Her Choice
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Ms. magazine and Women’s Media Group will bring together leading journalists, writers and media executives in New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 22, for a timely conversation about the role of feminist journalism, and the power of women’s voices to shape news, culture and public policy.
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Notebooks? Check. Pencils, freshly sharpened? Check. Backpack, lunch bag and a focused mindset to rock the upcoming school year? Check, check and check! These are the requirements one would typically expect for a new 2 nd grader to have on the first day of school.
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(This article originally appeared in the December 2001/January 2002 issue of Ms. magazine.) A free, independent and critical press is never more crucial than in wartime, when millions of lives and the course of history can turn on small bits of information. But since the Sept.
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Gen Z women aren't so keen on the MAGA fantasy pitched by Turning Point's new CEO.
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In the ‘By Us Beauty’ series, our editors discuss the hottest Black-owned products in the beauty sphere that you should know about. In this iteration, we discuss our favorite Black-owned launches from August 2026. August was a big month for Black beauty.
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For more than half a century, Robin Morgan helped shape feminist thought and activism in the United States and around the world. She also designed the now-iconic symbol of the women’s movement: the female symbol combined with a raised fist.
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When Carla Hall was 30, she had a spiritual reading done. The woman told her that her 40s were going to be amazing. Hall was unsure, but the woman was insistent — there was something about that decade as a whole. And there was.
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Longtime Ms. editor and "architect of the contemporary women's movement," Robin Morgan died peacefully in her sleep on Sept. 5, 2026, just days after her friend and feminist partner Gloria Steinem. Morgan called Ms.
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Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton got Gloria Steinem’s endorsement in her bid for U.S. Senate. But that’s not what matters to her about the feminist icon, who died this week at the age of 92. “She inspired me not just because of what she did that was so very public and out front and trailblazing an
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Gloria Steinem, the journalist, organizer and cofounder of Ms. whose name became inseparable from the modern movement for women’s equality, died Wednesday, Sept. 2, at her home in New York City. She was 92.
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Some of the music industry’s most influential artists and executives will gather in Beverly Hills later this month for the sixth annual Black Music Action Coalition Gala. Common, Patti LaBelle , Public Enemy, Nicole Wyskoarko and Tina Davis are among the 2026 honorees, alongside The Team and Univers
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Ib Kamara is leaving Off-White , marking the end of his tenure as creative director at the Virgil Abloh-founded fashion house. News of Kamara’s departure broke Monday, August 31, with the designer and former Dazed editor-in-chief reflecting on his time at Off-White as “an honor and a profound creati
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The core four sit down to talk about friendship, fame, and, of course, love.
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Tyler Perry’s Sistas will return this fall to finish its milestone 10th season. BET announced today that the hit drama will resume Wednesday, October 7, at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, with new episodes airing weekly. The series has ranked as the network’s No.
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In fashion, women’s equality comes with a complicated paradox. Women may dominate the industry at the entry level, but that representation often disappears when it comes to the rooms where the biggest decisions, and the biggest checks, are made.
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There’s a version of entrepreneurship we’ve all become familiar with online. A founder posts a video. The right person sees it. Then a few thousand more people see it. Suddenly, orders are flying in, Shopify notifications won’t stop, and a business that was once being packed from a kitchen table or
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For many entrepreneurs, bankruptcy is a word loaded with shame. It can sound like failure, poor judgment, or the end of a dream that took years to build. So when Pinky Cole’s decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy became a point of debate during the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion, which just
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She did not wake up one morning believing she was too much. She arrived there gradually. Not after one disappointing date, one unanswered message on the app , or one man who seemed genuinely interested until he quietly disappeared.
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In the words of Beyoncé: America has a problem. In 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement and rise of pandemic retail therapy saw Black-owned beauty brands hitting record numbers . For an industry that has historically left Black women in the dark , diversity, equity, and inclusion was the future.
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"I know how you feel—because I've been there there too. On a bad day, and there are many bad days, our nation’s backslide from democracy into autocracy accelerates…Untrained, masked federal agents are running roughshod in our streets, terrorizing communities. Peaceful protesters have been killed.
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That Rihanna reign just won’t let up! Sis is winning. (And she stays winning.) Yes, she’s a billionaire. Yes, she has broken records and become a trailblazer in music, fashion, beauty and business. Yes, she has a partner in A$AP Rocky who isn’t afraid to love her out loud while they seemingly define
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“You never thought that hip-hop would take it this far…” When Christopher Wallace, better known as the Notorious B.I.G. or Biggie, rapped these catchy lyrics in his hit, Juicy, no one could have predicted even then that the art form would evolve into what is has in 2026.
