Essence Festival!

I finally, at the age of 57, got to experience the phenomenon known as 'Black Excellence', AKA the Essence Festival.  Talk about a game changer!  What a sense of pride and belonging that has lasted longer than the 96 hours I was fortunate enough to be there.  First off, let me just say that it was a stone cold blast rooming with 14 of the flyest women in my family.  It's not often that 15 cousins (OK, some are honorary cousins but it doesn't matter) get the opportunity to spread our wings away from home and enjoy a joint vacation.  We flew into New Orleans, LA from Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Florida and Virginia with a BUNCH of other really amazing women to take part in whatever you wanted to take part in.  This was the 25th anniversary of the Festival and they had something for e.v.e.r.y.b.o.d.y.  Some came for the beauty products, some to interact with celebrities, others to gain entrepreneurial prowess, many for the concerts, lots to hear from Michelle Obama, others to enjoy cuisine like none other.  Me?  I was God-chasing.  The highlight of the whole experience for me was the gospel fest at the Morial Convention Center.  For 3 straight hours I sang, danced, cried, shouted and communed with a body of believers who had the same intentions.  It was an amazing experience hearing Jonathan McReynolds (#MakeRoom), Anthony Brown (#Worth), John P. Kee (#MadeToWorship) and others proclaim that there is no one like our God!  Everything else disappeared while I immersed myself in His presence.  I didn't pick up a beauty product sample or rub shoulders with a celebrity but I experienced Holy Spirit like I haven't in awhile.  Like I said, game changer!  I left that venue reluctantly but I try to be a promise keeper and I needed to honor a prior commitment to a dear cousin/sister to do a bit of sight seeing.  I may not ever return to New Orleans for Essence black girl magic but I got what I needed in 2019-Sisterhood, good food and His presence. 
Me and Jackie

BBQ shrimp. Stop!

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