As the streaming of the docuseries Time Of Essence on the Oprah Winfrey Network premieres today, we are taking a look back into our vault of covers that were and still are iconic to this day. ESSENCE has been serving Black women for over 5 decades now. The reach of over 20 million Black women through our authentic storytelling doesn’t just relate to Black women, it supports and honors them. Through the lens of unapologetic Blackness, ESSENCE has garnered a community that grows every year. ESSENCE Festival Of Culture, Afropunk, and Beautycon are all offshoots from the communities we’ve been able to build.
ESSENCE has given the Black woman, in her many forms, the chance to be heard and understood. Opening up the glossy pages at the beauty salon or getting a subscription in the mail was a rite of passage. You held onto the magazine that told you all you needed to know about Black womanhood. It encourages you to embrace and be who you are.
Our team compiled 8 covers that mean the world to them from different eras of ESSENCE throughout the decades. These covers taught them that they can be represented in a light that is and feels beautiful, empowering, and aspirational. These covers from the past just give us more inspiration for the future as nostalgia is the best place to start when ideating new ideas.
Take a look below at these timeless covers below.
Chosen by Corey Stokes, SVP Creative for Essence Ventures
Chosen by Dominique Fluker, Contributing Lifestyle Editor
Chosen by Robyn Mowatt, Contributing Fashion Editor
