"The Cannibal King" (The Late 19th Century & Early 20th Century Black American Musicals NOT The Children's Camp Song With The Same Name)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision -April 30, 2026
 
This pancocojams post presents information about African American composer, pianist, and musical director Will Marion Cook.

This post also presents an excerpt of a 2017 University of Nebraska school of music paper about Will Marion Cook's late 19th century/early 20th century Black American musicals entitled "The Cannibal King". 

Part of that excerpt includes the storyline for many of these "The Cannibal King" musical productions.

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Will Marion Cole for his cultural legacy. Thanks to the other people who were associated with "The Cannibal King musical productions that are documented in this university paper.  Thanks also to Peter M. Lefferts, University of Nebraska for his research and writing, thanks to the University of Nebraska for publishing this paper online. 
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-cannibal-king-also-known-as-zulu.html for a 2022 pancocojams post entitled " "The Cannibal King" (also known as "The Zulu King") Children's Camp Song (videos, information, & lyrics)".*

* Pancocojams Editor's Note: The late 19th century/early 20th century musicals (that were referred to as "Negro operas") with the title The Cannibal King may have inspired the creation of 20th century children's camp songs with that title. However, those musicals had different themes and different lyrics than the 20th century "The Cannibal King" camp songs. Here's part of the lyrics to a versions of "The Cannibal King" children's song:

"Oh the cannibal king with the big nose ring Fell in love with the dusty maid And every night by the pale moonlight This is what he said . Baroom (Make kissing sound 2 x's) Baroom (Make kissing sound 2 x's) Honey won't you marry me Baroom (Make kissing sound 2 x's) Baroom (Make kissing sound 2 x's) Under the bamboo tree?"... -snip-
Those camp songs inspired the 20th century children's rhymes entitleded  "Under The Bam Bush", "Under The Bamboo Tree" or similar tiles.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT WILL MARION COOK, THE WRITER OF MANY OF THE LATE 19TH CENTURY/EARLY 20TH CENTURY "tHE CANNIBAL KING" PRODUCTIONS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Marion_Cook
"William Mercer Cook (January 27, 1869 – July 19, 1944), better known as Will Marion Cook, was an African-American composer, pianist, orchestrator, lyricist, violinist, and choral director.[2] Cook was a student of Antonín Dvořák. In 1919 he took his New York Syncopated Orchestra (Southern Syncopated Orchestra) to England for a command performance for King George V of the United Kingdom, and tour. Cook is probably best known for his popular songs and landmark Broadway musicals, featuring African-American creators, producers, and casts, such as Clorindy, or The Origin of the Cake Walk (1898) and In Dahomey (1903). The latter toured for four years, including in the United Kingdom and United States.

Cook served as musical director of the George Walker-Bert Williams Company, working with the comedy partners on Clorindy, In Dahomey, and several other musical successes."...

****
A LIST OF SOME OF THE NOTABLE BLACK AMERICANS WHO ARE MENTIONED IN THIS FEATURED UNIVERSITY PAPER ABOUT "THE CANNIBAL KING" SHOWS

Here's a list of some of the notable Black Americans who are mentioned in this paper.

These names are given in alphabetical order (in most cases) based on their last name) 

Black Patti (Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones) - singer 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissieretta_Jones

Harry T. Burleigh- composer, arranger, singer, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Burleigh

Will Marion Cook - pianist, orchestrator, lyricist, violinist, and choral director
.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Marion_Cook

Bob Cole (Robert Allen Cole Jr)- composer, actor, and playwright who produced and directed stage shows.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Cole_(composer)

Paul Laurence Dunbar-poet, novelist, short story writer, and composer
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Laurence_Dunbar

James Weldon Johnson - writer, composer, civil rights activist 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Weldon_Johnson

Abbie Mitchell, opera singer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbie_Mitchell

George Walker, part of musical duo Williams & Walker  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_and_Walker_Co.

Bert Williams-part of musical duo Williams & Walker  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_and_Walker_Co.

****
EXCERPT FROM A UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA PAPER ABOUT THE BLACK AMERICAN "CANNIBAL KING" MUSICAL PRODUCTIONS 

From https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1067&context=musicfacpub

Faculty Publication school of music

10-17-2017

Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Will Marion Cook: Materials for a Biography

[by] Peter M. Lefferts, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

..."COOK’S “[THE VISIT OF THE] CANNIBAL KING”

[page] 44

The first glimpse of the long-running Cannibal King project (A). Mattie Wilkes is singing Cook's "Cannibal King" song in late October [1896] in Isham’s production (Washington Bee, October 31 , p. 8), which would presumably have to be during the second part (the variety segment).

She "sings very charmingly the composition of Prof. Will M. Cook, entitled "The Cannibal King"; right now, it is a song, not a show. When Isham's troupe returns to a city, it needs fresh material, especially if returning in the same season (the ads say "Presenting NEW SELECTIONS"). The troupe's newest opener, apparently its third or fourth mini musical skit of the fall, appears in November, at the time of its return engagement in DC at the Academy of Music in  (Monday, November 23-Saturday November 28);

It is Cook's new opus, [The Visit of the] Cannibal King (Washington Post, Sunday, November 22, 1896, p. 19; Washington Bee, November 28, 1896, p. 5); "See the Cannibal King and His Secretary" (DC Morning Times, November 22, 1896, p. 12).

