
Online figure Damian Wheeler and Baltimore’s Mayor Brandon Scott seem in agreement that the festival should relocate to a state that “respects Black voices.”
In the wake of the controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding Louisiana’s congressional districts, a few online spectators are calling for the Essence Festival of Culture to leave New Orleans.
The Essence Festival, often referred to as “the party with a purpose,” is the largest annual cultural gathering in the United States. Essence Fest serves as a massive economic engine for New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Activists argue that the festival’s presence provides significant tax revenue and global prestige to a state government that they claim is actively working to disenfranchise Black voters.
Online figure Damian Wheeler and Baltimore’s Mayor Brandon Scott seem in agreement that the festival should relocate to a state that “respects Black voices.”
In a post on X, Mayor Scott appealed to Essence.
“The 92% told me ya’ll should be looking for a new home because them folk down there are doing what they do – being racist…Wakanda is ready!”
RELATED CONTENT: Essence Fest Sees Booking Decline As Tourism Faces Hit From Broader Economic Struggles
Source: Black Enterprise

