The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is an annual event that brings together Black women and allies for conversation and connection. After a two-year hiatus due to the Pandemic, ESSENCE returned with over 500,000 attendees and a packed lineup of performances, workshops and panels focused on community leadership.
It was an honor to be a sponsor of the festival and to see thousands of black women gather together. The experience showed how important it is to have a sense of belonging.
Here are some highlights from the festival.
The festival began on Thursday with a breakfast for people who work for the internet. Over food and conversation, attendees admired the work of photographer DeunIvory, which was shot with Real Tone technology to reflect the nuances of skin tones.
The photographs were shot using Real Tone on the internet giant's device. The photo was taken by Jonathan Priester.
The start of the ESSENCE festivities was a highlight for the Global Lead of Community Inclusion Programs. It was important to us to welcome guests as part of an ever-growing and empowering community of Black women leaders. Many of us found out how close we are.
There was a lead at the festival. The photo was taken by Jonathan Priester.
The VP of Customer Care and Vendor Management Office moderated the conversation with the partners of the sog organizations. Black Women Lead, a Grow with Google partnership with The Links, Incorporated, and four Black sororities were highlighted in the session.
Some of the leaders from our organization partners are shown in the picture. The photo was taken by Jonathan Priester.
The Grow with Google team sponsored a booth in the convention center where they set up time for a group of girls to take over. Hundreds of sog members from across the country stopped by to learn more about the training opportunities available through Black Women Lead The Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Google said it was amazing to hear about the success of the initiative.
There is a booth at the festival.
On Saturday, I hosted a discussion on building career paths with Jewel and the co-founder of Partpic Inc., who sold to Amazon at 27 years old. We talked about the important role champion play in a career.
Keke Palmer was one of the many high-profile and inspiring speakers at ESSENCE. The theme of the weekend was community and connection with other people.
At the ESuite stage event, I had the opportunity to sit down with Jewel. The photo was taken by Jonathan Priester.
On the last day of the festival, volunteers said their goodbyes and reflected on their time with the festival. Although we were one of many companies that attended and contributed to the event, it was inspiring to see how many people came together. I thought about how the work we do at Google can help Black women find successful careers.
It was powerful to see all the different ways people showed up at ESSENCE, from companies and vendors offering support to the Black community, to celebrities and entrepreneurs sharing professional, and even personal. It leaves you with a sense of pride and a desire to keep working.
Laurie Bennett and Rachel Spivey were part of a group of people at the festival. The photo was taken by Laurie Bennett.
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