Lighting The Road To The Future Data NOLA Caribbean Zone Festival Highlights Page 8 “The People’s Paper” July 1 - July 7, 2017 51st Year Volume 62 www.ladatanews.com A Data News Weekly Exclusive Essence Festival 2017 A Woke Wonderland Page 2 Newsmaker Style A closer How to look at Maintain Dale Atkins Length Page 5 Page 15 NOW-TUES, JULY 4 JULY 4TH SALE % 30-75 OFF STOREWIDE SPECIALS- LAST 3 DAYS THURS, JUNE 29-SAT, JULY 1 & FREE SHIPPING Online with $49 purchase. Exclusions apply; details at macys.com/freereturns 2 WAYS TO SAVE! SUPPORT AMERICA’S VETERANS GIVE $3 TO GOT YOUR 6 & GET SELECT EXTRA 15% OFF select regular priced REGULAR & sale jewelry, home items & sale & % clearance watches. 100% of donations PRICED benefit Got Your 6. Visit macys.com/ 25OFF & SALE ITEMS gotyour6 for details & exclusions. EXTRA 15% OFF select sale watches, jewelry, shoes, coats, suits, dresses, % SELECT SALE lingerie, swim for her, men’s suit separates & sport coats & home items. 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Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer except opening a new Macy’s account. Extra savings % applied to reduced prices. JULY 4TH SALE PRICES IN EFFECT 6/28-7/4/2017. www.ladatanews.com Cover Story July 1 - July 7, 2017 Page 3 The Party with a Purpose Essence Fest 2017 Exclusive Interview with Essence Communications General Manager Joy Profet Joy Profet, General Manager of Essence Communications and Hip-Hop Mogul Percy “Master P” Miller. Essence Magazine is partnering with Miller’s Team Hope NOLA Foundation to create college scholarships and help improve communities around New Orleans. Edwin Buggage the premiere events for African-Ameri- with Essence Communications General Essence Promises a Editor cans, drawing over a half a million peo- Manager Joy Profet, who’s responsible Great Time with Activities ple annually and bringing in a quarter for the brand’s financial, planning and for all to Enjoy The “Party with A Purpose” of a billion dollars in revenue impacting administrative functions . As General “A party with a purpose, the Festival Returns to New Orleans the local and state economy . Manager, Joy also partners with the is the largest cultural celebration of ex- This year a sea of ebony faces from The festival is one that is ever evolv- leadership team to design and execute periences to empower the community,” all over America will converge on the ing and this year continues the amazing Essence’s strategic vision across all me- Profet says .” It will be taking place June Crescent City for the Essence Music legacy with four days of music, em- dia platforms and has direct manage- 29th - July 2nd in New Orleans, and is Festival . Since its inception in 1994 this powerment, community and entertain- ment of the ESSENCE Festival . set to feature 50 performing artists at party with a purpose has been one of ment . Data News Weekly caught up the Superdome and over 300 speakers Cover Story, Continued on page 4. DATA NEWS WEEKLY P.O. Box 57347, New Orleans, LA 70157-7347 | Phone: (504) 821-7421 | Fax: (504) 821-7622 INSIDE DATA editorial: [email protected] | advertising: [email protected] Terry B. Jones Contributors Art Direction & CEO/Publisher Edwin Buggage Production MainorMedia.com Edwin Buggage Kichea S. Burt Cover Story . 3 42 Tribes . 11. Editorial Submissions Editor Eric M. Craig datanewseditor@ Eric Craig bellsouth.net Newsmaker . 5 Fashion . 14 . Glenn Jones Multimedia Editor Advertising Inquiries Harvey Brown datanewsad@ Calla Victoria State & Local News . 6 Style . 15 . John McAdams bellsouth.net Executive Assistant Distribution Delaney George Data Zone . 8 June Hazeur On The Run Accounting Destiny Johnson Courier Services Please call 504-309-9913 for subscription information or to obtain a back issue of the paper ONLY. Dated material two weeks in advance. Not responsible for publishing or return of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. Page 4 July 1 - July 7, 2017 Cover Story www.ladatanews.com Cover Story, Continued from page 3. across 15 stages at the Convention it is the perfect fit for Essence Fest Center . The daytime ESSENCE in terms of logistics with the capac- Empowerment Experience (EEE) ity of hosting large events and a cul- is free of charge and open to the ture that has a je na sais quoi that