From the Heart: a note to Essence

Dear Essence and Essence Music Fest Production team,

I want to start by saying this comes from a place of love. We’ve celebrated Essence Music Fest for years—it’s meant so much to our city, our culture and to me personally. But when we say we feel hurt this year, it’s not out of hate. It’s out of deep, deep care.

New Orleans isn’t just a stage. She’s a living, breathing spirit. And Black New Orleans—our people, our businesses, our artists—we are the heartbeat. We’re not extras in the background. We are the story.

And here’s the thing: you know what gentrification has done to this city since Hurricane Katrina. You know how many of us have been pushed out, how much we’ve had to fight to hold on. This year—20 years since the storm—our feelings are raw. August 29th isn’t just a date. It’s a day everything changed. And for a lot of us, the wounds are still healing.

So yes, we’re tender. We’re protective. But we’re hopeful.

We see y’all trying to make things right. And we want that too. Not to cancel. Not to crucify. But to call y’all in. Because we believe in Essence. We believe in what it can be—especially when it centers the very people who’ve carried this city through joy and pain. (Yes, that’s a reference to Frankie Beverly - Rest in Power)

This is a chance to do better. To better. And we’re here for it.

With love and accountability,

Anisa Kenyatta Parks, Co-Owner of Headliners NOLA