Essence

Author Amy DuBois Barnett On Her Favorite Books, Unexpected Reads That Bring Her Joy And Why She Never Uses Bookmarks

Amy DuBois Barnett’s attendance at this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture was a heartwarming homecoming for the top editor turned popular novelist. Barnett worked at ESSENCE early in her career before becoming the first Black woman to be editor-in-chief at a major mainstream magazine, Teen People .

Eni Popoola Teaches Black Women To Find Their Voice At ESSENCE Festival 2026

Eni Popoola knows how to command the room. The Nigerian-American blogger is from one of the loudest cities in the world, New York. She graduated Harvard University with a government and sociology degree, commanded the classroom as a 7th grade teacher in Harlem, and is now a student at Columbia Law S…

After Repeated Defeats, Republicans Are Trying to Revive the SAVE Act Yet Again

After failing to advance in the Senate four separate times in two years and drawing opposition from members of their own party, Republicans are once again attempting to resurrect the SAVE America Act (an even more extreme version of the original SAVE Act)—legislation that would require Americans to …

Trump supports birthright citizenship — when the recipient is on the U.S. men’s soccer team

Apparently, President Donald Trump will support a recipient of birthright citizenship when it’s a member of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team. Trump stated in a press conference Monday that he asked FIFA to review U.S.

Egypt Prosecutes a Doctor for Alleging Obstetric Violence

Click to expand Image A doctor examines a pregnant woman at a hospital in the province of Fayoum, southwest of Cairo, Egypt, February 19, 2019. © 2019 Hayam Adel/Reuters An Egyptian court sentenced doctor and filmmaker Omnia Suwydan on July 4 to a six-months suspended prison sentence and a fine…

Burkina Faso Puts Study Abroad Under Junta Control

Click to expand Image Burkina Faso soldiers patrol aboard a pickup truck on the road from Dori to the Goudebo refugee camp, on February 3, 2020. © 2020 OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images Burkina Faso’s military junta has approved a law requiring every Burkinabè student wishing to pursue higher…

I Did ESSENCE Festival Solo Again, And It Gave Me Everything

For the third year in a row, I packed a bag and headed to New Orleans for the ESSENCE Festival of Culture. Going solo has become my tradition, and this year gave me every reason to keep it. I walked into the Convention Center on Friday and felt it right away. Longer lines. More people.

Amid Mounting War Casualties, Pete Hegseth “Defunded and Impeded” Efforts to Protect Civilians, Lawmakers Say

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gives a statement ahead of a NATO Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels in June. Omar Havana/Getty Images ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

Inside ESSENCE Black Women In Music: See The Best Moments From The Brunch

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.

The Black woman on the train did not look away. How much longer will we?

This column first appeared in The Amendment, a newsletter by Errin Haines, The 19th’s editor-at-large. Subscribe today to get early access to her analysi s. It is an arresting image: On the Fourth of July, a lone, young Black woman sits on a train filled with White nationalists headed to commemorate…

The justices remained busy last summer. This year, will they actually get a break?

One year ago, the Supreme Court had just wrapped up the 2024-25 term with a series of high-profile rulings, including decisions limiting the availability of universal injunctions and upholding a state ban on certain medical treatments for transgender minors .

States May Exclude Trans Kids from Sports: Supreme Court

Each week, Rewire News Group editors scour headlines nationwide—from lawsuits over abortion access to LGBTQ+ rights—to bring you the most urgent news in reproductive justice. Here’s the past week’s latest news.

Is the Roberts court hyperopic or willfully blind?

Please note that SCOTUS Outside Opinions constitute the views of outside contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SCOTUSblog or its staff. Speaking at a Federalist Society event the day the Supreme Court wrapped up its latest term, attorney Kannon Shanmugam described an “emerging …

State Ultrasound Requirements in Abortion Procedure

Looking back and looking ahead

Chief Justice John Marshall died on this day in 1835, at age 79. He served on the court for more than 34 years and remains the longest-serving chief justice. It’s no wonder, then, that we needed two Closer Looks to tell Marshall’s life story.

New immigration rules require evidence many abuse survivors can’t access

In March, Michigan attorney Ruby Robinson received a denial notice for legal status for his client — an immigrant woman suffering physical abuse from her husband. Her husband had choked her, Robinson said. Shoved her. Forced unwanted touch. Controlled the finances.

DOJ, HHS, FTC, FDA: The alphabet soup of efforts to restrict gender-affirming care

The United States is using the full power of the federal government to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youth. The American Psychological Association has accused the Trump administration of ignoring science and undermining mental health through its anti-trans policies.

Walking Through the Door Dobbs Left Open: A Groundbreaking Idaho Case Tests Whether the Constitution Protects a Pregnant Woman’s Right to Self-Preservation

When most people think about post- Dobbs abortion litigation, they assume every lawsuit is trying to overturn the Supreme Court's decision. But a groundbreaking case in Idaho charts a different course. Brought by maternal-fetal medicine specialist Dr.

‘The Memories Are Unforgettable’: Women On Their ESSENCE Festival Girls’ Trips

For thousands of Black women, ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans is not just a weekend on the calendar. It is a reunion, a celebration, and for many, an annual rite of summer that only gets sweeter with each return trip.

Kandi Burruss Gives A Masterclass On Pivoting At ESSENCE Festival 2026

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.

Ryan Destiny Just Confirmed The Sweat-Proof Staple Every Summer Closet Needs

If you’re staring at your closet wondering what to wear when the temperature climbs past 90 degrees, allow Ryan Destiny to solve the problem for you. During ESSENCE Festival of Culture 2026, the multi-hyphenate stepped out looking effortlessly chic without breaking a sweat in one of summer’s most un…

A Rape-Survivor-Turned-Prosecutor Is Teaching Women How to Heal

One of us is a doctor, the other a lawyer. We’re also members of a club that no woman ever asks to join, but too many are forced into, often by men they loved and trusted. JoDee Neil, a Texas attorney and former prosecutor, has spent her career seeking justice for survivors of sexual violence.

