July 1970
This was the third-ever issue of Essence. I don't have a list of cover models for Essence, so I don't have an ID on this (it is NOT Melba Moore -- who, sidebar, was in the original cast of Hair and won the Tony in 1970 for Purlie, hence why she was promoted here and on the cover of Ebony this same month.) I would like to know who this is, and what the new pants situation was.
1971
I enjoy how minimal the cover lines are here. It just lets the photo dominate, and while I don't have names on them either, but her lipstick is great.
1973 - Julie Woodson
Julie, a UCLA grad, was the Playmate of the Month in April of this year (just the third Black woman to be one). She ended up quitting the business after refusing to do a nude scene in Superfly and then went on to a career in her native Kansas doing construction. So basically, she has stories to tell, and sounds awesome. Also, Melba Moore again! July must be her lucky month.
1975 - Joyce Walker
This issue is ALL about exclamation points. At least it matches her grin. She looks gorgeous.
1980 - Iman
Iman remains the best.
1983
I can't tell if this photo is supposed to be about... the friendship? I like the knowing gleam in her eye, but I wish he was looking at her, I think.
Grace Jones
I couldn't tell what year this is. I THINK it's June 1986. Could be 1988. Definitely NOT July. But was I going to deny you Grace Jones wearing slinkies on her arms and making it look like a great idea? Of course not.
1986: Phylicia and Ahmad Rashad
That's a good hug.
1987: Vanessa Williams
[Narrator: Something DID, in fact, break them apart.] That lipstick is sublime. She's such a beauty. I also enjoy that whoever scanned this appears to have had markers in the pages? Those look like those little reference tabs.
1989 - Oprah and Stedman
This is, of course, also a June cover. But again, was I going to deny you this kind of weird photo of Stedman, soothing Oprah in a yellow Mr. Rogers cardi? Again: No, I was not.
1990: Michelle Reeves
Michelle looks cute but this looks like they shot it over Zoom, 30 years before Zoom existed.
1991: Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy
Yes, FINE, OKAY, this is a Feb cover (I couldn't find July 1991). But ONCE MORE WITH FEELING: Obviously you needed to see Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert looking sexy. Note: I hope "Scenes From a Good Marriage" and "The Other Wife" are not the same story.
1993: Tyra
Some of these non-July covers came up so many times that I just gave in. Also, this is good of Tyra! The color scheme looks a bit like a menu at a new Tex-Mex chain restaurant.
1994: Halle (June)
Oh, honey. You were definitely not the last virgin. NO ONE is the last virgin! There are always more virgins!
1994: Danny Glover
Rrowr. Roger Murtaugh is decidedly NOT too old for THIS shit.
1995: Malik Yoba (with Garcelle Beauvais)
I think Garcelle is snatching this cover here, a bit, AS WELL SHE SHOULD.
1996: Toni Braxton
This has a bit of a Dreamgirls vibe to it. (It's the hair.)
1997: Will Smith
This doesn't entirely look like Will to me -- I think they over 'shopped him. Also, "Doing It To Death" should be the title of a romance-murder hybrid.
1999: Mary J Blige
Mary J DOES look very healing here.
2000: Rick Fox and Vanessa Williams
I feel like Vanessa's marriages have an Essence cover curse.
2002: Lauryn Hill
My caption got eaten! RUDE. I suspect I just noted that Lauryn looks radiant.
2003-817o4VTxIGL-1595885812
Oh, man. Whitney looks so good.
2004: Mo'Nique
It seems like such a recent trend, but apparently they were doing celeb-on-celeb interviews -- here, Steve Harvey and Mo'Nique -- even this far back.
2005: Eva Pigford
Eva won ANTM in 2004, so this was her victory lap year. This photo shows why she won. Her eyes are SO big and beautiful. If she can survive a terrible Tyra makeover, she's for real.
2006: Mo'Nique
I reeeeeeally want to read "Lust and Lies in the Pulpit." (Also, Mo'Nique got ANOTHER celeb-on-celeb? I wonder if she requested it.)
2007: Kerry Washington
That's a GREAT cover on Kerry. The bracelet sings.
2008: Gabrielle Union
I feel like Gabrielle's name ought to be bigger than the word BROKE.
2009: Queen Latifah
Latifah always looks good, although she also did get the good gold-cuff treatment.
2010: Jada Pinkett Smith
And that's obviously really striking. I don't know if this was newsstand, or subscriber, or what -- there is another cover...
2010
... and I am in love with her curls here.
2011: Beyonce
Why am I not on a deckchair right now.
2012: President Obama
Does this feel like they tweaked his eyes a little?
2013: Serena Williams
And they DEFINITELY overdid Serena here, right? She's talking about looking in the mirror and loving herself, and I feel like this isn't ENTIRELY her face?
2014:
Wow, for a Summer Fun cover, that bottom left cover line is REALLY dark.
2014
This human train is a little weird, too. It's like what dudes think happens at a slumber party, except they also picture pillow fighting.
2015
They all look gorgeous -- Vicky Jeudy down there on the bottom right is REALLY giving some superb sultry face.
2016: Omari Hardwick
MMM HMM.
2017: Jada
Another good Jada cover. She looks really warm and relatable here, like she's going to make you a sandwich and give you excellent relationship advice and the name of a good accountant.
2017: Tiffany Haddish
Whereas she has a lot of mischievous things to tell you.
2017: Regina Hall
I am not sure what happened with her hair here -- it really does not suit her. Jada may have some practical advice for her, to.
2017: Queen Latifah
And she's just cool. She has the vibe of a person who give a hearty laugh to all your jokes, even when they're sort of stupid, because she wants you to feel good about yourself.
2018: Janet Jackson
Janet looks great here -- that suit is the best.
2019: Teyana Taylor
Essence has done some amazing work in the last couple years, particularly since it became a Black-owned publication again in 2018. These three covers -- this one, and the two following -- are fantastic and unique and transfixing.
2019: Iman
This almost looks like a pencil sketch. That's the one weird thing about it -- that she verges on seeming like CGI.
2019: Ciara
She may dress oddly on the red carpet sometimes, but damn, she can own a cover.