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To understand why this is happening now, on a larger scale than ever before, we have to look at what the last few years have revealed.
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Black women deserve silver spoons, and The Lip Bar’s latest launch is serving luxury by the spoonful. Silver Spoon Lip Serum pairs a buttery, high-shine formula with an elevated glass bottle and spoon-like metal applicator.
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Sophie Cunningham’s recent comments on trans girls and women in sports have some in the WNBA upset.
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Over the past year, several women-focused articles in the New York Times declared feminism has gone too far, and put the onus on women to fix what is broken. An article asking if liberal feminism "ruined the workplace" broke the internet late last year.
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Economic development is usually told through the lens of numbers – jobs created, contracts rewarded, and dollars invested. However, at this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture, we put the women responsible for the economic inclusion and development work that happens in Louisiana on the ESSENCE Main S
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Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated welcomed a new group of honorary members on Friday during its 61st Biennial Boule in Tampa, Florida. The 2026 group, known as the “TrailblazerΣ Honorary Membership Class,” includes women from entertainment, sports, business and public service.
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The very first Carol’s Daughter haircare recipes were whipped up in founder Lisa Price’s home in Brooklyn. Since 1996, she’s been the textured hair chef of her neighborhood, cooking up collections. Now, after 10 years under L’Oréal ownership, Price has officially reclaimed her brand as an independen
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Today, LeBron James will join the Philadelphia 76ers after spending the past eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 22-time All-Star has agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania , who cited Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.
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“What a shallow statement that screams he was rejected by intelligent women,” one person wrote in response to the Fox News host’s remarks.
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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority , Incorporated added six accomplished women to its sisterhood this week during the organization’s 72nd International Boule in Las Vegas. The sorority conferred honorary membership on vaccine scientist Dr.
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Courtesy of Coca-Cola® At the ESSENCE Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola®, Dr. Virginia W. Harris, National President of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women , reflected on how the organization’s decades-long commitment to advocacy has transformed sisterhood into a powerful leadership m
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Mona Scott-Young ’s selection as one of the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women in Music honorees reflects a career spent opening doors, creating businesses, and helping steer the direction of music and television.
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Before building an audience in reality television, becoming a restaurateur, lighting up screens both large and small, and establishing herself as a multidimensional entrepreneur, Kandi Burruss first cemented her legacy as one of the music industry’s most prolific talents — both on the charts and beh
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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated has welcomed a new group of honorary members into its sisterhood, adding several notable women from entertainment and public service to its Alpha Omega Chapter. The Class of 2026 was inducted on July 11 during the sorority’s International Grand Boulé in Nashville
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It would be easy to be cynical about a remake of Little House on the Prairie . At a moment when "tradwife" nostalgia and gender politics dominate so much of our cultural conversation, the series arrives as an unexpected relief—and maybe just what we need today.
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Rebecca Lindsey is no stranger to challenging the status quo. From an early age, she built a reputation for being outspoken. Her mother, a teacher, encouraged an inquisitive spirit on Lindsey and her sister Mary, even to the chagrin of administrators at the schools they attended.
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On Sunday, T.I., and his live orchestra, wasn’t the only closing act of Essence Festival 2026. Earlier that day, Essence hosted our first Black Women in Music Awards in eight years, honoring the artists who’ve made historic contributions in the industry.
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Black women have always been the soundtrack to our lives. Their voices, creativity, and innovation have shaped generations, pushed music forward, and influenced culture in ways that reach far beyond the stage.
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What’s next when you’re already a Grammy-Award winning songwriter, Broadway producer, and one of the most famous personalities in reality TV? For ESSENCE Black Women in Music honoree Kandi Burruss, it’s pivoting to the beauty business.
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Coca-Cola will mark its 31st consecutive year as a partner of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture this July, bringing what the company calls its largest and most integrated festival activation to date, complete with musical performances, HBCU programming, and community-focused experiences a cross the Ne
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ESSENCE is bringing back one of its most celebrated events. For the first time since 2018, Black Women in Music will take place during the 2026 ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor and producer Anthony Anderson, the private luncheon will honor Brandy, Kandi
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Trump apparently made the remark in reference to the dearth of women at his White House UFC Freedom 250 event.
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The Insider Edit is a curated list of pieces worth buying once and wearing forever. Influencer and C-suite executive Brooke DeVard breaks down her wardrobe investments and beauty secrets, which she defines as simply doing as she pleases. Brooke DeVard makes it all look effortless.
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Solange has long been a world-building architect in her own right. She’s the founder of Saint Heron , a multidisciplinary creative group, the curator of Eldorado Ballroom Houston ’s summer series, and still has time to be an actress, singer, and mother to model Julez Smith .
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The new, nonprofit, all-women event is around the corner.
