For months, ESSENCE magazine had planned an impressive schedule of activities and celebrations to launch in May in honor of its 50th anniversary. Then, the COVID-19 global pandemic hit – with Black communities being most disproportionately impacted in the United States. Still, ESSENCE and is providing critical content, digital and virtual offerings, a new streaming platform and more to inform, empower and inspire.
In honor of ESSENCE’s milestone year, supermodel Naomi Campbell has graced the magazine’s first self-shot and styled cover. Using an iPhone, Campbell shot and styled all the photos herself — marking the first time she has ever photographed herself for a cover.
In Campbell’s cover story, “At Home With: Naomi Campbell,” she prepares to celebrate her own milestone 50th birthday and takes readers inside her life with an intimate self-portrait during COVID-19 social isolation.
ESSENCE’s special Golden Anniversary issue also takes a look at some of the joys, pains, laughter, triumphs and stories that have impacted the Black community over the past half-century-including the novel coronavirus and its effects on the lives of Black women and the community at-large today. ESSENCE is also inviting its community into the coverage and conversation by sharing their own COVID-19 stories for ESSENCE.com.
“Our nation and our world are enduring a crisis at a scale that our generation has never seen, but this time also reminds us of the power of our resilience, innovation and community – which have sustained ESSENCE for 50 years and will help ensure it thrives for the next 50 advancing global Black culture, economic inclusion and ownership,” said Richelieu Dennis, founder and chair of Essence Ventures, parent company of ESSENCE. “While we have shifted the majority of the ESSENCE 50th Anniversary activities and engagements to 2021, this incredible special collector’s edition issue marks the beginning of our milestone celebration of Black culture, community, achievement, progress and the work that remains to be done.”
