ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL: THREE FULL DAYS OF CONSCIOUSNESS RAISING DIALOGUE AND SPIRITUAL INSPIRATION

ANNUAL CULTURAL CELEBRATION
PROUDLY ANNOUNCES
STEVE HARVEY, SHERRI SHEPHERD, HILL HARPER
BILL COSBY, REVEREND AL SHARPTON,
RODNEY & HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE AND KIRK FRANKLIN
AS INITIAL 2010 EMPOWERMENT SEMINAR PARTICIPANTS

The ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL 2010 empowerment seminars kick off Friday (July 2) with Steve Harvey hosting a “Steve Harvey’s Love & Relationships Super Fest,” sponsored by My Black Is Beautiful. On Saturday (July 3), the seminars turn to education with the “Essence African-American Education Summit: Empowering Parents, Motivating Students, Closing the Gap and Fulfilling the Dream.”  The weekend will conclude with Sunday’s (July 4) “All Star Gospel Salute to Kirk Franklin, Pastor Shirley Caesar, and Bishop Paul and Pastor Debra Morton.”

(The full list of seminar participants as of 3/29 is below.)

“We’re bringing the pages ESSENCE magazine to life for this year’s empowerment seminars, which feature an especially impactful mix of entertainment, education and enlightenment as we celebrate 40 years of Essence,” says Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-in-Chief, ESSENCE magazine.  “For the first time ever, Essence will engage the community in a dynamic relationships super fest, an expert education summit and a powerhouse gospel celebration all in one fantastic weekend you won’t want to miss!”

The 2010 seminars are as follows:

Friday, July 2:  “Steve Harvey’s Love & Relationships Super Fest, Sponsored by My Black Is Beautiful” featuring Steve Harvey, Dr. Juanita Bynum, Ed & Lisa Wu Hartwell, Sherri Shepherd, Rodney & Holly Robinson Peete, Hill Harper and Niecy Nash.

Saturday, July 3:  “Essence African-American Education Summit: Empowering Parents, Motivating Students, Closing the Gap and Fulfilling the Dream” featuring Bill Cosby, Judge Penny Brown Reynolds, Dr. Steve Perry, Reverend Al Sharpton, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Marc Morial.

Sunday, July 4: “All Star Gospel Salute to Kirk Franklin, Pastor Shirley Caesar, and Bishop Paul and Pastor Debra Morton” featuring Kirk Franklin, Pastor Shirley Caesar, Bishop Paul and Pastor Debra Morton, Marvin Sapp and Tye Tribbett.

In addition to the ESSENCE Empowerment Seminars, the Festival’s daytime offerings include the ESSENCE MARKETPLACE, a showcase of quality fine arts & crafts by African-American vendors from all over the world. The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will also feature interactive sponsor presentations, celebrity meet-and-greets, festival souvenirs and a book fair with author book signings.

For additional information about ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news about the ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL, visit www.essencemusicfestival.com.  

The presenting sponsor for the 2010 Essence Music Festival is Coca-Cola.   Other 2010 sponsors include Coors Light, CoverGirl Queen, Ford, McDonald's, Olay, Pantene, Tide, TV One, U.S. Army and My Black is Beautiful.

GeChar is the producer of the 2010 Empowerment Seminars. The 2010 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL is executive produced by Essence Festivals LLC and produced by Rehage Entertainment. Essence Festivals LLC is a division of Essence Communications Inc. (ECI).

ABOUT ESSENCE COMMUNICATIONS INC.:
Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the number one media and communications company dedicated to African-American women.  With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online, the Essence brand is “Where Black Women Come First”.  The company’s flagship publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Music Festival, ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood, Window on Our Women (WOW I & II) and Smart Beauty I, II & III consumer insights, the Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile, television and VOD). For 40 years, ESSENCE magazine, which has a brand reach of over 8 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information relating to every area of African-American women’s lives.  Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at www.essence.com.