seen, but this time also reminds us of the power of our resilience, innovation, and community – which have sustained ESSENCE for 50 years and will help ensure it thrives for the next 50 advancing global Black culture, economic inclusion, and ownership,” said Richelieu Dennis, founder, and chair of Essence Ventures, the parent company of ESSENCE. “We could not be more excited to mark the 50th Anniversary of ESSENCE as a 100% Black-owned business that has not only revolutionized the publishing and media industries, but that has also become a cultural institution and home for Black women and communities globally.  Since its inaugural issue in May 1970, ESSENCE has expanded beyond the pages of a ground-breaking flagship magazine to multi-platform stages, experiences, and digital and brand extensions including the unparalleled ESSENCE Festival of Culture, ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood, ESSENCE.com, ESSENCE Studios, industry-recognized podcasts, television specials, books and more.  We have been able to do this because of our uncompromising focus on the evolving needs of our community and our community’s unyielding support of us.  While we have shifted the majority of the ESSENCE 50th Anniversary activities and engagements to 2021, this incredible special collector’s edition issue marks the beginning of our milestone celebration of Black culture, community, achievement, progress, and the work that remains to be done.”

 Additional 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition editorial packages include:

  • COVID-19 Essay Feature: ESSENCE editors share their personal journeys of adjusting to the new reality of social isolation in these challenging times.  Despite differing experiences, the essays have a common thread of what ESSENCE staff and the world are looking for hope.

  • ESSENCE Uncovered: 50 Years: ESSENCE compiles its most iconic covers along with an essay/timeline on its evolution over the last five decades. The package illustrates ESSENCE’s impact, as well as the impact of those whose stories graced its pages.

  • Power—State of Black Women: By the Numbers: ESSENCE takes a deep dive into how Black women are doing and how their lives have changed over the last five decades across its key verticals—Fashion, Beauty, Culture, Power (News + Wealth) and Thrive (Lifestyle, Wellness + Love).
  • Ageless Beauties: #ThisIs50: In this fan-favorite feature, ESSENCE invites eight readers from across the nation who, like ESSENCE, is turning 50 this year for an exclusive photoshoot and beauty spread.

“For 50 years ESSENCE has showcased the brilliance, beauty, power, and resilience of Black women, and now more than ever, in these unprecedented times, that is on display,” said MoAna Luu, ESSENCE Chief Content & Creative Officer.  “In our Golden Anniversary issue, we are taking the best of the past, bringing it to the present and showing what our future looks like beyond the pages.  By creating a meaningful multi-channel ecosystem that entertains with impact, we continue to reimagine ourselves to reach Black women everywhere and provide a seamless content experience across mobile, tablet, desktop, and of course, our signature magazine.  At ESSENCE, our approach to what we do and how we serve is timeless – reflecting and celebrating our culture and telling the truth with open hearts and open minds.”

For more on the 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition/May-June issue, visit ESSENCE.com.

Beauty /

ESSENCE + New Voices Entrepreneur Virtual Summit and New Voices + Target Accelerators $100K Pitch Competition

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the nation and the world, Black communities are being impacted at drastically disproportionate rates. However, while the impact of COVID-19 shines a spotlight on the already fragile health and economic ecosystems of Black communities and Black-owned small businesses, economic recovery efforts – such as the quickly-depleted initial $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program in the CARES Act – are not effectively reaching many of the entrepreneurs and businesses most in need. To help address this, ESSENCE, the leading media, technology, and commerce company serving Black women, today announced the creation of the ESSENCE Benefit Seriesä to Fight COVID-19 to assist Black-owned small businesses and organizations across the country impacted by the pandemic.

The ESSENCE Benefit Series to Fight COVID-19 kicks off with the first-ever ESSENCE + New Voices Entrepreneur Virtual Summit and New Voices + Target Accelerators $100K Pitch Competition – which will be streamed live on ESSENCE Studios on Friday, April 24th, from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET. The Entrepreneur Virtual Summit will equip Black business owners with valuable tools needed to navigate this unprecedented time, including access to capital, practical insights, and critical resources. The Summit will also include the New Voices + Target Accelerators $100K Pitch Competition, featuring 10 women entrepreneurs pitching their businesses to receive critical funding combined with coaching, mentoring, and personalized business skills development.

