Glamazons,
I can’t believe I’m up writing this at 5:45AM but I’m still on Cloud Nine following yesterday’s Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon. It’s always one of the highlights of my year (remember my unforgettable experience two years ago?!) and this time was even more amazing. I met Queen Mother Oprah (can you even?!) but that’s only one reason yesterday was epic. Let’s start at the beginning!
As you know I started prepping for this event back in NYC when I realized I didn’t have a dress to wear! I was so busy with Fashion Week that I didn’t have time to order a cape dress from an online store like I planned (bummer) but I totally lucked out because Rent The Runway just opened two stores in Manhattan.
I sped down to the Flatiron District, tried on dresses (with the help of their phenomenal stylist!) and rented one the same day. Amazing!
I decided on the neon Christian Siriano dress just because I love the citron hue and that dramatic peplum waist. For the day of, I paired it with my Kate Spade ‘Hello Tokyo’ clutch (also worn here) and JustFab cobalt pumps. My hair was styled by my fave Seto McCoy and for this gorgeous smoky eye look, I stopped by MAC North Beverly (363 N. Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills, 310-285-9917). They were friendly, accommodating and most of all, talented – I left feeling like a million bucks.
As soon as we got to the event, we headed to the Lincoln Blogger Bar.
The same Lincoln MKC I fell in love with at Essence Black Women in Music was on full display. Though my shoes weren’t exactly matching the car like last time, I still got a fun picture with the ride:
And I had a blast hanging out with fellow blogger buds Sekou Writes (who you may remember from our #NolaCrawl Style Suite), Gerald Radford, Arkeedah and of course, my blogger bestie and Style Influencers co-founder Christina.
The Lincoln Blogger Bar host, Bevy Smith, chatted with me about my experience with Lincoln.
Our interview was so much fun! Post-chat, we had time to mix and mingle with everyone heading in for the luncheon.
I was super excited to meet John Legend. I’ve been a fan of his since I went to a Kanye West performance in college and John was on the piano. We had no idea who he was then but his talent was undeniable. Look at him now – nominated for an Oscar!
Jurnee Bell, Tracee Ellis Ross (in Reed Krakoff), Tia Mowry (in a vintage jumpsuit and Nancy Gonzalez clutch) and Holly Robinson-Peete were absolutely exquisite in all white on the red carpet in front of the red Lincoln MKC.
They looked beautiful!
I got the chance to take some epic selfies with attendees in the Lincoln Blogger Bar! I ran into my friend DJ Kiss, and we shared some encouraging words with one another. So proud of all her success!
Teyonah Parris is stunning in person — she wore one of her signature gorgeous updos and a Kimberly Goldson jumpsuit.
Tia Mowry was super sweet! It’s surreal that Lexi and I were just chopping it up with her sister, Tamera Mowry, at Black Women in Music!
The inimitable Lynn Whitfield posed for a picture with Christina and I.
I met some of the women I love watching on TV like Laverne Cox of “Orange is The New Black”:
And Golden Globes winner Uzo Aduba. I let her know how much I loved her Cosmo piece about learning to love her gap and embracing her one-of-a-kind beauty.
I was so thrilled to meet Aja Naomi King of “How To Get Away with Murder.” Mark my words (on Hello Beautiful), she’s a style star to watch and to love!
I snapped a picture of Christina with Common. The Oscar-nominated rapper graciously took the time to look through our #WeAreBlackHistory photos on my phone. Not only did he love the pics, he encouraged us to keep going. Such a great moment!
The best selfie moment of the day belonged to Oprah. After opening the luncheon (more on this below), Christina and I snapped a few pics with her in the middle of a crazy crowd (hence the fuzziness):
Mama O. is exactly like she seems on TV. She has this warm and genuine spirit that just makes you feel comfortable and at ease in her presence. And she hilariously yelled out “Everyone gets selfies!” while we all snapped pictures.
She welcomed us to the luncheon with a moving rendition of Maya Angelou‘s poetry:
She was joined by Carmen Ejogo (from Sparkle) and Aja Naomi King:
They were followed by Lupita Nyong’o who won the Breakthrough Award at Essence Black Women in Hollywood last year and gave a poignant speech about learning to love her complexion. This year, she presented the Vanguard Award to the cast of “Orange is The New Black”:
Accepting the award, Danielle Brooks said: “We’ve all been told we’re too tall, too fat, too black, not woman enough. I’ve learned we’re right the way we are…I hope we continue to inspire people with all we are and the essence of who we are.”
Lincoln Multicultural Marketing Manager Shawn Thompson introduced “Selma” star David Oyelowo:
He presented Gugu Mbatha-Raw with the Breakthrough award and brought his 3 year-old daughter onstage. He believes she’ll look up to Gugu as a woman who embraces her biracial identity. He also joked: “I am not going to show ‘Beyond the Lights’ just yet to my 3-year-old daughter. I’m going to wait till she’s 45.”
Regina King teared up as she received the Fierce and Fearless honor, for which she is so very deserving:
Costume designer Ruth E. Carter was honored with the Visionary Award. She worked on so many classic films from “Selma” to “Malcolm X” to “School Daze.” I’ve loved her work for years, and her speech brought the entire room to their feet! My favorite part? Ruth recounted: “Oprah said, ‘Art is prayer.’ That was an aha moment. I had been seeking a deeper spiritual life my whole life and didn’t know I was already on it.”
Love that!
Common and John Legend closed the luncheon with a performance of the Oscar-nominated song “Glory”:
The whole day was magical! This year’s event was especially significant to me for three reasons.
Of course, meeting Oprah was a huge highlight, and I was pleased to learn that for all her success, she’s still so down-to-earth and kind.
But the moment that really changed things for me was when Christina showed director Ava DuVernay our #WeAreBlackHistory photos, and she said she had already seen them and congratulated us on our project. Guys, Ava DuVernay is a creative genius! The fact that the director of “Selma” knew about our photo series, and complimented us on it, was a sign that we are on the right path.
And the third highlight of the day was running into one of my best friends from college, Alana. I remember being in creative writing class with her at Columbia. She always wanted to work in film, and I wanted to be a journalist. Not even ten years later, we’re in this magical room with the most accomplished black women in our fields. I’m writing for top publications, running this blog and launching Style Influencers, and she’s at one of the top film studios in Hollywood (and she worked on “Selma”)!! Sometimes I move so fast that I forget that I used to dream about the moments I’m living right now. I’m so grateful for how far we’ve come, and more hopeful than ever about the future.
I attended Essence Black Women in Hollywood in 2013 (above). Back then, I felt a fly on the wall, reporting on all the greatness happening inside. I don’t know if it was Ava’s support or my mini-college reunion with Alana, but this year is the first time I felt like I belonged. I’m so proud to be walking in my purpose and working on things that truly push our culture and community forward. And like every year, I left even more inspired — by women like Oprah, Ava DuVernay and my friend Alana — to continue to strive for more.
I’m so excited that OWN will air snippets from the Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon, and I really encourage you to watch it. The honest and tear-jerking speeches — and the empowering words Oprah shared — will leave you feeling just as inspired as I did. It airs on Saturday, February 21st at 10PM ET/PT. Leave a comment with your thoughts if you get the chance to watch it!
And thanks to Lincoln Motor Company for another incredible experience! I loved every minute of it.
Kisses,
Glamazon Jessica