[...]

From Abbie’s memoirs and a song title page, Cook was working on an "opera," The Cannibal King, as early as 1896; further, he had three songs published this year, and Riis says the covers tie them to The Cannibal King (Riis, Dahomey edn., p. xviii, and notes 7 and 8). At least one does: WorldCat reports "Love is the tendrest of themes: From the Negro opera The Cannibal King," words and music by Cook (NYC, 1896). This song is identified with Cook in a list of colored song writers and their songs published in an article, "Colored Song Writers," in Iowa State Bystander, August 13, 1897, p. 4, which also says "One of the most beautiful sentimental songs in this valued collection of negro music is written by William M. Cook of

[page] 46

Washington, D.C., who is an educated musician and a teacher of music.

[...]

NB: Cook consistently called his shows operas, but this is not, technically speaking, their genre.

[...]

NB: Bob Cole was going to do King Eat 'Em All for Black Patti's troupe before he broke with them (Indianapolis Freeman, December 19, 1896, p. 5), and this topic may have been inspired by Cook; possibly the cannibal king thread goes the other way, and back even before, i.e., even before Cook, to the earliest days with Cole at Worth's, as one of the mini musical comedies for that venue. Cole's announced venture was probably intended to be ready for the next season (1897-1898), but it seems to have been set aside because At Jolly Cooney Island was going too well to shelve, and then Cole broke with Black Patti. In any event, it surely was, or would have been, another playlet. Cole rejoins Cook in a Cannibal King project in 1901, after A Trip to Coontown closes for good (see below).

1896 SONGS

"Love is the tendrest of themes: From the Negro opera The Cannibal

King," words and music by Cook (NY: Howley, Haviland,

1896)

[…]

[page] 72

The roots of this project clearly go back in some way to the 1896 Isham show, and also to the James Whitcomb Riley project of 1898; not part of Williams and Walker enterprise. The gestation of this Cannibal King surely began in 1896 with the mini in the Isham show, but exactly what form it was in in 1898 or 1899 projects is unknown; looking down the road, it was reworked into Jes Lak White Folks of 1900 (Cook-Dunbar), then into the Cannibal King(s) of 1901, and then into In Dahomey of 1902 (see below); continuities of later material are discussed in Graziano and Riis, who do not mention this version at all; relationship to King Eat Em All also needs exploring. Finally, note that the two plot line streams or basic scenarios (Dollar Bill and Silver King, and Cannibal King) that play out over the entire period of the Cook/Dunbar collaboration.

[…]

1901, early: THE CANNIBAL KING

The Cannibal King again [Version E], announced with music by

[page] 82

Cook, but now with a book by Dunbar rather than by Riley or Morton; the precise relationship to the earlier 1896 or 1898 or 1899 shows of this name (or to King Eat 'Em All below) is not known;

This version of the show was probably being worked on by Dunbar in late 1900 and early 1901, before the end of the run of Bob Cole and Billy Johnson with A Trip to Coontown, and thus before any idea of making it a vehicle for them (see below). Rather, it might have been thought of as the next vehicle for Williams and Walker, who had up to now been on the pace of a new show each season; they instead decided on pursuing a second year of Sons of Ham, which could have derailed this new project in the late spring or early summer months; Dunbar reportedly was the original librettist and then backed out; perhaps Dunbar was working to expand Jes Lak/Eph; perhaps this is the moment described by J. W. Johnson when Dunbar is irritated by Cook and won't work with him, which is exactly Armstead-Johnson's reading of JWJ autobiography passage (NB: Cook and Dunbar worked a year later on In Dahomey)

NB: Helen Armstead-Johnson quotes from an unpublished 1978 conference paper by Mercer Johnson (.rec.. Mercer Cook??), which itself is reportedly quoting or paraphrasing from Will Marion Cook's unpublished memoirs. "Conceived as an operetta for Williams and Walker, the first half of the libretto for The Cannibal King [Cook's title] was written by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Then Dunbar became involved in writing a novel and lost interest in the operetta. Cook then called in Cole and the Johnson brothers to complete the libretto."

This sounds more or less right (but see below in October 1901).

[...]

Cannibal King began as Cook production, and if under his own management, this may be part of the problem; he was not a good manager; perhaps the show advertised in October (see below) represents fresh, new professional management of Ed H. Lester, who was primarily a show manager, but this did not seem to help.

[page] 86

… SCENARIO:

The plot has essential elements that go back to earliest stages of "Cannibal King" material (but not Harry Smith and/or South Pacific island Eatemall):

"The plot of the comedy hinges upon the ludicrous attempts of a colored headwaiter at a fashionable Florida hotel, who has suddenly become wealthy, to elevate the tone and mend the manners of his race and make them eligible to society" (Indianapolis Freeman, November 9, 1901, p. 5).

