ESSENCE Launches New Digital Series Focused on the Impact of COVID-19 on Black America

- Kicks Off with First-Ever Virtual ESSENCE Wellness House – Featuring Leading Experts & Influencers Offering Tools for Physical, Emotional and Financial Wellness

- Tuesday, March 31 & Wednesday, April 1^st – Streamed Live on ESSENCE Studios -

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ESSENCE Communications Inc., the leading media, technology and commerce company serving Black women, today announced a new digital series focused on providing Black women and communities with the tools and information needed to address issues arising from the COVID-19 global pandemic. The series, ESSENCE Wellness House: A Virtual Summit, Episode One: Taking Care in the Wake of a Global Pandemic, will include live online experiences that promote physical, mental, emotional, occupational, financial and entrepreneurial well-being during this unprecedented time. ESSENCE Wellness House series will be powered by Quantasy.

ESSENCE Wellness House: A Virtual Summit will kick off with the first-ever virtual ESSENCE Wellness House on Tuesday March 31st, and Wednesday, April 1st from 9:00 A.M.–4:30 P.M. (ET). The ESSENCE Wellness House will be streamed live on ESSENCE Studios via Essence.com and will offer resources for physical, emotional and financial wellness. The free, two-day virtual summit will convene some of the top wellness practitioners, medical professionals, and leading experts and influencers. All participants waived their honorariums in lieu of a charitable contribution that ESSENCE will make to the partnership effort between National Action Network (NAN) and World Central Kitchen to deliver thousands of hot and cold meals daily to those in need.

Transforming a key offline experience to an online platform, the virtual ESSENCE Wellness House furthers ESSENCE’s 50-year commitment to supporting Black women’s health and livelihood. The summit’s robust digital experiences will include meditation, wellness tips, cooking workshops, fitness workouts, story time for children, virtual dance parties and more. Highlights of the virtual ESSENCE Wellness House include:

• Morning Meditations led by Faith Hunter
• Uplifting inspirational messages by Iyanla Vanzant, Michael Beckwith and Pastor A.R. Bernard
• Get the facts about COVID-19 and boosting your immunity with Dr. Patrice Harris, MD., M.A. and Dr. Lauren Powell
• Get tips on how to stay mentally sane with Charlamagne Tha God and advice on how to handle your loved ones with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford and Dr. Sherry Blake
• Learn how to manage your money with Tiffany Aliche “The Budgetnista”
• Discover hassle-free food recipes with Gina Neely
• Get tips on fun DIY projects for your kids with Rosalynn Daniels
• Get your body moving with Brukwine dance moves and body-sculpting workouts with ShaNay Norvell
• And the bonus of a children’s story time reading by LeVar Burton

“As we come together to safely get through the COVID-19 crisis, it is critical that we do not allow social distancing to morph into social disconnection,” said Richelieu Dennis, founder and chair of Essence Ventures, parent company of Essence Communications, Inc. “So, ESSENCE is leveraging its platform and resources for the continued creation, convening and empowerment of community. We know that health disparities in our community have widened with the increase in economic inequality and that more prevalent underlying health conditions can increase the incidences of severe and potentially fatal cases of COVID-19. We also know that necessary measures taken to reduce the spread of the virus, such as social distancing and business closures, are likely to have a more significant economic impact on our communities and small businesses. So, more than ever, access to empowering information and opportunities is vital, and the health of Black women, their families and our communities depends on it.”

Upcoming dates for more content to be streamed on Essence Studios will be announced soon.

For more information and to register, visit Essence.com and follow #EssenceWellnessHouse

About Essence Communications Inc.

Essence Communications is the number one media, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women and inspires a global audience of more than 20 million through diverse storytelling and immersive original content. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online, ESSENCE encompasses its signature magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; as well as live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival of Culture. Essence Communications is owned by Essence Ventures, an independent Black-owned, consumer technology company merging content, community and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of people of color.