• Celebrity
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Women in Music
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
  • Fashion
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion House
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Color Files Podcast
    • Nails
    • How-To
    • Beauty Carnival-Archive
    • Dope Stuff On My Desk
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weaves
    • 4C
    • Spring Hair And Beauty
  • Love
    • Love & Sex
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle News
    • Coronavirus: Everything You Need to Know
    • Health & Wellness
    • Holiday Gift Guide 2020
    • Unbossed Podcast
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
    • Currency Conversations
    • Your legacy
  • News
    • BLACK VOTES MATTER
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Videos
  • Events
    • WELLNESS HOUSE: YEAR OF RENEWAL
    • LEVEL UP: Entrepreneur Summit (DEC 2020)
    • Power Tools
    • SHE GOT NOW
    • Girls United Summit
    • Making Moves Now: Virtual Bootcamp
    • #EF SESSIONS
    • Dear Black Men
    • Cares Act
    • News & Announcements
  • Festival
  • Subscribe
  • Essence Studios
  • Girls United
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Shop Essence

Follow Us

Skip to content
  • Essence Studios
  • Girls United
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Shop Essence
  • Celebrity
    • Celebrity
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Women in Music
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
  • Fashion
    • Fashion
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion House
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Beauty
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Color Files Podcast
    • Nails
    • How-To
    • AVEENO® Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty Carnival-Archive
    • Dope Stuff On My Desk
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
    • Beauty News
  • Hair
    • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weaves
    • 4C
    • Spring Hair And Beauty
  • Love
    • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Coronavirus: Everything You Need to Know
    • Health & Wellness
    • Lifestyle News
    • Holiday Gift Guide 2020
    • Netflix’s Jingle Jangle Gift Guide
    • Unbossed Podcast
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
    • Currency Conversations
    • Your Legacy
  • News
    • News
    • BLACK VOTES MATTER
    • Essence 50th Anniversary
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Videos
  • Events
    • Events
    • WELLNESS HOUSE: YEAR OF RENEWAL
    • LEVEL UP: Entrepreneur Summit (DEC 2020)
    • Power Tools
    • SHE GOT NOW
    • Girls United Summit
    • Making Moves Now: Virtual Bootcamp
    • #EF SESSIONS
    • Dear Black Men
    • Cares Act
    • News & Announcements
  • Festival
  • Subscribe
Home · Celebrity

8 Lessons on Being Fly from ESSENCE's Cover Stars Debbie, Shonda, Mara, Ava and Issa

ESSENCE cover girls Debbie Allen, Shonda Rhimes, Mara Brock Akil, Ava DuVernay and Issa Rae are dropping all kinds of knowledge about life, love and seizing opportunities in our latest issue. Get your life from their words of wisdom.

By · May 6, 2015October 27, 2020
01
Ava on Knowing Your Worth

“How they see us, how dominant culture sees us, should not dictate or determine or drive our work our or worth”

Nino Muñoz
02
Issa on Being Supportive

“With my current [relationship], we’re in different fields and we support each other in our feelings. No accomplishment is better than the other. We’re each other’s cheerleaders.”

Nino Muñoz
03
Mara on Humanity and Sexuality

“We’ve been presented before as asexual or as whores. No, I’m a human being and human beings were made to be touched and have sex so that they could make more human beings. And I like sex! I certainly want to highlight it. I want our humanity in our sexuality.”

Nino Muñoz
04
Shonda on Making Love, Not War

“I just began a systematic push that we were going to talk about sexuality equality. Listen, if you could shot someone in the face on television…I hope to God my child never shoots someone in the face, but I really hope she has some wonderful sex.”

Nino Muñoz
05
Debbie on Keeping It Real at Home

“[My husband] reminds me I need to walk in that door and drop it. I’m not the director, I’m mom. As a mom and a wife, I do things that are my responsibility. I will come home from working 12-, 13-hour days and he’ll say ‘What’s for dinner?’ And then I have to pony up. I think my relationship has kept it real.”

Nino Muñoz
06
Ava on Being Comfortable in Success

“Since Selma, I’m not so focused on achievement—I’m not so focused on trying to be the best, because I feel very comfortable in my work now. I feel that Selma has opened me up because I feel like I’m strong enough and balanced enough to be able to do both—a good relationship and good work.”

Nino Muñoz
07
Issa on the Road Ahead

“We still need more people behind the scenes, in the writers’ rooms and executive positions. We still don’t own a lot of stuff in this industry and that’s what I want to see change.”

Nino Muñoz
08
Debbie on Seizing Opportunities

“I don’t look at [Black women in TV]  as something to be feared. I look at it as an opportunity. It is wide open and for the taking.”

Nino Muñoz

Read More

Entertainment
‘Bridgerton’ Is Getting A Second Season
Health & Wellness
Tiffany Haddish Unveils Her Slimmed Down Figure After 30-Day...
Travel
10 Caribbean Resorts That Will Offer COVID-19 Testing In Res...
Op-Ed
Is America’s Racist Nightmare Over?
Entertainment
Chloe X Halle Talk 'Grown-Ish' Relationships And The Best Le...
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2021 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now