The father is still "Pompous Johnson" but now the daughter is Parthenia, and there are additional new characters. Krasner (1997, 64-65) gives a fuller description: it "is essentially the same as that of Jes

[page] 87

Lak White F'lks . . . . two new elements are added . . . . [and] the text was enlarged," by including two schemers who could have been "intended for either Cole and Johnson or Williams and Walker." This insight offers the possibility that the play was being revised before Cole and Johnson split, or before Williams and Walker were out of the picture. …

1901, in October: Not again mentioned in newspapers until advertised as available in late October (NY Dramatic Mirror, October 19, 1901, pp. 19, 20); Cole is no longer an author, and Dunbar’s name gets top billing as author; possibly this is a re-write to feature Cole in a solo star role; in an article entitled DUNBAR’S COMEDY/ “The Cannibal King” Soon to be Produced in New York/ (Lexington (KY) Leader, October 23, 1901, p. 7), the book is said to have been written by Dunbar and J. W. Johnson; “most of the music is founded on purely plantation melodies”; and the cast will be headed by Cole and Abbie Mitchell; the article provides an elaborate scenario that goes beyond the LoC Act I libretto to tell the story of Act II, without the cliffhanger theft of Pompus’ trunk:

 “The plot is as unique as the music is said to be catchy. It tells of Pompus Johnson, who, for a number of years, has held the position of head waiter at a fashionable Florida hotel, and, having accumulated a snug sum of money, wishes to become a factor among the Florida Negro aristocracy. He has sent his daughter, Parthenia, a beautiful quadroon, to Vassar College, where she graduates with honors, having kept her Negro parentage a secret. Pompus has heretofore countenanced the aspirations of Jerry Jenkins, an under waiter at the hotel, to his daughter’s hand, but now he begins to look with disfavor upon his suit. Jerry must gain a higher position in the wor[l]d; he must become a butler in some rich family, or second waiter in a hotel, or at least approach near the

[page] 88

dignity of a head waiter before Pompus will agree for him to marry his daughter.

A couple of dark schemers, hearing of the prosperity of Pompus, concoct a plan to swindle him out of a large sum of money by playing upon his credulity and vanity. Disguised as a conjure man one of them informs Pompus that many years before Capt. Kidd had buried a vast treasure in an old well located on Pompus’ place.  Pompus falls an easy victim to the scheme and readily gives them the amount of money asked for the secret, and to the great chagrin of the schemers digs and really finds an old chest filled with gold and jewels in the very place indicated by the fakirs.

Being now wealthy Pompus seeks a wider field of social action than Florida affords, and moves to New York, where he beings a series of lavish entertainments in his magnificent South Fifth avenue residence.

Jerry Jenkins, being discarded—for Pompus, like his paler brother, now seeks a scion of nobility or royalty to wed his daughter- --enlists in the army as a common soldier and goes to the Philippines.

Pompus enters into negotiations with Eat ‘Em All, the Cannibal King, who has been residing in Paris, to marry his daughter, Parthenia. Eat ‘Em All on his way to America has caused a panic on the ship by breaking into the store room and devouring all the raw provisions, and on his arrival is locked up in jail.

One of the schemers, who is being released from jail just as Eat ‘Em All is being locked up, and, learning from him the reason for his presence in America, impersonates the Cannibal King at the house of Pompus, where elaborate preparations are being made for the approaching marriage. The actions of the fakir disgust Pompus, and everybody else, with royalty; so Jerry, who returns from the Philippines as a Captain and who informs Pompus that he has inherited the wealth of an uncle who made a fortune in trips as a railroad porter, marries Parthenia.

An attempt is made in “The Cannibal King” to keep both play and music true to the nature and characteristics of the Southern Negro. Most of the music is founded on purely plantation melodies.

The company, composed of the best Negro singers to be found in America, has been engaged and will be headed by Bob Cole and Abbie Mitchell.

[...].

Armstead-Johnson (1981, pp. 135-37) gives more details.

1901, in August: This show never got to the stage,

[...]

[page] 96

1903, in April: short profile of Cook (The Theatre Magazine, 3/3, no. 26 (April 1903), p. 96-97), about the time In Dahomey leaves for England: "Mr. Cook is not proud of "In Dahomey," but thinks that his new opera, "The Cannibal King," on which he has been at work for several years, will entitle him to serious critical consideration. The libretto, written by a colored man, is said to be exceedingly clever and the score to contain some fine bits of composition. This opera will be presented early next season with a company composed entirely of colored singers. In the cast will be Miss Abbie Mitchell . . . and Harry T. Burleigh . . . . He is also at work in collaboration with Harry B. Smith on a musical play in which one act is laid in the South." [So he is looking to Fall 1903 for Cannibal King, and the Smith show must refer to A Girl From Dixie.]

NB: Bob Cole writes an article for Colored American Magazine which appears in March 1902, in which he says he is writing the libretto for Cook ("The Negro and the Stage," Colored American Magazine 4/11 (March 1902), pp. 301-306 at p. 306); the Indianapolis Freeman picks up on this, and reports in May that Mr. Cole is writing a libretto for Mr. Cooke's "The Cannibal King" and Dunbar is out of the business (Indianapolis Freeman, May 24, 1902, p. 5); in light of 1901 perhaps this is way late and the article was written and submitted long before it appeared in print. Or else Cole is still involved in 1902, and when Cook says the libretto is written by a colored man he means Cole and not, for example, Dunbar.

