It’s such a joy to present our Power issue, for so many reasons. First, this month marks the 49th anniversary of ESSENCE. What a milestone! We feel an incredible sense of pride to continue our mission of speaking to, serving and embracing you. That, in itself, is cause for celebration.
May is also the month that we honor mothers. Our choice to highlight Sean “Diddy” Combs and his family—daughters Chance, D’Lila and Jessie, who join him on the cover; sons Christian, Justin and Quincy; and his mother, Janice—is a bold one. During the six months since the untimely passing of his former partner and dear friend, Kim Porter, his heart has expanded even wider as he adjusts to becoming a full-time, hands-on dad. It means the world that he trusts us to share his ever-evolving story.
Along with spotlighting the mother–daughter bond between Tonya Lewis Lee and Satchel Lee, we talk about the power of Black wealth, while offering keys to success. Speaking of power, we close with a few words from CBS This Morning co-anchor and author Gayle King, who discusses being “In the Room Where It Happens.”
I’m proud to say that we enlisted 60 Black female creatives this month, including photographer Dana Scruggs, who shot our cover story. We also showcase a sampling of our beautiful covers over the years.
What life continues to teach me is that the real power is love. As you read this issue, my hope is that you feel what our team felt as we were creating it. We are a global family, we are love, we are ESSENCE. One love to you all!
Here’s What I’m Loving Now:
