Listen Live
97.9 The Beat Featured Video
CLOSE
Ford Essence Fest

Source: Nigel Degraff / Nigel Degraff

Last week I headed down to New Orleans for the 25th anniversary of Essence Festival, which changed its name to the Essence

Festival Of Culture and rightfully. I got to learn so much about the history of the city of New Orleans courtesy of Ford who has been sponsoring Essence for 11 consecutive years. This year they treated me to a wonderful New Orleans arts and culture experience punctuated with a little drive time in one of Ford’s F-150 Raptor that I highlighted on my Instagram page.

One of the things I love about Essence in New Orleans is that there is always so much good going on outside of the concerts. Ford’s whole thing was to Paint the Future Proud and they did that by donating $20 per test drive to the Tom Joyner Foundation and the New Orleans African American Museum in support of Historically Black Colleges, as well as donating to breast cancer through their Ford Warriors in Pink program which helps to provide transportation assistance to breast cancer patients to make sure they make it to their critical medical appointments. Goodness all around.

Ford Essence Fest

Source: Nigel Degraff / Nigel Degraff

I think a lot of time you hear about the concerts and think Bobby Brown did what? Did Beyonce show up, how was Pharrell? If you hear anything else it’s about how much Gumbo, Po’ Boys and Grits everyone enjoyed and how they washed the food down with beignets, but not enough about the charity work that goes into Essence. This year was no different and I was happy to be apart of it. Next year if you plan to take a girl’s trip down to Essence check out the Ford booth, your showing up could go to a good cause.

Ford Essence Fest

Source: Nigel Degraff / Nigel Degraff

I Was Riding Around And Giving Back With Ford During Essence Fest  was originally published on globalgrind.com