My suspicion is that if there is a Cannibal King variant that is still viable after In Dahomey, then it centers on the return of the Vassar Girl theme, i.e., going back to the Clorindy element of an educated black returning to the student's point of origin but feeling out of place. 1903, in May: on the day of the London premiere of In Dahomey, an interview with Cook appeared in the London Daily News, May 16, 1903, p. 6, and in it Cook says that in September 1903 he is "going to produce a little musical melodrama of my own, conducting it myself" (Green, "In Dahomey in London"); it is not known which if any subsequent show is what he had in mind at this time, but it could be Lucille, and from the Christmas 1902 and April 1903 items above, it could have been a variant of Cannibal King."...
-snip-
The paper continues with a chronology of other plays by Will Marion Cook. 

I gather from reading this paper that Will Marion Cook's "The Cannibal King" show was never fully produced, although some songs from "The Cannibal King" were sung in portions of "The Cannibal King" that were produced and/or in other Will Marion Cook shows. 

Please correct me if I am wrong about this by adding a comment in this pancocojams discussion thread below. Thanks!

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome. 

Calls For The Black American Community To Boycott The Essence Fest Because It Has Changed Its Focus From A Black American Women's Cultural Festival To A Nigerian Centered "Global" Cultural Festival

TabithaSpeaksPolitics, July 8, 2025
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnDtoL9CEKU "One Last Thing And Then It’s Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming!!" posted by TabithaSpeaksPolitics, Jul 10, 2025 

Among other points, In that video Tabitha provides information about The Solomon Group, an almost totally White American organization that has produced, managed, and promoted the Essence Festival.  

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest update- July 11, 2025

This pancocojams post showcases the July 8, 2025 video from TabithaSpeaksPolitics' vlog in which Tabitha presents the results of her online research as to why a number of Black Americans consider the Essence Fest 2025 that was held from July 4-6to have been a flop.

Information about Essence Magazine and information about the Essence Fest are included in this post along with selected comments from this video's discussion thread. Most of these commenters are Black Americans. However, there are also commenters from Africa or from the Black African Diaspora.

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to TabithaSpeaksPolitics for focusing on this subject and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. 

****
INFORMATION ABOUT ESSENCE MAGAZINE
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essence_(magazine)
"Essence (stylized in all caps) is an American monthly lifestyle magazine covering fashion, beauty, entertainment, and culture. First published in 1970, the magazine is written for African-American women.[2][3]

History

Edward Lewis, Clarence O. Smith, Cecil Hollingsworth and Jonathan Blount founded Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) in 1968. It began publishing Essence magazine in May 1970.[4][5] Lewis and Smith called the publication a "lifestyle magazine directed at upscale African American women". They recognized that black women were an overlooked demographic and saw Essence as an opportunity to capitalize on a virtually untouched market of black women readers.[2] Its initial circulation was approximately 50,000 copies per month, subsequently growing to roughly 1.6 million.[6] Gordon Parks served as its editorial director during the first three years of its circulation.

In 2000, Time Inc. purchased 49 percent of Essence Communications Inc.[7]

In 2005, Time Inc. made a deal with Essence Communications Inc. to purchase the remaining 51 percent. The deal placed the ownership of the 34-year-old Essence magazine, one of the United States' leading magazines for women of color, under widespread ownership, rather than black ownership.[8] In January 2018, the magazine returned to a fully black-owned publication after its acquisition by Richelieu Dennis, the founder of Sundial Brands.[9]"...
-snip-
Here's an excerpt that provides some background information about Richelieu Dennis
From https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/richelieu-dennis-1969/
"A successful entrepreneur, Richelieu Dennis, was born February 25, 1969 in Liberia the son of Mary Dennis. Dennis grew up in Liberia during the civil wars, a time of violence and disruption. However, he was able to attend elementary and high school in Liberia and Sierra Leone where his family occasional fled for safety from the violence of Liberia. In the 1980s he attended Babson College in Babson Park, Massachusetts, a small college noted for mentoring entrepreneurs. In 1991 he graduated from Babson with a degree in Finance, Investment, and Entrepreneurial Studies.

Due to the Liberian civil war Dennis was not able to return to Liberia after graduation. He partnered with his friend, Nyema Tubman, and mother to create natural bath and hair care products for Black women. Many of the products they created were based on recipes used by his grandmother in Liberia. His grandmother, Sofi Tucker, was widowed at age 19. To support her family, she began making homemade beauty products and selling them in the local market. These recipes became the basis of Sundial Brands created by Richelieu, Nyema and Mrs. Dennis. Initially their products were sold on the streets of Harlem."...

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ESSENCE FEST (Also known as "Essence Music Festival")

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essence_Music_Festival
"The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is the largest African-American culture and music event in the US.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The annual music festival started in 1995 in New Orleans, Louisiana to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine. The festival features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only stages"...
-snip-
Most of this Wikipedia page features annual lists of concert line-ups. Here's the concert line up that is given on that page for 2025:

"Boyz II Men

Davido

Maxwell

Master P.

Buju Banton

Donell Jones

GloRilla

The Isley Brothers

Muni Long

Nas

Summer Walker

“Essence Flowers” - Jermaine Dupri Honors Quincy Jones"
-snip-
Only three of these performers-GlorRilla, Muni Long, and Summer Walker are female. Each of these women are Black Americans.

With regard to the men on that last, Davido is a Nigerian-American singer who lives in Nigeria and Buju Banton is a Jamaican singer. All of the other men are Black Americans.

