NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Music played as thousands of people entered the Morial Convention Center. People took in all the sights, sounds, and exhibits. One of them bringing a magical touch to this year’s Essence Festival.
Disney set up a special display to promote its new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride at Disney World. The ride pays tribute to a New Orleans princess and the city.
“I love it. I really love it. The first black princess thing, and now we have a ride, and we’re at Disney World, and we have our own section. I love that for us,” Shaniya Peck said.
Shaniya and Marcella Peck are here for these fun displays, but Essence Fest is much more than that for these New Orleans natives.
“A lot of people don’t get themselves checked, and when you get here, you see it, and you take advantage of it,” Marcella Peck said. “So, I love that for the public, that don’t get to have that. That don’t get medical care or medical treatment.”
The festival features health booths, like one by the Black Heart Association. The CEO, Tara Robinson, said promoting heart health is a priority, especially for her.
“I’m a three-time heart attack survivor,” Robinson explained. “It caught me completely off guard. I was fully insured. I go to the doctor. All of those things, I was healthy.”
At the BHA booth, you sign up and get your finger pricked. Robinson said the little prick can tell a lot about your health status.
“It’s going to check for their cholesterol, A1C, kidney function,” said Robinson.
Health remained a big topic, with Vice President Kamala Harris doing a sit-down with the CEO of Essence.
“What we know is that black folks are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes,” Harris stated.
Vice President Harris touched on diabetes and the black maternal mortality rate.
“Black women in the United States of America are three to four times more likely to die in connection with childbirth,” Harris said. “We know that there are a variety of reasons for that, but we also know that this is a healthcare crisis of the highest order that has received very little attention proportionate to the seriousness of the matter.”
The Pecks said this year’s Essence Fest has a little something for everyone, from health to food to supporting small businesses to fun.
“It’s a time where everybody comes together. Everybody comes from around the world, around the United States to be a part of this,” Shaniya Peck concluded.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2024 WVUE. All rights reserved.