ESSENCE STUDIOS

A Moment of Innovation

Will.I.Am sits down to talk about the need for innovation and art as activism. Through conversation, Will.I.Am will reveal how he uses music and technology to reach out to men and the community at large.

Protecting the Lives of Our Children

Day in and day out, Black children are faced with the harsh reality of prejudice and injustice. And we, as a people, have reached a critical boiling point as our youth witness tragedy and death with their own eyes. This panel features a family or families who have been directly impacted by the violence that corrupts our nation. The panel is joined by an attorney who can talk about how to teach our sons the law, as well as the rules to get home. Finally, a self defense specialist will discuss ways to prepare our children to be safe.

Treating our Trauma

In a world with compounded issues, our men need space to release and replenish. Between dealing with COVID-19, spiked unemployment rates and police brutality simultaneously, it seems as if the world is closing in on our brothers. During this session, Jeff Johnson moderates a panel of men who have faced insurmountable odds to create undeniable success in their lives. The men speak vulnerably about mental health and their personal work, along with sharing tools that they’ve used to help heal their internal trauma.

Call to Action

A discussion about Black men rallying around each other to create community and spark change. Through open dialogue, the panel will explore a call to action for Black men. How can we influence sustainable action? How do we create economic equality? How do we engage our allies? What is at least one action step we can take as a community to move forward?

The Lady in My Life

Nate and Atoya Burleson speak candidly about the ups and downs of balancing healthy relationships and maintaining tight family bonds in today's social climate. During this panel, men will reveal the unseen pressure of heading up a household and family as a Black man, while their life partners will reveal the challenges of what it takes to love, encourage and uplift a Black man especially during this generation.

Homecoming: Life After Incarceration

According to the NAACP’s Criminal Justice Fact Sheet, African-Americans are incarcerated more than 5 times the rate of our white counterparts. That number unfortunately includes husbands, fiancées, boyfriends and fathers behind bars. So what happens to those relationships once those men re-enter society? Moderator Ebro speaks to a few men who have rebuilt their lives after prison. The members of the panel reflect on re-establishing relationships with their loved ones, while trying to create a new sense of normalcy with their children and life partners.

My Masculinity

Through the decades, the ways that men express themselves has evolved. From showcasing aggression to not sharing emotions at all, men need a safe space - now more than ever - to reveal how they feel, how they think and how they love. As men relate with their families and the community, how can men and women provide space for men to heal? How are Black men teaching their sons and daughters to show emotion? This candid panel explores how some of culture’s most celebrated stars express themselves.

Grooming for Life

Modern men reveal how their first conversations about grooming (hair/body) led to discussions about grooming for life and success. They share the ways in which they were prepared to relate to the world as Black men. They also share how grooming moments with father figures and mentors have helped shape their lives, and how those instances with friends have created connection in their lives.

Closing the Inequality Wealth Gap

With unemployment on the rise and small businesses on the brink of closure, our community is in urgent need of financial resources, education and support. JPMorgan Chase's Sekou Kaalund has a candid conversation about economic empowerment within the Black community. During this conversation, he will reveal ways for Black men and women to stay financially conscious in these challenging times.

Dear Black Men

Powerful women in entertainment and politics reveal why healthy relationships between Black men and Black women are vital especially in today’s climate. In conversation, moderator Marc Lamont Hill examines the hearts of our ladies to express the hopes and fears that they have when it comes to raising Black boys, loving Black men, and experiencing Black men out in the world. Women also lift their voices to celebrate and salute Our Men...because our relationship is the real revolution.

Fight for Your Rights

The Reverend Al Sharpton joins us to discuss the nation's renewed fight for our rights, as the country experiences an unprecedented awakening on race.