Of the many Democratic candidates campaigning for the black female vote at the 2019 Essence Festival, there was one who presumably had an advantage. As the lone black female candidate running for the presidency in 2020, Kamala Harris is seemingly in the most privileged position to understand the issues most important…

“The day I stop fighting for equality and for people that look like you and me will be the day I’m in my grave,” said Serena Williams, at a press conference following Saturday’s loss in the Wimbledon finals. The statement was made after a female reporter referenced previously published opinions that Williams should…

If you ask me to tell you my favorite event of Essence Fest 2019, it might surprise you. While I still can’t believe I got to be a part of the amazing energy in the Superdome when Michelle Obama appeared or had a front row seat to see Kamala Harris chop it up with straight-shooter Jemele Hill for Spotify, my favorite…

We’re just short of a year away from officially naming a Democratic nominee to face off against Donald Trump in 2020, but the candidates have been wasting no time presenting their platforms; many of them wisely lobbying for support at last weekend’s Essence Festival in New Orleans.

Coming out is, in and of itself, a journey. When you’re the child of a famous father multiply accused of sexual abuse and predation, one can only imagine how much more difficult that journey becomes.

Fun fact: Anywhere one or more athletes are gathered, major fashion moments are bound to follow. That’s why, despite marginal interest in “the sports” (unless it’s a playoff, the Olympics or Serena’s involved) we’re always interested in the ESPYs red carpet. As some of the sports world’s finest assemble to celebrate…

What does a free black woman look like? After the coming out party that was Dirty Computer, she might look like Janelle Monáe, who liberated herself and countless fans with not only a stellar album in 2018, but the admission that she considers herself pansexual. And as the cover star of the 2019 edition of InStyle…

Folks—especially fellow media folk—can we stop commenting on things we know nothing about and are too lazy to look up? Because assuming only makes an ass out of you and the media outlet you work for.

He was born “the poorest of Harlem’s poor” in 1944, and spent decades hustling before breaking into a legitimate trade. Nearly 75 years later, his designs for Gucci were the ones to be seen in at this year’s Met Gala. He launched “logomania” before it became a phrase, disrupting luxury fashion by infusing it with his…

Simba may be the star of The Lion King, but Beyoncé is the star of the red carpet—and arguably, of Disney’s live-action remake, as her casting as Nala has boosted anticipation for the film into the stratosphere.

Essence Fest tried to take me out, y’all...and I can’t wait to go back.

As I write this, Serena Williams is celebrating yet another win in her storied career: The 23-time Grand Slam champion advanced to the semifinals at Wimbledon for the twelfth time on Tuesday, defeating fellow American Alison Riske and proving that as a mom, mogul and living legend, Williams is still a force to be…

That’s it. That’s the entire post. No others need apply. Ever.

No, Michelle Obama is not running for president, y’all.

As our days in New Orleans progress, it’s easier and easier to see why the Essence Festival has chosen the city has its home for almost all of its 25 years. Aside from the beauty, history, and incredible food, there is an unparalleled warmth and hospitality among its people, who have made us feel welcome every step of…

If, by chance, you find yourself in New Orleans during the July 4th weekend, there are certain things you simply must do: check out the Essence Festival, catch the fireworks display over the Mississippi River, stumble upon a second line and/or live jazz in the French Quarter while sipping a “go cup,” and eat.

I’ve traveled the world and been to multiple parts of the Caribbean and Africa, but I don’t think I’ve never been on a plane as black as the one I boarded to attend Essence Fest.

No, it’s not #ThrowbackThursday, but remember a time, say, exactly four years and one week ago today (a much happier, more hopeful time), when same-sex marriage was at last legalized by the Supreme Court, and the White House was illuminated in the colors of the rainbow in celebration?

If you ask me to share my earliest memory of clothing, in spite of the bevy of beautiful dresses my mother delighted in buying for me as a child (which I equally delighted in wearing), the first thought that comes to mind is an outfit I wore to kindergarten one day in 1980. I clearly remember strutting into the…

Cardi B may have brought the catchphrase “okurrr” into the mainstream (and even into the Super Bowl ad echelon, via Pepsi), but like Madonna and voguing, she did not originate the concept—a fact recognized by Bronx natives, members of the drag and ballroom communities, and now, by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.