Rebundle’s Ciara Imani May Goes ‘Beyond The Braid’ At Essence Film Festival

What if the beauty rituals trusted by millions carried hidden costs no one warned us about? This simple truth is the foundation of Rebundle founder Ciara Imani May’s film, Reclaimed: Beyond The Braid , about the normalized harm Black women face with braiding hair.

‘This Is Home. This Is Us’: HBCU Students And Alum Descend On ESSENCE Festival 2026

This year at ESSENCE Festival of Culture , HBCU pride is present in full force. Walk through the Convention Center or catch the energy outside the Superdome, and it is impossible to miss the sheer number of Black college students and alumni who treat this weekend less like a festival and more like a…

ESSENCE Festival Headliner Cardi B On How She Grew Grow-Good Beauty

Back in April, Cardi B officially entered the beauty business with the launch of her first-ever haircare line, Grow-Good Beauty . But, going from Grammy Award-winning rapper to brand owner didn’t just work overnight (even though her hair masks do!) “I was tired of having chopped up hair,” she told T…

Reesa Teesa Talks Radical Honesty, Reclaiming Her Narrative, And Her New Memoir At ESSENCE Festival

The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is always a sanctuary for Black women to release, rejoice, and find community, and this year’s Author’s Stage was no exception. Beating the New Orleans heat in the sweet relief of the Convention Center, an eager crowd gathered for a highly anticipated fireside chat wi…

Black Hair Is Revolutionary At Essence Festival’s ‘Between Us Curls’ Panel

“We all kind of share the same story,” said panelist Ava Pearl . On the live taping of Pearl’s Between Us Curls podcast at this year’s ESSENCE Festival , “there wasn’t a lot of representation growing up,” she told panel host and ESSENCE Senior Beauty Editor Akili King.

A tale of two justices and their children’s books

Now that the court has handed down its final opinions in argued cases for the 2025-26 term, Supreme Court observers must account not only for what has been decided but, on a lighter note, the most recent children’s book written by a justice.

250 and the court

The Supreme Court may not have reached its 250th birthday yet (that’ll take another 13 or so years ), but it has played a major role in shaping how the country understands the ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence. Happy Independence Day weekend to all.

EXCLUSIVE: The Hands That Built The White House: A Family Learns Its Hidden History

Ashley Swain was standing in a room, about to learn something that would rearrange her sense of who she was, when her mind went somewhere unexpected: a dorm room at Spelman College, the night Barack Obama was elected president. “I’m going back to the moment when President Obama was first elected.

How 250 Years of the U.S.’ Reproductive Justice Fight Shaped Today’s Movement

As the United States commemorates the 250th anniversary of its founding, there are many threads about how Americans of previous eras fought for bodily autonomy. Rewire News Group has been covering the ongoing fight for reproductive justice since our founding, offering a comprehensive historical pers…

Essence Festival 2026 Performer Brandy’s Best Beauty Moments

Brandy is part of the 2026 Essence Festival of Culture lineup. Don’t miss out—tickets here: Get Tickets From vocals and acting to beauty, Brandy has long been in a league of her own. That’s why she’ll be honored at our Black Women In Music Luncheon this Sunday during Essence Festival, just one night…

How much you can receive in student loans now depends on what degree you pursue

New student loan rules took effect Wednesday — and the changes may heavily impact women pursuing higher education, particularly those in graduate programs like social work. Critics warn that the new guidelines, ushered in by the Trump administration’s sweeping tax-and-spending bill known as the “One…

‘The Headspace Gap’: The Mental Load of Living in a World Designed for Men

There is a reality we seldom notice: the physical contortion constantly required and tolerated by women to get through the day. It’s everywhere if you pay attention: the woman struggling to reach and hold on to the strap on the moving subway car; the corporate attorney changing her gait to avoid bli…

Essence Festival 2026 Performer Missy Elliott’s Iconic Beauty Evolution

Missy Elliott is part of the 2026 Essence Festival of Culture lineup. Don’t miss out—tickets here: Get Tickets “I was always just different,” reflected Missy Elliott to Brooklyn White in her 2023 ESSENCE cover interview .

A Fourth of July Reading List for Feminists: Our Favorite Books, Essays and Multimedia Projects for America at 250

We’ve made it to July—another eighth of the Trump administration’s days behind us, halfway through a hell of a long year, and the eve of a long weekend to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

America’s 250th anniversary marks 250 years of male sex work

This story was originally published by Rewire News Group , a national, nonprofit media organization exclusively dedicated to reporting on reproductive and sexual health, rights and justice. Since the nation’s independence, male sex workers have been intertwined with America’s history.

The Stat Pack is back

The Stat Pack is here! Jake S. Truscott and Adam Feldman crunched the numbers from the 2025-26 term and pulled together key takeaways. Scroll to the On Site section to learn more. Plus, do you know an exceptional lawyer looking for something different? We're hiring to help build a new editorial…

Revisiting the Speech That Made America See Farmworkers: Dolores Huerta and the Power of Saying, ‘We Exist’

In 1965, the National Farm Workers Association announced their decision to join the striking Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee on Sept. 16—Mexican Independence Day. The choice of date reflected the hybrid identity of Chicanos: straddling Mexican and American cultures, Spanish and English, ro…

Looking to Black and Indigenous Foremothers to Resist Erasure

Free Black women and Indigenous women are the foremothers of generations of African Americans. Yet they remain largely absent from the official story of American freedom. Their lives, contributions and descendants have been systematically erased—from colonial records and legal classifications to pub…