MADE
FOR YOU
BY CEROS
CREATING
HORIZONTAL
INSPIRATION
TIMELINE
A Chronicle of ESSENCE's 50-Year Journey in Shaping Black Culture in America
Susan Taylor Graces Us Again
Time of ESSENCE unveils ESSENCE's profound impact on and reflection of Black culture in the United States, spanning a remarkable half-century. With a detailed gaze into the past, each episode delves into a distinct decade, spanning from the electrifying '70s to the present day. Immersed in the accounts of icons, pioneers, dedicated staff, and visionaries who not only witnessed but also defined those eras, the series paints a vivid picture of ESSENCE’s most pivotal moments. Fueling the authentic storytelling are candid commentaries that capture the essence of each era, intertwined with an exclusive of unreleased visuals and behind-the-scenes revelations.
The Time of Essence five-part docuseries premieres on OWN and streaming on MAX, Friday, August 18 at 9 p.m. ET.
5th anniversary issue, 1975
Diahann Carroll, 1979
12_1977
07_ 1978
Billy dee Williams, 1976
Diana Ross, 1980
Spike & Joie Lee, 1988
Phylicia & Amhad Rashad, 1986
Janet Jackson, 1985
Jesse Jackson, 1984
Jada Pinkett, 1995
CeCe Winans, 1999
Black Men cover, 1996
Oprah Winfrey, 1991
Whitney Houston, 1990
Iyanala Vanzant, 2000
Wendy Raquel Robinson, Kelly Rowland, Patti LaBelle, Vanessa Williams, & Vanessa Wilson, 2007
Denzel Washington, 2006
Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, 2004
Alicia Keys, 2002
The Obamas, 2010
Chadwick Boseman, 2018
Kandi Burruss-Tucker, 2017
Megan Good, Taraji P. Henson, Gabrielle Union, Lala Anthony, & Regina Hall, 2014
Tasha Smith, 2011
Naomi Campbell, 2020
Jalen Hurts, 2023
Neicy Nash & Jessica Betts, 2022
Erica Alexander, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, January/February 2024
Megan Thee Stallion, 2021
A LOOK INSIDE
Cover Stories
By Asha Bandele
Susan L. Taylor: A Life Of Meaning And Purpose
“It’s so important for us to embody the love we want to experience ourselves. The most revolutionary thing we can do, now and always, is love one another.”
- Susan L. Taylor
Updated June 24, 2025
More than a legacy, her return is a signal: that even now, fifty-five years in, the care and keeping of Black women remains the foundation, not the footnote, of our collective freedom. Susan Taylor gracing the cover of ESSENCE at its 55th anniversary is a powerful re-centering of purpose. As an editor, author, and philanthropist, Taylor’s work does not merely uplift—it redefines the very architecture of possibility for Black women, offering not just wisdom but permission: to rest, to feel, to heal, and to lead without apology.
Fifty-five years of ESSENCE is a living testament to the enduring beauty, struggle, and brilliance of Black women, rendered in print and power.
To call Susan Taylor back is to summon both memory and mandate. She is an anchor who reminds us that storytelling is sacred labor.
ESSENCE has never wavered in seeing us whole. The legacy lives on not as nostalgia, but as compass—a cultural balm and a mirror, an archive of our language, our fashion, our resistance, our joy.
Culture
Updated June 24, 2025
In The Spirit: Our Sacred Assignment
Fashion
Updated June 24, 2025
By Nandi Howard
In The Studio: Behind The Scenes of ESSENCE’s 30th Anniversary Cover
Beauty
Updated June 24, 2025
By Blake Newby
Rooted In ESSENCE
Culture
Updated June 24, 2025
By Michele Ghee
Passing The Torch
By Susan L. Taylor
To learn more about ESSENCE history, click below!