public . This year’s speakers include blends the old and new world into Iyanla Vanzant, Congresswoman another worldly experience that is Maxine Waters, Ava DuVernay, unique, special and amazing . Rev . Al Sharpton, Phaedra Parks Speaking about Essence and and many more . Also, our daytime its special relationship with New Entertainment All Access experi- Orleans, Profet says, “This event ences provide attendees with an would not be possible without the exclusive look into fan favorites unwavering support of the people and upcoming shows and films, of NOLA and the City’s adminis- plus meet & greets with the casts . tration . New Orleans is the natural Headliners for this year’s nightly home of the Essence Festival . For concerts in the Superdome include 21 of our 22-year history, Essence Diana Ross, Mary J Blige, Chance has hosted the Festival in New Or- the Rapper, Solange, John Legend, leans and Louisiana, the only excep- Chaka Khan, Master P and more .” tion being the year after Hurricane Katrina . In no other city and state Essence and their do the roots of music, art, food and Commitment to culture run so deep .” Empowering the Essence Music Festival takes place between June 30th and July 2nd. “There is also a rich sense of Community ancestral pride in the City of New The festival is one that’s constant- have the support of our artists and have our first-ever three-day Path Conference or Beauty Carnival- Orleans, one that allows our audi- ly evolving since beginning in 1994, speakers to advance the purpose be- to Power, Business & Entrepre- themed Expo . Additionally, the day- ence to reflect on self, discover when it was planned as a one-time hind the Essence Festival . Essence neur Conference, which is being time Arts & Culture Marketplace new familial ties, and reunite event celebrating the 25th Anniver- is pleased to partner with Master hosted on the second floor . At the aims to support local businesses, bonds of friendships and commu- sary of the magazine . But today it P’s Team Hope NOLA Foundation Superdome, first time performers featuring original designs and nity . Apart from the cultural con- is one of the preeminent events ca- for our Annual “Day of Service” on Diana Ross and Chance the Rap- handcrafted arts from more than nectivity between New Orleans tered to African-Americans . Thursday, June 29th - benefiting per are opening and closing the 300 vendors, and the Festival’s An- and Essence, our audience enjoys Additionally, the Essence Brand the scholarship fund developed by weekend respectively, and we’ll nual Day of Service initiative gath- the convenience of New Orleans . is committed to empowering and Essence and Team Hope NOLA to also feature our first-ever “ladies’ ers hundreds of volunteers for a day Whether walking, renting a car or celebrating those in the commu- benefit New Orleans youth .” night” on Saturday curated by of community service and beautifi- taking a streetcar, New Orleans nity that are doing great things and “As a part of this partnership, headliner Mary J Blige and in- cation .” makes it easy to be in the center committed to service, “We’re doing we’ll kick off our Day of Service spired by her new album Strength “Overall, the Festival’s economic of the action, any time and all the quite a few new things . This year’s with a community beautification of a Woman .” impact to the City & State is about time .” “Woke Wonderland” theme is mod- initiative at the Guste Homes Se- “Essence Fest has come to be $250 million annually . We are creat- The Essence Fest is an amazing eled after our highly-acclaimed nior Residence where we’ll gather known as the “Party with A Pur- ing community through the shared event for African-Americans and May 2017 “Woke 100” issue of ES- hundreds of volunteers for a morn- pose” speaking of the larger goals experience of the Festival, and the others who are interested to look SENCE Magazine & we’ll be hon- ing of planting, painting, and senior and agenda she says, “The Essence fact that daytime programming is inside the window to witness and oring Ava DuVernay and Patrisse citizen support .” Festival reach goes far beyond mu- all free and open to the public is experience the greatness of the Cullors with the first-ever Woke “After that we’ll be hosting our sic, entertainment and celebrity .