****

SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VLOG'S DISCUSSION THREAD
All of these comments are from July 8, 2025. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKOmKs1izCE

1. @carolbryan7494
"Tabitha, thank you for sharing this information on the Essence Festival.🥰"

**
2. @shay-shay8012
"Bye bye Essence fest!  It was wonderful while it lasted! 

Thanks Tabitha for your thorough research!  Love our Black American people!💪🏾"

**
3. @moniquemitchell6894
"So they chose to take over a renowned event that was established by us and represented our culture; to then minimize our involvement, influence, and representation. Wow! They could have done the right thing and embraced what we cultivated as they should have and then included elements of our African ancestry to bring us together. A this vs. that approach was misguided and divisive. Well now we know. Thank you for the deep dive into this Tabitha."

**
4. @Ms.Peach77
"I am heartbroken.  Essence magazine was created by Black Americans for, and to celebrate Black American women.  The Essence Festival was created by Susan Taylor (a Black American woman) who was editor in chief.  For many years, I’ve enjoyed going to Essence Fest, our Black American culture, our food, our music and our people were all celebrated.  I don’t mind inviting our African brothers and sisters to enjoy our culture, but not take over what we built.  Wow, what a shame."

**
Reply
5. @Commonsense-v4z
"They sold it to a company owned by wyt investors. Here in lies the problem."

**
6. @Nifemum
"O wow. How did that take over even happen 🤔A Nigerian and a Kenyan taking over an original Black American Festival. That's crazy.

**
7. @lexingtonwalker1174
"Tabitha, I am not Black American, but you are on point. We non-Black Americans need to appreciate and respect Black American culture and not seek to erase it in any way, shape or or form. The key word is "RESPECT"."

**
8. @Kewlchick366
"THIS THIS Is So Disgusting and Disrespectful. A Liberian Man, and a Kenyan Woman Running a Black AMERICAN Festival 😐😞🙄It Sounds like a Extremely Bad Joke BUT Unfortunately Its Real. We Need to RECLAIM OUR BLACK AMERICAN Festival Without the ESSENCE NAME."

**
9.@derekm4819
"Since the Essence Festival has been compromised/co-opted, we need to completely detach from it, and create another version of our own, highlighting Black American culture, achievements and business promotions. Creation is one of the things we do best."

**
Reply
10. @Melbee500
"I AGREE 🎯💯"

**
11.@avisrobinson452
"So, Essence Ventures will not be about the American Black culture. It's going to be about what THEY think American Black culture is without finding out what the American Black culture is. smh 🤔

Black America will no longer be the focal point. Horrible"

**
Reply
12. @radmommact3683
"ALL SKIN FOLK AIN'T KIN FOLK"....

**
13.  @TheTrevis_
"Aren’t these the same people that were warned not to engage with Black Americans? Who allowed this mess to happen? I am not happy because I was planning to go to The Essence Festival next year. Essence magazine was created for upscale AFRICAN AMERICAN women. No offense to our African brothers and sisters, but, WE…..BLACK AMERICANS, created this ecosystem for us because of the lack of Black AMERICAN representation in somewhat mainstream media. I’m so disappointed in this and I will not be supporting and this is EFFED UP. Come at me because I’m ready for it. I’m not the one!"

**
14.@dorothymccaskill7221
"Tabitha also Essence excepted money ($300K) from target! This also could be a reason Black folks didn’t show up to Essence fest this year. "

**
15. @momi1610
"So, that can be later sold off too? Other folks aren't the issue -- it's us. When many of us get to a certain level, we don't hold onto "our culture" or "our things." Black Americans, as a collective, have been trained to be staunch capitalists. We've also been trained to not see as much value in us as other people do. The Essence brand is just an example of many other areas where this has already been done."

**
Reply
16. @christinerichardson1756
" @momi1610  This is true. Like BET! THROW MILLIONS AT US AND WE FOLD."

**
Reply
18. @MichelleLove-uo7de
"@momi1610 this is it right here!!!  That’s what happened to BET. We can’t just sell our stuff off to people who don’t make our culture a priority. In fact, why even sell it off, pass it down to continue legacy and preserve culture!  As soon as our stuff gets sold off it gets watered down, diluted, and misvalued. Let’s stop this practice, immediately!"

**
Reply
19. @Chiquita-lq8go
"I agree and it needs NOT to be sold to anyone if they are NOT Black American FULLY"

**
20. @tondelayoperkins4895
"He better ask Target, we will quickly boycott"

**
21.@nnolaa
"Not them colonizing Essence and undermining the Target boycott. That's so disrespectful."

**
23. @neptunepisces
"92%er here and New Orleans Louisiana resident essence was absolute garbage even the locals said it was garbage it was in the off vibe it was absolute garbage it wasn't by us it wasn't for us"
-snip-
"92%" refers to the percentage of Black women who voted for Kamala Harris for President of the United States in the November 5, 2024 national election (according to exit voting interviews throughout the nation). 

**
24. @Historia-10k
"That is really disappointing. I am Jamaican and admire the culture and tenacity of the Black American community. Essence focus should have been on centering the BA culture in the festival and bring the diaspora together. That's a mistake they'll regret and I would be offended too. That's like saying let's remove jerk chicken and other known Jamaican dishes from our celebration and replace it with Mcdonalds happy meal."

