ESSENCE

Meet the Jacksons In the film Michael, Colman Domingo, Nia Long, and Jaafar Jackson step into one of the most sacred legacies in music: The life, The family, and The genius that is Michael Jackson. From Gary, Indiana to stages across the globe, the journey unfolds through music, sacrifice, and ambition. The story moves through a father’s discipline, a mother’s grace, and the quiet weight carried by a child destined for greatness. Because before the icon, there was a son. Before the myths, there was a family. At its core, Michael is about complexity. Talent and pressure. Growth and expectation. This time, the story is told with care. From Off the Wall to looking at the Man in the Mirror, the reflection reveals the full picture of the soul of Michael. Read more from the cast of Michael in ESSENCE’s digital cover story at ESSENCE.com. In theaters April 24. Photography: @Mr_Dadams Creative Producer, @laurenpaigecreates of @allworthypeople Colman Domingo Styling: @waymanandmicah Grooming: @jam_rich Barber: Pierce Austin Jaafar Jackson Styling: @ilariaurbinati Grooming: @bcorso Nia Long Makeup: @kilprity Hair: @farmercarla Styling: @thereismans ESSENCE VP, of Social & Special Projects: @mentionme Writer: @coolhandoak Editorial Director: @ghostwritervic Manager, Content Operations: @shelbylnstewart Art Director: @so.lit VP, Video: @nicolejanuarie

Romance is back and it’s got a passport stamp! For years, we’ve been craving the kind of love stories that once gave us Nina and Darius, Monica and Quincy, Syd and Dre. The soft, funny, heart-tugging magic of Black rom-coms that made us believe in love again. Now, You, Me & Tuscany arrives like a warm breeze off the Italian coast, reminding us exactly what we’ve been missing. Starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page as our new favorite couple, Anna and Michael. For a minute, Hollywood forgot how to let Black love be soft, joyful, and a little messy in the best way. This film remembers. So yes, there’s romance. Yes, there’s drama. But most of all? There’s the reminder that love can still surprise you, especially when you least expect it. Sometimes healing looks like laughter. Sometimes, it looks like letting love meet you exactly where you are, and sometimes, it looks like Tuscany. Read our latest Of The ESSENCE digital cover story at ESSENCE.com and see You, Me & Tuscany in the theaters on April 10th. Photographer: @giulia_parmigiani_photography Production: @lumina_productions_ Talent: @hallebailey and @regejean Halle Bailey Styling: @bryonjavar Hair: @sparkyourhair Makeup: @beautybychrisc Rége-Jean Page Stylist: @holly_macnaghten Groomer: @carlosferraz_ Barber: @aj_rapture Special Thanks To @universalpictures Essence Editorial Director: @ghostwritervic Content Operations Manager: @shelbylnstewart VP, of Social & Special Projects: @mentionme VP, of Video: @nicolejanuarie Visuals Director: @hashtag_bre Art Director: @so.lit Manager, Branded Content & Activations @fiftyshadesofkd Writer: @bougiebadazz

The power of Sinners lives in the women who helped bring it to life. Zinzi Coogler, Ruth E. Carter, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Jayme Lawson, Wunmi Mosaku, Shunika Terry-Jennings, and Hannah Beachler shaped the film’s visual language and cultural depth. Through design, cinematography, hair, performance, and world-building, they helped reimagine Black history through horror, myth, and memory. The results speak loudly. A box-office phenomenon. Sixteen historic Oscar nominations. But the real impact lives deeper. These women did more than tell a story about ancestry and survival. They protected it. Frame by frame, Sinners reminds us that when Black women create with intention, it becomes legacy. The Women of Sinners are our 2026 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luminaries. Read more at ESSENCE.com. Photographer: @peacebureau Writer: @be_vic Zinzi Coogler  Makeup - @janicekinjo Hair -@marciahamiltonhair Stylist - @JasonBolden Jayme Lawson  Makeup - Mila Thomas Hair - @dhairiusnyc Assistant - @heather_borah /?hl=en Stylist - @jasonrembert Wunmi Mosaku  Makeup - @u.z.o Hair - @iamaraxilindsey Stylist - @shameelahhicks   Nails- @chuenails Hannah Beachler  Makeup -autumnmoultriebeauty Hair - @kimblehaircare Stylist -  @fresh2impress Shunika Terry-Jennings Makeup -@camillearianemakeup Hair - @therealritabee Stylist -  @fresh2impress Autumn Durald Arkapow  Makeup - @camillearianemakeup Hair - @therealritabee Stylist - @fresh2impress Ruth Carter  Makeup -@brandyallen Hair -@Stylesbydavonte Stylist - @fresh2impress Nails Lead -@sayo_irie

ESSENCE is on the ground in Montgomery and Selma as leaders, organizers, and changemakers gather alongside Dr. Bernice A. King to protect our voting rights with the All Roads Lead to the South March. In the wake of recent Supreme Court decisions threatening Black voting power across the South, we stay awake, alert, and committed to building bold, nonviolent solutions that move us all forward.

Montgomery, AL (birthplace of the civil rights movement) is making moves!✊🏾💛 We are so hyped for the inaugural A Fine & Dandy Affair™ on May 16, 2026. A city-owned cultural experience in partnership with ESSENCE? Say less. Expect Southern elegance, a high-end fashion show, and a gala that defines Montgomery’s creative future. The best part? It’s for EVERYBODY. 📍 Blount Cultural Park 🗓️ May 16, 2026 SOUND OFF: Which Alabama Black Owned Business needs to be spotlighted? Tag them below! 👇🏾💛

One thing about discovering new vendors on WeLoveUs.Shop? Today’s “Who’s that?” quickly becomes tomorrow’s “I can’t live without this.” From skincare that earned permanent bathroom shelf space to candles, fashion finds, and pantry staples that quietly became part of the routine, the girls are finding favorites. Tap in and meet your new obsession at WeLoveUs.Shop.

In each and every lifetime! Sun, music, beautiful Black people, that’s the only way we are entering the weekend. May the joy from this video be contagious, and you dance your way through the weekend! P.S. Y’all better jam! Video: @blackmarketflea

Danielle Brittany Brooks, please come to the front! The audacity to be walking around the streets looking like this [redacted] good?! The cat has got our tongue and our edges. We’ll be calling a search party for your waist and our edges. Please keep us lifted in this time of distress.

Voting is not just a civic duty. For our communities, it’s our livelihood. The 2026 Midterm Elections are around the corner, and primary season is where a lot of the real decisions begin. Judges. Governors. Local leaders. School boards. Policies that touch our rent, our healthcare, our schools, our safety, our futures. From local races to congressional seats, primaries shape the future long before November headlines roll in. That means checking your registration early, knowing your polling place, bringing the right identification, and understanding your state’s voting requirements before you step into line. Swipe through for: • State-by-state primary dates • What to bring with you • Common mistakes that delay voting • Easy ways to make your voting plan now Register, verify, and make your plan at When We All Vote.

Chi-Town Stand Up! At the premiere of the final season, Jason Weaver, a Chicago native, reflected on what it’s meant to be part of a series that’s showing love to the city that raised him. Chicago, represent your side in the comments.

Every story deserves to be told. At the premiere of the final season of The Chi, Kyla Pratt reflected on what’s made the series resonate for so many people over the years. Its ability to make room for everybody.

We really watched Emmett grow up in front of us. At the premiere of the final season of The Chi, Jacob Latimore reflected on the eight-season journey of one of the show’s most beloved characters and we’ll truly see Emmett step into his own.