essence festival
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Citing the Unprecedented Impact of COVID-19, Essence Announces Staff Furloughs
It’s been a difficult year for all of us—and as a statement published in Essence magazine Tuesday night revealed, “Essence Communications, Inc. (“ECI”) has not been immune to it.” Framed as an update on the actions taken by the company in response to the now six-month-long impact of COVID-19, the legacy imprint, which celebrated its…
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Essence Fest 2020 Is Officially Canceled
In a year in which the outbreak of COVID-19 has not only threatened the lives of millions but life as we’ve known it (because rather than “going back to normal,” we’re likely looking at a “new normal”), another highly anticipated cultural event has become a casualty. To the chagrin of aunties and Flossy Posses everywhere—not…
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Brakes Pumped on Essence Festival 2020 Amid Coronavirus Crisis
The show must not go on—at least for the time being. The coronavirus crisis has gotten everybody and everything fucked up right now, and after a couple of weeks of evaluating how this global pandemic would impact business, the producers of the Essence Festival decided to postpone its annual party with a purpose in New…
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End of an Era: CEO of Essence Communications Michelle Ebanks Steps Down
The leading voice in America’s leading publication for black women is making way for new leadership. On Monday, Essence Communications made the unexpected announcement that as of March 31 its CEO, Michelle Ebanks, will be stepping down from the role she’s held since 2018, prior to which she had been in leadership roles within the…
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Big Beauty Tuesday: What Makes a Beauty Boss?
“We Gloss, We Floss, We Boss”—it’s a little known fact, but that’s The Glow Up’s motto and our founding ethos, as we report on all things beauty, fashion and black women’s empowerment here at The Root. But when it comes to encompassing all three of those principles, no one does it better than black beauty…
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‘I’m All About Just Getting Stuff Done’: Kamala Harris Gets Political and Personal on Jemele Hill Is Unbothered
“Some might think that breaking barriers means you start out on one side of the barrier and then you just turn up on the other side of the barrier…No, there’s breaking involved. And when you break things, it’s painful. You get hurt, you may get cut and you may bleed. It will be worth it,…
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Tina ‘Knowles’ Black Excellence and Urges Us To Never Dim Our Light
As a people, we’ve been known to make it out on top in some of the most unfortunate circumstances. With all that we have been through, we still manage to find a way to celebrate the beauty that comes with being black. Even when you trod us down into the dirt, still we rise and…
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City Girls' Yung Miami is Here to Coach You to the Hot Girl Summer Championship
ICYMI: Hot girl summer is on and popping. We’ve passed the Fourth of July holiday, and hot girls are up 100 to 0 at the half. We out here winning, y’all. Team fuckboi tried to co-opt the hot girl summer in an attempt to put a few measly points on the board, but the hot…
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Big Beauty Tuesday: ‘Before I Let Go’ of Essence Festival 2019, I Have to Say Thank You to Black Women
Essence Fest tried to take me out, y’all…and I can’t wait to go back. The final day of The Glow Up’s Essence Festival diary was unfortunately delayed, due to the fact that no sleep and a permanently damaged cornea made me a half-sighted, no-voiced person yesterday as I stumbled my way back through the Louis…
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‘Let’s Go’: I Watched the First 12 Minutes of Queen & Slim at Essence Fest. Damn.
“Black people don’t live, they survive,” Lena Waithe uttered to an eager audience of Essence Fest patrons who had just witnessed something that left us wanting more. That line not only reflects reality but embodies the upcoming film she wrote, Queen & Slim, directed by Melina Matsoukas. In case you need a refresher, here’s this…