**
25. @sabrinawilson5244
"Make them respect OUR CULTURE through the absence of OUR DOLLARS. Any disrespect will be dealt with accordingly no matter who you are."

**
26. deborahgiles3649
"Essence Fest is a part of Black American life and history. Mr. Dennis, if you want to experience the full impact of Black American dollars on an international level, it would be prudent for African (Nigerian) people to not step on us as a people. We have paid our dues time and time again. You have shown us disrespect in our own country. An apology would be nice and inclusion in your plans to showcase black excellence internationally. Respect us and we will respect you. You had attendees this time, because expectations were high based on past experiences. We are protective of our unique heritage and culture. Please be mindful of that. You have every right to run your organization as you see fit; however, we will spend our dollars where we deem to be fit. Include us."

**
Reply
27. @keishaj.2001
"Because he's made Essence Festival an African affair versus African-American two different cultures"

**
28. @MzSparkle01
"We need to pull OUT‼️ Let them have that‼️ And, we CREATE A NEW SPACE‼️"

**
29. @MrsBlack8998
"Wow! We must boycott!"

**
Reply
30. @stargazer2.3
"And spread the word quickly."

**
31.@renahgade1750
"“jollof vs jambalaya” speaks volumes"
-snip-
In Tabitha's comments about the Essence Fest 2025, she shared that there were no New Orleans food vendors, but one of the features of that festival was a jollof vs jambalaya cook off.  Jambalaya is a New Orleans, Louisiana specialty. Jollof is a rice dish that is popular in Nigeria, Ghana, and other West African nations. (There’s a friendly and not so friendly competition between these nations as to which nation’s jollof taste the best).

**
Reply
32. @chickychic4644
"Where is the macaroni and cheese? The collard greens?"

**
33. @jojoone1099
"Who goes to New Orleans to eat Jollof rice? Cultural festivals should reflect the local culture."

**
34. @the2924lp
"OLD INFORMATION New Orleans vendors were  not invited last year so moving forward we should do the same as we did Target. STOP  GOING, STOP buying the magazine."

**
35. @JocelynCamilleTV
"Whenever we stop inviting just any one to cookout, and start gate-keeping more this stuff will stop happening."

**
Reply
36. @Aprioritynotanoption
"I’ve been saying this for a while.  Black Americans need to stop being so forgiving and inclusive and start gatekeeping more.  This is why you have all these other groups and communities running around claiming they created everything Black Americans actually  created and popularized."

**
37. @nikkinanette8807
"I’m not African American, but this just doesn’t sit right with me. It’s not about excluding other Black people from joining—it’s about preserving the integrity and original mission of what was built. Some traditions should be honored, not hastily changed.

I truly wonder if the previous owners considered how quickly things might shift once it was sold to individuals outside the African American community. Unfortunately, one of the fastest ways to dismantle something meaningful is to alter its core purpose from the outset.

Inclusivity goes both ways—and what I’m seeing now doesn’t reflect that. This has been a long-standing issue with our motherland brothers and sisters, I truly hope the new leadership takes time to reflect and recalibrate."

**
Reply
38. @stargazer2.3
"Its too late. The boycott is in full affect."

**
39. @Sunkissed_Michelle
"I’m from the diaspora. Jamaica to be exact and I fully support you because I would not want anyone to come into Jamaica and change any of our celebrations we got going on. I’ve been to Essence Fest and I specifically went to enjoy the culture, music and food, so I can’t be mad about what you’re saying."

**
40. @girlygirllocssoul
"Yeah… 6 months ago, I subscribed to Essence Magazine.  As a Black American, this will be a one and done type of subscription for me. Even the magazine’s vibe is off.  I miss Susan Taylor’s vibe for the magazine.  Such a shame."

**
41. @apembertonfowler
"Our culture was built on our blood, tears, death,exploitation, and oppression. Like Langston Hughes said, “Everybody wants to sing my blues but nobody wants to live my blues.”  The world takes from us and we’re so generous that we say, come on in, we’ll share with you. Then we get shanked. Idk what to do about this, but I know I have to do something. I’m sick of being exploited and I don’t care from whom. Thanks Tabitha for educating me today. ❤️

✌🏽🙏🏽"

**
42. @cihi5385
"Being going since 1998. Spent 25 years of my wedding anniversaries there July 5th. Haven't been in a few years since their are no old school artists that I love to see.

Essence is owned by Africans I think."

**
Reply
43. @i-am-root
"Yes, that is exactly what Tabitha documents, you don't need to "Think it* now you can "know it" 😮"

**
44. @marysabally563
"As an African woman i have great respect for black people all around the world especially black American, i just don't know why it so hard for us to believe that our culture are all the same let love each other please black people.

**
Reply
45. @basbleupeaunoire
"@marysabally563  I love everyone, and I respect our cultural roots. But our culture is not the same.

**
46. @betsy5889
"Yes Richelieu Dennis is African. Liberian ❤"
-snip-
This comment was written in response to Tabitha's statement that Richelieu Dennis is African and possibly Nigerian.

**
47. @Sunrise6410
"Thank you, Tabitha! Essence was a BLACK AMERICAN MAGAZINE for BLACK AMERICAN WOMEN created by FOUR BLACK AMERICAN MEN. The Essence festival use to cater to BLACK AMERICANS! I'm over it."

