As conversations swirl around Quinta Brunson portraying Betty Boop, the debate reveals something deeper than casting. For many Black women, it reflects a long history of shaping culture while being distanced from its most iconic images. The moment is not just about representation—it is about visibility, reclamation, and who gets to embody femininity, nostalgia, and Americana.

Queen Esi is redefining leadership through identity, cultural grounding, and psychological restoration. With over 25 years of experience, her work challenges performance-based models—introducing soul-centered leadership rooted in mind, body, and spirit to prepare globally aligned leaders across the African diaspora.

Ankara is not merely a bold textile but a symbol of identity, pride, and culture. For that reason, many women have opted to wear it every day instead of saving it for special occasions.

Lift your eyes toward the sky and smile. Exhale. Tell yourself: I am worthy. I am holy. A being of light made whole.

Malcolm X’s warning still echoes: Sunday remains one of the most segregated hours in America. Yet within that divide, the Black church stands as a powerful fusion of survival and heritage—where enslaved Africans transformed imposed religion into sacred space. Through song, movement, and spirit, they preserved African traditions, creating a worship experience that is not only faith—but cultural memory alive.

I was born with rhythm in my hips and in my hands the means to create

African beauty traditions trace back thousands of years, blending function, spirituality, and identity. From Egypt’s protective kohl eyeliner to West African black soaps and natural oils, these practices centered health as much as appearance. Across the continent, ingredients like qasil, frankincense, and myrrh reveal a legacy of skincare rooted in nature—proving beauty has always been both ritual and remedy.

Civic Men—featuring voices from Sean Eldridge, Patrick Ward, and Khary Early—examines why men are absent from civic life. Through themes of burnout, fear, and division, the film calls for unity, intergenerational dialogue, and a renewed commitment to showing up where it matters most.

In The Drum Remembers, LaVianca Asante’ invites us into a visceral journey of ancestral memory, rhythm, and homecoming. Through spoken word and embodied movement, this piece explores the echoes of voices that live within our DNA, the resilience passed down through generations, and the sacred inheritance of identity that connects us to a homeland we may never have seen but always carry. Read it. Feel it. Move with it. Let the voices of our ancestors guide you.

Detail on some of the most popular herbal remedies and treatments used by Black women throughout history, including now

After seasons of giving, I finally tend to my own soul—and taste its sweetness.

What looks like failure may only be misplacement. The right soil reveals what the seed always carried within it.

During Essence Festival Weekend, the 3rd Annual Big Easy Retreat returns to New Orleans with a renewed focus on healing, sisterhood, and purpose. Led by Dr. Toscha L. Dickerson and Kaleigh Dickerson, the experience centers “The Power of Restoration,” offering wellness sessions, honest conversations on mental health and grief, and spaces for both women and teen girls to reconnect, grow, and rise in wholeness.

magine having to put up this facade when you’re not in the best of spirits or having to experience the pressure of needing to be “strong” when all you’re seeking is a place to be completely yourself without explanation or expectation. For many black women, these pressures can become overwhelming and create discouragement and emotional distress.

I am a living force of spirit and resilience, existing far beyond what the eye can name or the world can claim.

Five prominent women in Black History gather around a table, have dinner, to share ideas and stories about being Black Women who dared to lead.

A young woman experiences the complexities of attending a PWI in a red state.

Hi Sis! Welcome to the Sistah Scene! Whether you’re a native of the Queen City or a newcomer, there’s so much to explore in our beautiful city.

A faith-rooted poem reclaiming the erased legacy of Black women throughout history. Using Scripture and garden imagery, the piece exposes the roots of injustice while honoring the divine intention, resilience, and sacred calling placed on Black women whom history tried to bury.

Black women have never been late—we have been becoming. What the world calls waiting has been the sacred work of shaping power, wisdom, and purpose that arrives right on time.