by Jeff Thomas
- Congressman Cedric Richmond’s Party. This invitation only event is the biggest party of Essence and one of the biggest parties of the year. A who’s who of young, hip, and in the know New Orleanians block the streets with heavy traffic and a line that snakes around the corner. Once inside the crowd is electric with beautiful people talking and networking and partying til the early morning hours.
- Diana Ross graces the stage for the first time. Legendary, a billionaire, and still sultry at 73, the former lead singer for the Supremes offers a once in a lifetime opportunity for most New Orleanians to catch her act.
- The Essence Day of Service. Volunteers will visit Guste Senior Living Homes to spruce up residences and spend
time with our youth. - Essence Bookstore offers a wide range of books by African American authors that are hard to find otherwise.
- Shops at Essence offers a huge variety of art, clothes and artifacts that even bargain shoppers can enjoy.
- From Beyonce’s mom to Maxine Waters, the list of speakers and topics will uplift, inspire, cajole and motivate all of us.
- Solange, Beyonce’s baby sister who lives in the city part time, has a phenomenal new record that is uplifting, beautiful and rhythmic.
- Any superlounge act. The intimacy of the lounges provides close crowd and artist interactions. Contrast these to the huge superdome stages with 40,000 spectators
- The New Orleans hip hop performances of Master P, Silk, Mystikal, and Mia X.
- Chance the Rapper is probably the most conscious rapper of these times.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of Executive Appraisers Louisiana, an MBE-certified real estate appraisal firm, and EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu