After taking over New Orleans and bringing together some of the biggest names in Black Hollywood, ESSENCE Festival of Culture 2026 has come to an end. Over the weekend, panels hosted by icons from politics, entertainment and culture were packed with audiences ready to listen and enjoy themselves. If you want to know who exactly was walking around ESSENCE Festival, we've got you. Here are the celebs we spotted.

Nicki Minaj was living it up with the big shots at the White House Rose Garden Lunch and she got a shoutout from President Trump who called her hot. Nicki was spotted at the event in a pink dress and she sure didn't hate the praise she got from Trump when he said she's so incredible.

Da Brat, the Chicago-born rap legend whose real name is Shawntae Harris-Dupart, had the entire internet dropping their jaws after posting a highly unexpected, ultra-sexy Instagram video showcasing a recent high-glam photo session in a paint-on-tight denim outfit.

Alfreda Woodard for AARP magazine discusses her career achievements and advocacy work, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and using her platform to inspire younger generations while maintaining authenticity throughout her professional journey.

Venus Williams discussed her latest training regimen with L'Équipe, sharing insights into her preparation for upcoming tournaments. The tennis champion emphasized the importance of consistency and mental focus in maintaining peak performance at the professional level.

The 250th anniversary of America arrives as historians confront the full, complicated truth of the Revolution and Black soldiers, spies and petitioners whose stories have been marginalized. While around 5,000 Black men fought for the Patriots, thousands more fought for the British. From double agents securing victory at Yorktown to Dunmore's 1775 proclamation pulling enslaved people into British lines, Black contributions were vast and often crucial. Figures like James Armistead Lafayette, a double agent who gained freedom in 1787, and Belinda Sutton, who petitioned for reparations based on her decades of forced labor, reveal how the Revolution extended into petitions, education and early Black community building.