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Summer is in full swing, and the calendar reflected it this week. From New York to Los Angeles and beyond, celebrities stepped out for premieres, special events, and a few major sporting moments. Tribeca remained one of the busiest destinations in entertainment, while television, music, and sports e
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It was 2012, and Keta Meggett was an actor in Los Angeles trying to land an audition. There was one problem: The audition was in two days and the role required grappling — the art of controlling an opponent through physical holds, locks and leverage — but she had no idea what that was, let alone how
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This piece was copublished with Sojourners , an independent, award-winning magazine of faith, culture, and politics. On “Moral Mondays,” a group of locals — sometimes 10, sometimes 100 — gather on the town square in Brevard, North Carolina, holding signs advocating for voting rights, economic justic
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Over the course of three days, three very different public moments involving Kristen Welker, Cardi B, Donald Trump, Charles Barkley and Jon Stewart left me thinking about the cultural permissions our society grants men—and the expectations it places on women.
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Cardi B is part of the 2026 Essence Festival of Culture lineup. Don’t miss out—tickets here . Cardi B just made game day much more glamorous. Last night, the Bronx-bred rapper performed at her surprise half-time show for game three of the NBA Finals in New York.
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By ESSENCE Editors · Updated May 27, 2026 The post Chef Kardea Brown Had To Get Creative In The Kitchen After Husband’s Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis appeared first on Essence .
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By Elizabeth Ayoola · The post Jazmine Sullivan Popped Out In A Latex Catsuit And The Internet Is Obsessed With Her Stunning Transformation appeared first on Essence .
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Singer K. Michelle is a notorious conversation starter these days, but this time it’s about what fidelity looks like inside of her marriage. During a recent appearance on Club Shay […] The post K. Michelle Says Her Husband Cheating Isn’t A Dealbreaker—But Giving Women Money Is appeared first on Esse
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Our podcast platform Ms. Studios has launched a newly updated miniseries: Ms. Book Club , examining the last 250 years of U.S. history through a feminist lens and asking what the nation’s founding ideals have meant in practice for women, Black Americans and other historically marginalized communitie
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"Someone said millennials used to be at the club dressed for a leadership summit"
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The Feminist Majority Foundation and Ms. have partnered with Women's Foundation California to invite you to a national virtual conversation with Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs that turns our attention toward the system that has kept us from achieving true democracy for the last 250 years: patriarchy.
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The 4th Annual Black Women in Food Summit closed in Washington, D.C. with a moment that reflected exactly what the weekend had been building toward: the announcement of the 2026 […] The post Meet The Winners Of The Black Women In Food Summit’s 2026 Pitch Competition appeared first on Essence .
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Bozoma Saint John does it all. “I don’t think that, when you’re a mom, you have one identity,” she tells ESSENCE. “Your mommyhood doesn’t define everything.” While she’s the mother […] The post Bozoma Saint John On Motherhood And Mental Wellness appeared first on Essence .
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Alicia Keys has long proven she’s a multihyphenate force. She effortlessly balances life as a singer, songwriter, mother, entrepreneur, and art collector alongside her husband Swizz Beatz. Beyond music, she […] The post Get Alicia Keys’ Vintage-Inspired Fit For Less appeared first on Essence .
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For decades, Michelle Obama and ESSENCE have existed in conversation with one another—through magazine covers, keynote interviews, and cultural moments that stretched far beyond politics and into the emotional fabric […] The post Michelle Obama To Bring ‘IMO: The Look’ Live Conversation To 2026 ESSE
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To kick off the 2026 season, the No. 1 draft pick and the first player ever signed to the league discuss this historic moment in women’s basketball.
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We’re going to go ahead and say it: Angel Reese might be the most business-savvy 20-something-year-old in women’s sports right now. The Bayou Barbie turns 24 today, and the moves […] The post The Business of Being Angel Reese: How She Built One Of The Most Powerful Portfolios In Women’s Sports appea
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Damon Wayans has spent a lifetime making audiences laugh with colorful characters and anecdotes from his real life. Now, after nearly a decade’s hiatus, the multi-hyphenate funnyman is returning to […] The post Exclusive: Damon Wayans Is Cracking Jokes—And Raising Awareness—About His Diabetes Diagno
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There are conferences, and then there are rooms that change you. ExcelerateHER is the latter. Now in its fourth year, the annual leadership summit founded by Kim Blackwell, CEO of […] The post “Do Not Select People Who Do Not Love You”: Gov.
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At the height of my success, I was totally depleted. My days started with the phone ringing before the sun came up. Either a driver had called out, or a […] The post Op-Ed: I Built The Business, Secured The Contracts, And Earned The Respect—But I Was Losing Myself In The Process appeared first on E.
