For more than three decades, ESSENCE Magazine and the Essence Festival of Culture have been a beacon of Black excellence, a cultural celebration of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. From its inception, ESSENCE has stood as a pillar of empowerment, amplifying the voices of Black women, uplifting our community, and reminding us—through every article, every image, and every festival moment—that we love us.
As we approach the 32nd Essence Festival in New Orleans, we are reminded of its profound impact—not only in the millions of dollars in economic growth it brings each year but also in the millions of lives it touches. The festival is more than just a weekend of music, food, and celebration. It is a gathering where cultural consciousness is ignited, where our stories are honored, where our future is envisioned.
I had the privilege of serving on the New Orleans City Council alongside a young Mayor Marc Morial when the Essence Festival first arrived in our city. We knew then, as we know now, that this was not just another festival—it was a movement. A movement that has grown into one of the largest gatherings of Black culture and excellence in the world. From its humble beginnings to the global platform it holds today, ESSENCE has proven that when we invest in ourselves, when we celebrate ourselves, we create spaces that the world cannot ignore.
Loving, Protecting, and Uplifting Each Other
ESSENCE’s brand affirmation, “We Love Us”, is more than a slogan—it is a call to action. In a time when our communities still face systemic injustices, economic disparities, and the lingering shadows of hate, the need for love, unity, and self-empowerment has never been more critical.
Loving ourselves means embracing our history and our heritage. It means recognizing that our Blackness is not a burden but a blessing. Our skin, in every shade, is beautiful. Our hair—whether curly, coiled, locked, straight, or crinkly—is perfect in its God-given design. Our full lips, our bold features, our unique brilliance, none of it is by accident. We are made like this, and that alone is cause for celebration.
But love is more than appreciation—it is action. To love ourselves, we must protect each other. We must stand against hate, whether it comes from outside our community or yes, within it. We must reject violence, division, and negativity and replace them with peace, commitment, and compassion. We must teach our children that their Blackness is not just something to be accepted but something to be revered. We must break the curse of those who taught us to hate ourselves!
The Essence of Our Future
Looking back at the impact of ESSENCE, we see more than just a publication or a festival, we see a legacy. A legacy that has uplifted generations of Black women, educated communities, and provided a platform for our stories to be told authentically and unapologetically.
As we look forward, we must ask ourselves, “How do we build on this foundation? How do we ensure that Black excellence is not just something we celebrate once a year but something we live every day?”
The answer lies in our collective commitment to education, entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, and civic engagement.
We must support Black-owned businesses, ensuring that the dollars we spend uplift our communities. We must continue to break barriers in politics, business, science, and the arts, ensuring that the next generation has leaders who look like them, who understand their struggles, and who fight for their futures. We must vote, advocate, and demand policies that reflect our needs and aspirations.
ESSENCE has shown us the power of self-love and unity. Now, it is up to us to continue the work.
We Love Us—And That Love is Our Strength
This year, as we come together once again in New Orleans, let us do so with a renewed sense of purpose. Let us dance, celebrate, and embrace the beauty of our culture. But let us also commit—truly commit—to uplifting one another. To standing in the gaps where others have fallen. To being each other’s keepers.
For 32 years, the Essence Festival has been a testament to the beauty, resilience, and brilliance of our people. Let us carry that spirit forward—not just for a weekend, not just for a season, but for a lifetime.
Because when we love us, when we truly love us, there is nothing we cannot achieve.
Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr.
United States Representative, Louisiana’s Second Congressional District
1st Vice Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus
