*Timing, as they are saying, is the whole lot. Essence Fest simply dropped its 2026 headliners—a large reunion between Brandy and Monica that had followers able to e-book flights to New Orleans. And nearly instantly after, an previous video resurfaced that has a few of those self same followers asking a a lot messier query: ought to we even be going?
The video, initially posted in July 2023 by activist and former Louisiana political candidate Gary Chambers Jr., is making the rounds once more on X (previously Twitter). In it, Chambers holds up a Short-term Restraining Order and calmly explains how Essence Competition Productions LLC used the courts to close down a literary occasion deliberate by two Black ladies entrepreneurs throughout Essence weekend.
It’s not new. However within the context of 2026—after years of simmering frustration over the pageant’s path, unpaid vendor stories, and ongoing debates about possession—it’s touchdown like a bomb.
African Owned Essence Fest identify is ruined pic.twitter.com/qWkQDR4au7
— GOD IS A BLACK MAN! (@godisBlackman) March 21, 2026
What the Video Really Exhibits
Chambers, holding the precise courtroom doc, breaks down precisely what occurred. An occasion organized by Atlanta based mostly Tamika Newhouse of Lit Diaries LLC and Kimberly LaTrice Jones, in partnership with Baldwin & Co.—a Black-owned bookstore and low store in New Orleans—was scheduled on non-public property throughout Essence Fest weekend. The occasion was designed to showcase Black authors.
Essence filed a TRO, claiming the unbiased occasion was deceptive artists into pondering it was an official Essence perform. Organizers had been allegedly charging individuals as much as $650. Essence additionally cited the town’s “Clear Zone” ordinance, which restricts unsanctioned occasions close to the pageant to guard the official occasion.
The occasion was canceled on the final minute. And Chambers, a New Orleans native, was not having it.
“Essence would file such doc to cease Black of us from creating wealth in New Orleans if you are a visitor in our metropolis,” he says within the video, his voice measured however agency. “Y’all have to rectify this. You gotta do proper by us not someday however on a regular basis.”
He then quotes New Orleans Metropolis Council President JP Morrell, who known as the transfer “fully inappropriate” and “akin to a non-compete clause”—particularly because it focused a Black-owned occasion showcasing Black feminine authors throughout a weekend devoted to Black tradition.
Why It’s Blowing Up in 2026
The video isn’t new. However the context round it has shifted. Essence was acquired in 2018 by Richelieu Dennis, the Liberian-born founding father of SheaMoisture. Since then, some within the Black neighborhood have expressed discomfort with what they see as a shift away from African American cultural priorities towards a extra “pan-African” company identification.
Final yr added gasoline to the hearth. Studies of unpaid vendor payments and venue money owed circulated broadly, and turnout was reportedly decrease than in earlier years. For some, the pageant’s glow has dimmed.
Then got here the 2026 lineup announcement. Brandy and Monica—contemporary off their The Boy Is Mine tour—are set to share the stage for the primary time at Essence Fest. It’s the form of reserving that reminds everybody why the pageant issues. However the resurfaced video is reminding everybody of one thing else: the stress between celebrating Black tradition and controlling who income from it.
Two Sides of the Identical Black Twitter Debate
The replies to the submit are operating the gamut. Some are calling for a full boycott, arguing that Essence has misplaced its means. Others are defending the pageant’s general impression whereas admitting the 2023 transfer was heavy-handed.
“Essence is a visitor in New Orleans yearly,” one person wrote. “They don’t personal the town. They don’t personal Black enterprise.”
One other countered: “I get the frustration, however Essence has to guard its model. If somebody is charging $650 making individuals suppose it’s official, that’s an issue.”
A 3rd landed someplace within the center: “Gary stated he loves what they do. That’s the nuance. We are able to maintain them accountable with out pretending the pageant hasn’t accomplished good issues.”
What Really Occurred After the Lawsuit
For these simply catching up, the 2023 incident did get resolved … type of. Essence dropped the lawsuit in opposition to Baldwin & Co. after an apology and settlement. The authorized motion continued briefly in opposition to the promoter, Lit Diaries, however was ultimately settled with a joint assertion acknowledging errors on each side.
The bookstore proprietor continued pushing for modifications to the “Clear Zone” ordinance, arguing it favored massive firms over native companies. That combat, in some ways, remains to be ongoing.
Accountability vs. Celebration
That is traditional Black neighborhood discourse. Essence Fest stays one of many largest celebrations of Black tradition within the nation. It brings tens of millions of {dollars} to New Orleans, gives a platform for Black artists, and creates moments—just like the Brandy and Monica reunion—that really feel genuinely historic.
Nevertheless it additionally operates as a company. And when a company makes use of the authorized system to close down Black ladies making an attempt to earn money throughout its marquee weekend, individuals discover. They bear in mind. And when that reminiscence will get tied to bigger questions on who owns the tradition, resurfaced movies have a means of ruining the rollout.
Gary Chambers ended his video with an attraction, not a condemnation. “Essence, we love what you do, however you gotta do proper by us. Attain out and make it proper.”
Three years later, that message is echoing once more. Whether or not Essence is listening this time might decide what number of followers present as much as see to Brandy and Monica.
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