New York, U.S.A. - Every year over 400,000 people from around the world descend upon New Orleans for the only music festival that offers show-stopping performances from top entertainers, free inspiring and empowering conversations and messages from the world’s leading innovators, leaders, and thinkers, plus four days of family and cultural experiences: the Essence Music Festival. This year, in its 18th year anniversary, the 2012 Essence Musical Festival presents a newly expanded four day weekend celebrating the “Power of Our Voice” on July 5, 6, 7 and 8 with compelling programming featuring the biggest names in entertainment and the nation’s most influential speakers, artists, authors and educators.

The 2012 Essence Music Festival will once again offer a world class musical line up which includes the legendary Aretha Franklin , Mary J. Blige , Charlie Wilson , Trey Songz, Kevin Hart, Ledisi, Eve,Marsha Ambrosius and more. The line-up also includes the return of Grammy-Award winning singerD’Angelo to the Festival; the newly added Anthony Hamilton, who will thrill his fans from The Superdome’s main stage for the first time; R&B and soul music king and ESSENCE Music Festival stapleCharlie Wilson who will close out the main stage on Friday night; popular gospel duo Mary Mary who will perform on Saturday (changed from Friday); and Leah LaBelle who has been announced to perform at the SuperLounge.  The official host each night will be Nephew Tommy, comedian and co-host of the Steve Harvey Morning Show. As an added bonus, celebrated media personality Steve Harvey himself will take the stage on Sunday for a special tribute to the one and only Aretha Franklin.

Other highlights include:

• The Festival kicks off July 5th with a full day youth empowerment experience at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, culminating with the first ever youth empowerment concert on the New & Next stage that night at the Superdome.
• Actress Rocsi Diaz will host the first New & Next concert featuring a roster of today’s hottest young artists, including the newly added Katlyn Nichol and Coco Jones , hip-hop royalty Diggy Simmons , R&B pop group The OMG Girlz and New Orleans’ marching band The Roots of Music. Sponsored by Verizon Wireless and community partner Capital One, tickets for the New and Next Stage concert are available at essencemusicfestival.com.
• Doug E. Fresh kicks off the first free and daily ESSENCE Music Festival Block Party before each of the nightly concerts that will take place in Champions Square July 6-8 from 3-6pm. Hosted by newly added broadcast personalities Amanda Seales and Carla Ferrell , Festival attendees will be able to enjoy lively DJ sets from Beverly Bond , MC Lyte and DJ Spinderella with Captain Charles added to the lineup that includes Kourtney Heart, Dee 1, and F. Stokes.
• The 2012 Essence Musical Festival theme of the “Power of Our Voice” will be celebrated throughout the three day free and open to the public Essence Empowerment Experience, featuring Steve Harvey , Soledad O’Brien, Fredricka Whitfield , Dr. Steve Perry , Rev. Al Sharpton , Melissa Harris Perry , Rep. Maxine Waters , Roland Martin, Iyanla Vanzant,Terrence J, Lisa Raye McCoy , Tamar Braxton , Trina Braxton , Kobie Brown and an ”All-Star Gospel Salute to Mary Mary and Fred Hammond” with Yolanda Adams, Kim Burrell,Tramaine Hawkins, Pastor Marvin Winans, Byron Cage, Israel Houghton and more.

Now in its 18th year, the ultimate destination for entertainment and inspiration hosted over 422,000 attendees last year. What began in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Essence magazine has now grown into one of the country’s “Top 10 Leading Brand Events” by Advertising Age.  The Essence Music Festival is the nation’s largest annual gathering of African-American music and culture.  Throughout its history, the Festival has featured an array of performers including Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Al Green, Beyoncé, Chaka Khan, Destiny’s Child, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx, John Legend, The Isley Brothers, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, Maxwell, The O’Jays, Prince, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Toni Braxton, Patti LaBelle andYolanda Adams and more.

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Walt Disney World Resort recently announced the list of 100 high school students from across the U.S. who have been selected to attend the 2012 Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine.

Often described as the world’s most creative classroom, the four-day power-packed program hosted by Disney and renowned entertainer Steve Harvey will be held March 8-11, 2012 at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Disney’s Dreamers Academy inspires and fuels the dreams of selected students to help them dream bigger, discover a world of possibilities and get a jump start on making those dreams come true.

Now entering its fifth year, more than 500 high school students will have participated since Disney’s Dreamers Academy opened its doors in 2008.

A celebrity panel of judges led by comedian, author, philanthropist and Disney’s Dreamers Academy Ambassador Steve Harvey reviewed more than 4,700 applications and selected the 100 students for the Class of 2012 Disney’s Dreamers Academy. Judging criteria included exhibiting curiosity, compassion and leadership skills.

During the 2012 Disney’s Dreamers Academy, students will engage in multiple activities, including interacting with a range of industry professionals and experience immersive introductions to various career paths. Disney’s Dreamers Academy students participate in workshops on a variety of subjects, including entertainment, entrepreneurship, the medical field, culinary arts and creative inspiration from Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative gurus behind Disney’s theme parks and attractions.

“We are thrilled to announce this new class of 100 unique Dreamers who will graduate from the Academy with a whole new perspective on their future,” said Tracey Walters-Powell, executive champion of the program for Disney Parks & Resorts. “We received more applications this year than any other and we have selected an amazing class for this historic fifth year anniversary of the Dreamers Academy.”

“I’ve been with Dreamers Academy from day one and each year the program gets stronger as we add new interactive and experiential components for these students, so to hit the five-year mark is quite an accomplishment,” said Steve Harvey, who has served as Ambassador of Disney’s Dreamers Academy since the program started. “Investing and re-investing in these kids each year, you can really see the pay off as they leave the Academy and start to look at their future in a much different and much brighter light.”

Essence Communications President Michelle Ebanks said, “I am not going to divulge any secrets as to what’s being planned for this important fifth anniversary, but if you know anything about Walt Disney World, you know this life-changing event is going to be a truly amazing spectacular for these students and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Proving that Disney’s Dreamers Academy graduates emerge with a new perspective on life and their career paths, two recent graduates from the Class of 2011 Disney’s Dreamers Academy – Diamond Sims of Miami and Princeton Parker of Los Angeles – were invited to share their stories on the popular blog Huffington Post.

“Disney’s Dreamers Academy was a part of my life that I will never ever forget,” said Sims, who is now a freshman at University of Florida. “I met people who are from the same place as I am. I met people from all types of professions who were willing to provide advice, guidance and encouragement. In only a few days, they helped mold me into the young woman that I am today.”

Parker,17, who just started his first year of communications studies at the University of Southern California, said: “Disney’s Dreamers Academy changed my life not only by enlarging my dreams and understanding, but also by introducing me to more than 100 other young visionaries who possess the same drive, tenacity, vigor and capacity to dream.”

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/DisneysDreamersAcademy

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