Special 4th of July re-cap from The Narrative Matters.
I was in the mystical city of New Orleans back in December. The tropical weather was idea and my scenery was equally immaculate, as a result.
Even though I didn’t get to flaunt around the French Quarters or explore downtown New Orleans like I wanted. I did enjoy time in Gretna across the Mississippi river.
The first thing that struck me the most was how tropical the city was. Because it was the surreal feeling of an island paradise that suddenly inculpated you to believing that you were way out in the Bahamas.
But as I heard police sirens, getting lost and bumping into the “Superdome”, while crossing over the bridge. I quickly was reminded that I was in the US and in Louisiana.
Though I would say some people would feel the opposite. Travelers go to New Orleans to pretend to be somewhere they can’t get too, for instance.
Yet that is okay. The same for those who happen upon the Essence Festival.
The festival was a huge 500,000 capacity weekend showcase of celebrities and entertainment. Since the Covid-19 era, the festival had taken a back seat.
However, this season, it was in full swing, even as of yesterday it ended with talks of singer Janet Jackson having mic issues.
Essence Festival: Culture is back on the ground and running! As we return to New Orleans to kick off this year’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture™, we want to give you the ESSENCE experience of a lifetime. From delicious food, to unforgettable entertainment, to career advancement and more, we’re going bigger and bolder.
The theme: “It is the Black Joy for me”, kind of resonated with me. We need more black joy.
As we all know, today is the Fourth of July and it seems the violence overtures kicks off in a substantial swing. You would ponder that the world is mad after losing all their money on fireworks, in my opinion.
So, getting back to the Essence Festival, which also featured rapper Niki Minaj, Chloe X Halle, Ashanti, Dru Hill, Mary J. Blige, and many more.
I would have loved to see the Black Women in Hollywood event there.
For more on the Essence Festival at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans click here.
