Essence CEO Explains Why The Future Is ‘Doomed’ Without Black Women’s Involvement

Essence CEO Caroline A. Wanga made it her business to “reposition who the Black woman is” this past weekend at the Revolt Summit x AT&T 2022. She made it clear that the future would be “doomed” without the Black woman’s involvement.

The two-day conference took place in Atlanta on Sept. 24 and 25. Hosted by Fly Guy DC and Pretty Vee, the Revolt Summit united a lineup of some of the biggest artists, industry experts, tastemakers, and cultural leaders to celebrate the future.

The event, dubbed “The Future Is Now,” emphasized its dedication to supporting and uplifting women and tied into what is happening in today’s society and how it affects Black and brown people.

Among a list of powerful Black female thought leaders, Wanga delivered an empowering keynote speech schooling the audience on how to engage with Black women for the sake of the future. She shared her insight into who Black women are, including the power and influence they have to contribute to the endurance of tomorrow and beyond.

“If you’re thinking about the future, it’s doomed unless she’s adequately involved,” Wanga declared.

She continued: “She is the CEO of home, culture, and community. Not the CEO of Black home, Black culture, and Black community.”

“She’s the beginning of civilization. She’s been the lifeblood of civilization, and if she’s not around, civilization is at its least.”

Following her speech, Wanga and Revolt Audience Development Strategist Corvaya Jeffries sat down to continue the discussion about the significance of Black women in society. The magazine executive explained how invaluable it is for people, especially Black women, to discover and live in their purpose.

“I fundamentally believe that every person on earth was born with a purpose, Wanga said, per Essence. “It’s a purpose only that individual can fulfill, nobody can fulfill it on their behalf, and if you don’t find your purpose, the world goes without.”

“So for me, if you combine this idea of everybody having a purpose and we live indignantly in service of that purpose, and we are literally sitting here and letting that purpose guide our decisions; that purpose is what helps us believe that we can change the world, that purpose is what gives us the patience to live through the voice of dissent,” she added.

“Then what you start to see is, if every single Black woman stood strongly in the purpose she was born on this earth to do, we would need nothing from any other group in society.”