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Debra Lee has nothing left to prove. After serving as Chairman and CEO of BET for 13 years, launching her own organization Leading Women Defined, and holding board seats spanning […] The post BET Icon Debra Lee Debuts New Luxury Handbag Line appeared first on Essence .
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Emma Grede’s book tour has been making headlines… to say the least. Her latest offense according to the internet? Referring to Ami Colé founder Diarrha N’Diaye as “not extraordinary.” That’s […] The post Emma Grede Didn’t Think Ami Colé Was ‘Extraordinary Enough’ To Fund.
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Statement on Guttmacher Institute’s Leadership Transition Statement mcherins <time datetime="2026-04-23T08:09:17-06:00" title="Thursday, April 23, 20...
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The press release in Emmy-award winning journalist Georgia Fort’s inbox was vague, stating only that an event to honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s memory would be taking place Jan. 18 and asking people to assemble at 10 a.m.
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For more than fifty years, a lot in North Portland sat empty after the city seized it from the Black community through eminent domain. Anyeley Hallová is the one finally […] The post After 50 Years, A Black Woman Developer Is Reclaiming Land Taken From Her Community appeared first on Essence .
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When rich women offer parenting advice, it usually evokes some eye-rolling from me. Because let’s be honest, sis: Although we have the same 24 hours in a day, most working […] The post Op Ed: Skims CEO Emma Grede Defends Being A ‘Max 3-Hour Mom’ And I Don’t Blame Her appeared first on Essence .
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Lifestyle influencer Obio Jones is using his life-threatening cancer diagnosis as an opportunity to educate and empower others. Jones has testicular cancer. The 33-year-old content creator turned digital star, and […] The post Obio Jones Shares Testicular Cancer Journey And Urges Men To Prioritize T
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CultureCon is expanding beyond its annual Brooklyn gathering with the launch of CultureCon Collective, a new platform designed to support creatives throughout the year. The move builds on the festival’s […] The post Exclusive: CultureCon Expands With New Year-Round Platform, CultureCon Collective ap
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As Stella Creasy’s experience shows, these encounters follow a pattern typically comprising seven elements, writes Dr Susan Watson Reading Stella Creasy’s piece about the online abuse she received after sharing an image of herself enjoying a silent disco in her constituency...
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Major League Soccer is expanding its cultural reach, teaming up with San Diego FC and SHAVONE. to launch a new music-driven initiative tied directly to the sport. The effort arrives […] The post SHAVONE.
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Welcome to Black Wealth Watch, where we round up the biggest stories in Black business and economic news each week — the wins, the setbacks, the deals getting done, and […] The post Black Wealth Watch: Will Smith Joins WNBA Ownership Group, Issa Rae Moves Into TikTok And Kevin Durant Expands Into Re
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Nobody saw this one coming. When content from the 73rd Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. South Atlantic Regional Conference (SARC) in Orlando, FL last week began to surface on the […] The post Why Trick Daddy’s Halted AKA Performance Sparked A Debate On Respectability Politics appeared first on Essen
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Sheryl Swoopes sits at the peak of women’s basketball glory. Between the championships on collegiate and WNBA courts, securing Olympic gold on the hardwood three times, locking in a historic […] The post Basketball Legend Sheryl Swoopes Makes Yearly Mammograms A Part Of Her Game Plan appeared first
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“Can I hug you? Thank you for doing this,” an impassioned young woman asks Black Heart Association co-founder Tara Robinson before approaching her with an embrace that is filled with […] The post Black Heart Association Hits The Road With Heart Health Initiative, Stopping At SXSW 2026 appeared first
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Talk to Emma Grede for even just 5 minutes, and it will instantly make you want to go back and audit every excuse you’ve ever made. It’s a Monday and […] The post Emma Grede On Money, Mindset, And The Habits Keeping Too Many Black Women Playing Small appeared first on Essence .
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This is the first installment of Deinfluencing Month, a series in our menopause newsletter where we explore some of the biggest viral health trends that the algorithm is constantly promoting to people in perimenopause and beyond.
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Before the red carpet, there is a moment. In ESSENCE Beauty Diaries, presented by smartwater®, Brooke DeVard takes us inside her getting-ready process ahead of Black Women In Hollywood, offering an intimate look […] The post Brooke DeVard Takes Us Inside Her Beauty Ritual Ahead Of ESSENCE Black Wome
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Be honest. How many networking events have you left feeling like you wasted a good outfit? Caitlyn Kumi did. So she did something about it. The result is Miss EmpowHer, […] The post How Caitlyn Kumi Built Miss EmpowHer Into The Go-To Community For Ambitious Black Women appeared first on Essence .