**
Reply
48. @EvanescenceEverythingOh
"NO WE HAVE YOUR MAGAZINES IN FRANCE IT WAS FOR EVERYONE WHO CAN BUY

**

49. @jamessneed8789
"Boycott Essence Ventures until they get it right."

**
50. @karenl7786
"I love my African continental, Caribbean and African Diaspora brothers and sisters. But we all have our unique characteristics and branches of culture. Why wouldn't you put African- Americans in charge of an African- American festival if you're going after African-American customers and "buying power"? Appreciation and respect must go both ways, or you WON'T get ours."

**
Reply
51. @ZebraLens
"👆🏾😌This comment right here!!!🔥🔥🔥🔥"

**
52. @MWilliams-iy5gf
"Standing on business Tabitha. Thank you always for presenting the FACTS with receipts. The truth will always prevail."

**
53. @toddfrench600
"COOOOKKKK MRS. TABITHA! COOOOKKKK MADAM! COOOOKKKK!"

**
54. @kellyknight1773
"Caribbean diaspora member here, and I don't feel no way about this because EVERYTHING you said is true. A lot of us are too damn disrespectful and try to take over Black Anerican stuff. That's why y'all have to GATEKEEEEEEEP! GATEKEEEEEEP!  GATEKEEEEEEP!

And what pisses me off is there is never an attempt to take over white people's sh-t*, which, if we're going to take that route, is what we should be doing."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

**
Reply
55. @LeslieWilliams-z7x
"Just boycott it period 😢

What are they doing for us besides taking our money 💵 😢

Just saying and we know they don’t like us like that 😂

Yeah just saying 🤭🫡🌞"

**
56. @butterflymcqueen1860
"At a Puerto Rican Day Parade - I deeply doubt there would be a cookoff between Gallo Pinto

(popular Nicaraguan rice dish) & Puerto Rico's Arroz Con Gandules.

Nicaraguans wouldn't THINK to do it - and Puerto Ricans wouldn't allow it.

Black Americans are a bottomlessly gracious & welcoming people, but therein lies the root of the matter: we hand out our highly valued support, and even Cookout invites like promoters used to hand out Club Flyers in the 90s.

"Givers need to set limits because takers rarely do." "

**
57. @charletholley6536
"This made my stomach hurt. 

The festival will no doubt turn into a Nigerian festival moving forward.  Nigerians have historically “snubbed” (to put it nicely) American Africans.  They know damn well what our history is here, so Mr Denni$ is collaborating with other Nigerian$ to exploit/redesign the culture.  That is blatant disrespect. 

Given the current political climate Mr Dennis would have to mostly depend on our dollars. Will Nigerians even be allowed to enter the country.  Yes, there are many Nigerians in the US however, so is ICE.  I submit he hasn’t factored in how the melanin people of THIS land will shut it down.

Thank you, Tabitha for letting us know that moving forward Nigerian Essence Festival will be formally known as the Essence Festival."

** 
Reply
58. @Nopeimp
"I agree...We have our own Black culture which should be addressed in so many ways, food,art,history, health,businesses and to Love ourselves"

**
59. @wildswan662
"I live in New Orleans and I can tell you for sure this year there were a LOT less people in town for Essence"

**
Reply
60. @NaturallyAprilH
"It’s just not the same… Haven’t been since 2019. Noticed several vendors and entertainers cancelled their appearances"

**
61. @kofoblue3172
"Y'all know what to do now that we know what's going on. I don't even need to spell it out."

**
Reply
62. @sharonjasper5792
"YAASSSSS!!!! We Know The Assignment. We Got This."

****
63. @chickychic4644
"Target was a sponsor. That’s a hell no!"

**
Reply
64. @janetgmedia
"That part ☝"

**
Reply
65. @liddie75
"They have been a sponsor for years.."

**
Reply
66. @chickychic4644
"@liddie75 It’s time to say goodbye to Target! Bye!"

**
Reply
67. @NaturallyMsTasha
"That was CRAZY after the political climate but now makes sense why they were booked."

**
68. @KJWright1979
"Essence lost its essence in 2005 when Edward Lewis, co-founder, sold all his shares to Time (Magazine) Inc. We have to stop selling our culture to the highest bidder."

**
69. @stephaniemartin9253
"Dare I say, are they the new colonizers? This is truly wild. I know so many people who opted out at the last minute. Now I know why…"

**
Reply
70. @Starr601
"I agree 100%"

**
71. @mercedes7566
"If he wanted our money, he would have a Black American CEO, and he would have created branches for Nigeria and Kenya. There’s no need to colonize what we built. I was planning to go next year, but after what I heard this year, I’ll save my money and do something else. I’ve already stopped supporting She’s Moisture and I’ve stopped supporting Essence Magazine because it just hasn’t been the same.
-snip-
"She's Moisture" = "Shea Moisture"-a product that is made and sold by Richelieu Dennis' company.

**
72. @gretaberry4983
"Now you know what we’ve too do?  what is that! BOYCOTT."

**
73. @heatherclark3632
"I haven’t been to Essence Fest in years but what I will say is if they change the “essence” of the festival our people will not support, it will go under. Full stop"

**
74. @ZebraLens
"🙋🏾‍♂️🙋🏾‍♀️I am one of those people that missed it also! There was too much going on in social media, and not as much advertising from Essence this year, compared to previous years."