The Entrepreneur Virtual Summit will feature informative sessions with some of the most influential business leaders across industries, covering topics including Navigating Coronavirus Relief; Raising Capital Right Now; Adapting During Crisis; Managing the New Normal; Developing A Winning Playbook: Now & Post-COVID and more. Speakers include Robert F. Smith, Chairman, Vista Equity Partners, LLC; Caroline Wanga, Chief Diversity, and Inclusion Officer and Vice President of Human Resources, Target Corporation; Bozoma Saint John, Chief Marketing Officer, Endeavor; Marcus Samuelsson, Chef and Restaurateur; Melissa Butler, CEO, The Lip Bar; Elisa Shankle, Wellness & Lifestyle Expert; Nicole Valentine, Chief Executive Officer, Synergy Business Development; Robin McBride, Co-founder, McBride Sisters Wine Collection; and more.

During this Summit and each to follow in the Benefit Series – as well as throughout this crisis, virtual attendees will have an opportunity to support Black-owned businesses that are in critical need of access to funding and resources by donating to the New Voices Foundation. The New Voices Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization driven by its PACE (Purpose.Access.Capital.Expertise) model and founded by serial entrepreneur and social impact investor Richelieu Dennis, is committed to creating a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem and currently has 13,000+ women of color entrepreneurs on its platform. Offering leadership development, flexible funding, skills-building and networking opportunities to build, grow and scale their businesses with purpose, the Foundation operates with a multi-pronged approach and services that entrepreneurs can access free of charge, including mobile accelerators, coaching and mentoring, pitch competitions, online masterclasses, and more.

Upcoming virtual experiences in the ESSENCE Benefit Series to Fight COVID-19 include the first-ever ESSENCE Festival of Culture: The Virtual Edition (July 4th weekend), as well as other summits, focused on entertainment, personal finance, technology, essential heroes and more.

 “We have long known about the systemic healthcare and economic inequities that are causing Black communities and businesses to fare worse than others during the COVID-19 global pandemic, but we also now see that we are in danger of losing critical progress as a community unless urgent and meaningful actions are taken,” said Dennis, also founder & chair of Essence Ventures, the parent company of ESSENCE. “Black-owned businesses serve as economic engines in our communities across the nation, and entrepreneurship and ownership remain the most viable paths to bridging the abysmal wealth gap and creating generational wealth. Yet, as critical initial stimulus funding ran out without reaching many of those who need it most and with new funding not guaranteed to reach these same businesses, not enough is being done to help ensure their post-pandemic financial survival and the long-term health of our communities.”

Dennis continued, “The ESSENCE Benefit Series to Fight COVID-19 and each of its virtual summits are a direct response to this dire need. While ESSENCE has used its platform over the past 50 years to support entrepreneurs and provide commerce opportunities for Black-owned businesses, we have accelerated these efforts – particularly with investments in digital and technology innovation – since returning the brand to 100% Black ownership in 2018. Now, operating under our Community Commerce purpose-driven model of elevating communities by providing access and opportunities that lead to sustainable economic empowerment, this is how ESSENCE will continue to serve our community in this crisis and beyond. We’ve always been able to count on each other – and that is more important now than ever.”

ESSENCE’s cultivation of entrepreneurship and commerce within Black communities has previously included supporting more than 3,000 small businesses at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture Marketplace; featuring more than 100 small businesses on the Shop ESSENCE platform; engaging hundreds of small business owners in Louisiana to participate in the Pipeline Initiative to grow entrepreneurship and technical career opportunities; and more.

At the outset of the global pandemic designation in March, 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 the novel coronavirus crisis. The ESSENCE Benefit Series to Fight COVID-19 will now become a central part of this effort, which to date has included the first-ever virtual ESSENCE Wellness Houseä and ESSENCE CARES Act information sessions. In addition, the ESSENCE editorial team produces daily content on a dedicated page to educate the community on the coronavirus, its impact, and how to survive and thrive in this time.

The ESSENCE + New Voices Entrepreneur Virtual Summit is powered by Microsoft and brought to you by SheaMoisture and Advancing Black Pathways by JPMorgan Chase. To register for the ESSENCE + New Voices Entrepreneur Virtual Summit or for more details, visit ESSENCE.com.

About Essence Communications Inc.

Essence Communications is the number one media, technology, and commerce company dedicated to Black women and inspires a global audience of more than 20.2 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, an independent Black-owned consumer technology company focused on merging content, community, and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of people of color.

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.’