A Playbook for Protecting Black Creative Spaces — Lessons from Essence

Essence Fest has always been more than a party — it’s been a cultural anchor for generations. But what we’re seeing now isn’t new. This year’s missteps were just the breaking point in an ongoing erosion of local connection, creative ownership, and community power.

For years, big sponsors have flown in, big creators have cashed out, but the people — local businesses, journalists, and next-gen creatives — have watched the money move past them. It’s bigger than poor planning or pricey booths. It’s about Black culture being mined for hype while the people who are the culture get left with the scraps.

So what does balance look like? It means bridging nostalgia with innovation. It means protecting the party and the purpose. It means brands show up, but they share power, reinvest locally, and hand the mic to the people whose stories they profit from.

Some of our own OQUPI members were there — capturing, creating, and connecting. They came back with the same call: enough empty hype. Protect the culture by rooting it back where it belongs.

This is bigger than Essence — it’s about all Black cultural spaces. We don’t just want better events. We want systems that build ownership, pay people fairly, lift local voices, and leave our cities better than they found them.

At OQUPI, that’s the mission in motion. LinkUp HTX isn’t just our summit — it’s a blueprint for how we do better. For us, by us. A space for our folks to grow, get paid, tell our stories, and build what legacy brands keep missing.

So here’s the call: Pull up with purpose — or move aside. We’re not waiting for the next Essence to get it right. We’re building forward now. We’re learning from every lesson and pouring it back into the best cultural experience for our community.

LinkUp HTX returns February 2026 — not just for us, but with us. Bring your voice. Bring your vision. Bring your people. Let’s protect what’s ours and build smarter, together.