**
Reply
75. @renahgade1750
"not that I was planning to go the festival but you’re right, usually you’d see information/promo of the festival flooding social media, how odd"

**
76. @ronbrown2678
"Thank you Tabitha for shedding light on that because I was a maze of the response that I was hearing to it as well that it just was not the same..."

**
77. @LFG-g2w
"Thanks for the info, Tabitha and now we know why the vibe was off at the
Essence Festival!!👈🤨"

**
78. @palaviye
"I'm part of the diaspora and all I'm going to say is that this is not the way to go.

This is highly disappointing in the disrespect being shown. There are better ways to build bridges and unite the diaspora. Coopting a black American event is doing unnecessary harm to black Americans and to our relationships across the diaspora. Smh."

**
79.inaluedke9779
"I stopped messing with essence a long time ago. I really stopped when I wasn't seeing any Black Americans at the top."

**
80. @61msbell
"Well it's up to us as Black Americans to get our own fest started and not let them take our money for them."

**
81. @dorothymccaskill7221
"Tabitha also Essence excepted money ($300K) from target! This also could be a reason Black folks didn’t show up to Essence fest this year."

**
82. @NolaFlower
"Thank you for this.  As a native New Orleanean, we have been talking about the shift all weekend.  I welcome a Nigerian festival, but don't take our event and hijack it.  This is disrespectful"

**
83. @Opune623
"I am a Nigerian and I totally agree with you. They should have incorporated African American history while highlighting Nigerian culture as well."

**
Reply
84. @reneestevens7337
"They should have incorporated Black American history while highlighting Nigerian culture??? That makes absolutely no sense. Black American history/culture shouldnt have been incorporated. The festival should have been all about Black American history and culture. Nigerian culture shouldn’t have been included at all. Essence has nothing to do with nigerian culture."

**
Reply
85. @Opune623
"@reneestevens7337 well that’s is wrong, when you acquire a company, it’s the new company’s discretion to incorporate anything from the old company. Most companies fire all the employees and hire their own employees. A good example is twitter, when it was acquired by the new owner, most of the twitter employees were fired. So I totally disagree with you on that one."

**
86. @kevinmoten6566
"It's hard to complain because when essence changed ownership no black businessmen or women stepped up to the plate and bought it and took control. Someone from Africa saw an opportunity and bought it. You can't control what you don't own"

**
Reply
87. @kimroberts2583
"Stop going and spending your money."

**
88.@Gigi_Said_That
"I love you Tabitha❤ That  is an awakening. Black women built Essence Magazine. I was (canceling today)  a subscriber since the age of 12.  The colonization of Black American culture is wrong regardless of the skin color. Keep up the revelatory work."

**
Reply
89. @tuwannaekpe8993
"Don’t leave out that Target was a sponsor for the first time which for me was a slap in our faces. Very good reporting Tab."

**
90. @gkan07
"Thank you Tabitha for getting to the root of what’s happening! Also, I know how to withhold my dollars regardless of who is doing the disrespecting. Disrespect learned from the colonizers receives the same treatment even if dripping with melanin."

**
91. @cynthiamanning8737
"Nigeria, you messed up.

 Essence Festival, for decades, was amazing.  Why couldn't you leave 'it' alone?  Why?

 Essence will go the way of Target.  We bust our behinds working nonstop to make things happen, and you want to push us aside and assume the position (like we won't care).🤨

 Well, you won't see any of our 1.8 trillion dollar economy."

**
92. @nitaparker2056
"Never been to the Festival,  but in light of this takeover,  Black Americans should stop spending theirr money to support Essence in any capacity."

**
93. @santaprice8488
"I reside in New Orleans, the vibe has been off for years, I was watching the reviews on how empty the concerts were every night.  Thank you Tabitha for bringing this to the forefront because we as black Americans need to know the real behind the scenes of why things are not vibing."

**
94.@mamatee4489
"Support Black America, agree with your commentary and I am a Black African."

**
95 @claudettebirden5267
"Ppl remember BET same thing what's going on with us giving up our ownership to others make it make sence"

**
96. @SBanyo
"Oh well time for us black folk to get another festival. The Essence festival will not survive without us."

**
97. @dr.g2628
"Just boycott Essence Ventures in 2026.  Nigeria will leave quickly in 2027 (Target is an example of Black American economic power)."

**
98. @ipeefreely9865
"I stopped buying Shea Moisture, when he played in Black American women's faces with the disrespectful ad campaigns, before the company started marketing to non Black folks. I haven't been to Essence Fest either. I've heard similar complaints. Everyone said it was much better when Susan Taylor was leadership in Essence. And a lot of Africans are quick to separate themselves from Black Americans culturally and socially. 😒🙄"

**
Reply
99. @marieh9627
"Same here. Once Shea Moisture let it be known they did not want to be associated with the ethnic hair section, I dropped them.  Everyone sells out—eventually."

**
100. @cinnamonswirl99028
"Well Essence will be over if that is where they want to go. They must not know about US."

**
101. @Randi-n4s
"Sounds like a FAFO boycott lesson is about to  ensue. 😊😊"

**
102. @coursecorrection4105
"We are now speaking with our dollars. No one is owed our money. If we aren’t respected, we won’t be bringing our dollars"

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.