Party With A Purpose

Known as the “party with a purpose,” the ESSENCE Music Festival is the nation’s largest annual gathering of African-American musical talent. It features three days (July 4,5 &6) of cultural celebrations and empowerment seminars and three nights of performances by some of today’s greatest African-American artists.

Performances this year include Mary J. Blige, Kanye West, Rihanna, Chris Brown, LL Cool J, Chris Rock, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Patti Labelle, LL Cool J, and many more.

Empowering, free daytime seminars feature guests Bill Cosby, Dr. Juanita Bynum, Bishop T.D. Jakes, and Tyler Perry, Soledad O'Brien. Soledad will moderate the session on Saturday titled "Finding Solutions" with Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Jabali Sawicki, The Excellence Charter School, Dr. Robert M. Franklin, President of Morehouse College.

EMQ Network, the online network dedicated to the African American collegiate experience, is giving its audience a chance to join the excitement of the 2008 ESSENCE Music Festival presented by Coca Cola in New Orleans, the Ultimate Party Weekend. You can enter for a chance to win tickets for you and a friend to attend the Festival, by creating a profile on myEMQ, adding a video, audio or written blog, telling them in your own creative way why you want to to celebrate the 2008 ESSENCE Music Festival. Go to http://www.emqtv.com/EMF08 to get started. The contest ends promptly at 12:00 AM EST on Thursday June 26th.