2016 Essence Festival Speakers Announced: Tyra, Iyanla and Misty Set to Empower Us!

2016 ESSENCE Festival Speakers Announced: Tyra, Iyanla and Misty Set to Empower Us!

We're gearing up for ESSENCE Festival 2016 and we can't wait to help you feel empowered! These amazing speakers are set to take the stage during the July 4th weekend event in New Orleans. Take a look at who's set to help you feel enlightened!

Chuck Arnold Mar, 22, 2016

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Festival Speakers

2 of 10 Michael Rowe

Iyanla Vanzant

Iyanla Vanzant will be a life-fixing force at this year's ESSENCE Festival.

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Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland will carry her balletic grace to the ESSENCE Empowerment Experience Stage.

4 of 10 Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Patina Miller

Actress Patina Miller will bring her Tony-winning magic to New Orleans for the Essence Festival.

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Terry McMillan

Best-selling author Terry McMillan will share inspirational words at the ESSENCE Empowerment Experience Stage.

6 of 10 Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Phaedra Parks

Real Housewives of Atlanta star Phaedra Parks will dispense real talk at this year's ESSENCE Festival.

7 of 10 Earl Gibson III/Getty Images for ESSENCE

Cookie Johnson

Cookie Johnson will be among the speakers at the ESSENCE Empowerment Experience Stage.

8 of 10 Rommel Demano/Getty Images

Al Sharpton

Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lend some political insight to the ESSENCE Festival scene.

9 of 10 Maury Phillips/Getty Images

Yolanda Adams

Yolanda-Adams attends the BET Celebration of Gospel 2013,

10 of 10 instagram.com/thejeanniemai

The Real cast

The Real hosts—Tamera Mowry-Housley, Loni Love, Adrienne Bailon and Jeannie Mai—will hit the ESSENCE Empowerment Experience stage on Fri., July, 1. Their show will broadcast as part of the Live from the ESSENCE Festival digital programming on ESSENCE.com and the episode will air this fall when The Real returns for its third season.