Editor’s note: Florida Courier contributor Lisa Rogers Cherry and her daughter, Chayla, attended part of last week’s Essence Festival in New Orleans. Here is Lisa’s abbreviated account.

What we witnessed wasn’t just a festival. It was a full-on cultural revival. Black excellence was in full bloom, and we soaked up every minute of it!

We started on the Fourth of July at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center where the melanin was poppin’, the vibes were vibin’, and the freebies were flowing like sweet tea at a summer cookout down South.

We walked in and got hit with:

• Hair care goodies that will have our curls bouncing and behaving.
• Makeup samples that made us pause like, “Wait… is this Fenty?”
• Smell-good samples that made us sniff ourselves all day long.
• And colorful tote bags that would make any Black auntie proud.

The food samples were delicious – from barbecue ribs to the blueberry cornbread.

Empowerment was everywhere. We stopped at booths for National College for Negro Women (NCNW), Win With Black Women, and others that poured into our spirits. Panels full of powerful, brilliant Black women reminded us that we’ve always been the moment and on the frontlines of the Movement.

After all that glory, we wandered through the French Quarter, found ourselves in Jackson Square, and made a beeline to Café Du Monde because beignets are not just a snack; they’re a whole soul satisfying experience.

Powdered sugar flying, laughter bubbling, and sister-hood shining.

We also found some jambalaya that I swear was made by somebody’s great-great-grandma.

Concerts from Coco to Maxwell

• Coco Jones: Ethereal, soulful, and radiant
• Glorilla: The rapper came through with all the energy and had Gen Z lit.
• Ron Isley: Yes, Mr. Biggs himself! He stepped out looking like a certified Mac Daddy and had us swaying like it was 1975.
• Babyface: This man has written every song that ever mattered. He took us through a masterclass of music history, and I’m not sure if we were dancing or crying at the end.
• Maxwell: Smooth, sultry, angelic. I’m convinced he moisturizes his vocal cords with honey and holy water.
• Lauryn Hill: She hit the stage sometime after 2: a.m. but we were fast asleep. I heard she did her thing like she always does, but me and most of the concert attendees had been long gone by then.

Black Twitter was on fire because Target was one of the Essence Fest sponsors.

Let’s just say… the streets were talking. A few folks weren’t thrilled about their recent vibes not vibing with us, but Target showed up anyway complete with branding and bags and folks definitely scooped up those freebies.

At Essence, we bumped into old classmates and friends. It was pure serendipity. But the real joy? Seeing Black women in all our beauty, all our boldness, and all our brilliance. Every shade. Every size. Every age. Holding space for each other. Loving loudly. Celebrating fiercely.

My daughter and I had the absolute best time. We laughed, danced, cried, ate too much, and promised each other to keep chasing joy. To intentionally find it. And honey, we found it in every note, every flavor, every hug, and every sparkle of melanin.