This story appears in the November/December issue of ESSENCE, available on newsstands now.
As we close out the year 2022 with our November/December issue, what comes to mind is that song by Drake featuring Soulja Boy: “We Made It.” Say it with me, people!
With a beautiful illustration of Angela Bassett on the cover, we continue our mission—ensuring that we celebrate Black women in all their glory and do the work to ensure that ESSENCE is the place for Black creativity to shine. We tapped the talented comic artist Darius X. Moreno to draw Bassett, who plays Ramonda, Queen of Wakanda, in Disney’s Marvel Studios’ upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda -Forever. I’m definitely not the only one who is personally excited to see Bassett and the rest of the cast in the film. On page 62, Senior Entertainment Editor Brande Victorian speaks to Bassett about her fantastic career and the extraordinary legacy she continues to create with each new role.
As we showcase some of our other creatives, “Leaders of the New Art World” (page 41) highlights women like artist Theresa Chromati, curator Ashley James (the first full-time Black curator at the Guggenheim Museum) and other high-powered innovators making waves in the art space. Also in this issue, Features Editor Brooklyn White examines the resurgence of the ’70s aesthetic in “Black to the Future” (page 76), which speaks to the revival of that decade in Black music, fashion, feminism, and politics.
And you won’t want to miss our annual holiday gift guide (page 82), with products from Black-owned and Black-focused brands that will delight the colorful characters in your life. Editors Victoria Uwumarogie and Kimberly Wilson offer gift ideas for everyone who holds a special place on your list during the festive season—from your favorite entrepreneurial cousin to your fashion-obsessed rich auntie.
Whether the holidays are your thing or you’re just getting through, we hope this issue will feel like a warm hug to usher you into a brilliant new year. Bring it in!
