https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxVvO0TFK9zZAtD_nz6AFoWPGwkk4APdJe?si=mBDe4lzp3oSLtg_R

So in the wake of having someone from Delaware do their best to steal from me and the ripples of having much more time for personal pursuits because Corporate comes with ups and downs, I’m in a contemplative mood. The weekend that we usually celebrate Essence Festival is also my birthday weekend, always has been. Back when Susan Taylor developed this sacred time, my mother, one of her faithful readers, and her sister circle gathered their coins and with Black determination built the success of this event as a viable reoccurring venture. You read that right, my mama was out of town on my birthday (unless I had a karate tournament). So it matters to me personally what happens to the event.

As a magazine/blog nerd, the brand history matters to me. As a New Orleans former resident and lifetime lover, the place that birthed the first African-American newspaper is sacred ground. Susan Taylor, chose the city for that very reason. It holds the story of our liberation and unity. It’s not a place where it makes any sense to steal from the children of the land. The ancestral activity is always on ten, and New Orleans has a way that it cleans itself.

The 2025 iteration of the Essence Festival has sparked some nasty debates online as well as some strange behavior. There was a battle of rice recipes themed basketball game and all I really want to add to the conversation is the following.
The recipes (I’m not talking about food) of our respective Grandmothers (read ancestors) will always hold high regard in our hearts, and that’s a universal truth. The thing that honors them most, is to celebrate them without comparison. Every one of us simply bring who we are into the space and enjoy it. The takeover spirit is counterproductive to Black Liberation. It’s as if the goal was not the continuation of freedom, but a chance at a turn to be the oppressor.

Why does that matter here on this blog?

This is a Black publication, a little one, but Black nonetheless. OG Essence is our Auntie on our mama’s side and we can say something.

Now, since this is still a hair blog and it’s summer time, and recipe is in the title. I’m not going to leave you like the people in attendance wishing they saw MiaX.

“We got Formula 76 at home”- Scalp grease recipe, original version before the upgrades.

• 1 scoop shea butter,
• 3 scoops coconut oil
• 2 shakes cinnamon
• 1 drop essential oil

Apply to scalp only. If you put it on your hair in this heat, or it you apply too much, you will be walking around looking glazed like the Krispy Kreme light is on around your forehead, ears and neck.

As always, thanks for reading. Meet me in the comment section if you have any questions or just want to chat.