Health and Wellness
These sisters started a vegan hair care company inspired by ingredients from their mother’s kitchen – now they have a big offer at Walmart

Ellen and Ione Rucker, the dynamic sisters behind Rucker Roots, are enthusiastic about their recent enterprise with Walmart!
The Rucker family has all the time understood the ability of patience.
The brood of eight was led by a green-thumbed patriarch with a passion for farming and gardening, and a mother who could conjure magic from fresh ingredients. Their father often said that timing, consistency and care are what plants have to thrive. Likewise, their mother, a wizard within the kitchen, spent long days simmering the produce that her husband brought home to make the concoctions she prepared for her family. Everything from home remedies, tasty meals to hair care potions: olive oil to moisturize, avocado to nourish, carrots and turnips for hair growth.
Years later, the youngest Rucker siblings, Ione and Ellen Rucker, took these at-home childhood experiences into the laboratory and launched their hair care line in 2011, a vegan line of products whose ingredient history draws inspiration straight from their parents’ hands.
“We use things that come directly from our life experiences,” Ellen tells ESSENCE. “And it’s that legacy that we want people to feel every time they use one of our products.”
This was the peak of the natural hair movement, when black women were still searching for products specifically tailored to different textures. At the time, Rucker Roots created a revolutionary styling system designed for warmth-treated hair, which was unusual since most natural hair brands offered wash and go styling.
More than a decade after its founding, Rucker Roots is prospering, each in e-commerce and on the shelves of huge retail stores – the sisters just announced a major distribution take care of Walmart – however the path to success has not been streamlined. In fact, it was filled with heartache and large challenges.
“We had to take our focus away from the business a few times because life threw us some serious curveballs,” Ione tells ESSENCE.
One of the largest was the premature death of their beloved brother in 2016. An expected blow that shook the family and adjusted Ione and Ellen’s priorities.
“It was a huge setback for our business because he got sick when he was only 44, so we were on ice for a while,” Ione says. “It was a tragedy because we got here all of the option to San Francisco, California. He was home in South Carolina.
She said they spent a complete yr mourning after which were plunged into mourning when their father suddenly died just a few years later in 2019.
The story of their return was like a hero’s tale.
Ellen, who also faced personal challenges, also grappled with the truth of a child scuffling with serious health issues and ultimately divorce.
“It’s really kind of a comeback story,” says Ellen.
And what a comeback it’s. Earlier this yr, the sisters announced a landmark distribution agreement with Walmart, which supplies their products to 785 stores, including international locations.
“We’re already in Dubai,” Ellen enthuses, adding that the timing of the deal was perfect.
“Walmart came to us in 2019, but we just weren’t ready,” she said truthfully. “Now it’s just from here. This is our time.”
Health and Wellness
Today, the Black Week of Mother’s Health begins. Did the needle move to the black health crisis of the mother?

People throughout the country are preparing to have fun “joint action” around improving health results for black moms.
. 2025 Black Mother’s Health Week (BMHW25), which lasts until Thursday, April 17, begins today with the topic “Healing heritage: Strengthening the mother’s black health through collective action and spokesman.”
The topic “emphasizes the strength of the organization of perinatal health, led by black, maternal and reproductive to propeling system changes and supporting the healing of community”, in accordance with the official website of the organizers. This 12 months’s topic can also be occupied by space for constant systemic pressure, “reproductive injustice and health inequalities”, which disproportionately affect black moms and the birth of people.
“It emphasizes the need to heal both at both individual and social levels, while dealing with the need to regenerate the approach to mother’s health care,” we read in a press release.
The week, which falls yearly during the National Health of the Minority, is a campaign founded by the Black Mat Matter Alliance to increase awareness and improve the Black Mother’s health crisis.
BMHW25 arrives when black moms still have a disproportionately affected mother’s nationwide health crisis and experience the mortality rates of higher moms than some other demographic group. According to 2023, according to Disease control and prevention centersMother’s mortality rate for non-Latin black women was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, almost 3.5 times greater than white non-Latin women.
Headers appeared when it became clear that the crisis of moms’ mortality increased in the early days of the pandemic closure, and recent study He stated that specifically in the years 2018–2022, moms’ mortality rate increased. Unfortunately, when the number has began to immerse lately for some demographic data, black women are the most in danger.
On the other hand, because 80% of maternal deaths may be prevented, black women are consistently on the lookout for another look after life, similar to Dulas and Midwives, and pressed culturally competent care.
Kisha Davis, member of the board of American Academy of Family Physicians and Health Director in Montgomery, MD, talking to Status Recently, she said, she saw progress in reducing racial differences in hospitals a minimum of in her unit.
“I saw some really great data from our hospitals and I was really encouraged to some interventions they make, and some of them even start to reverse this difference,” she said, adding how the initiatives were to train clinicians about the secret racial prejudice, in addition to training doctors outside the specialization of Ob-Jyn so as to higher support Mothers.
Organizations similar to The Birthfund-where were launched by the fashion editor Elaine Welteroth and tennis champion Serena Williams and help finance the life-saving care, similar to Dulas and midwives for folks. Meanwhile, Liberty University In Virginia, she recently became the first HBCU to offer the Doula certification program.
“When we launch this pioneering Doula certification program, we take a bold step towards transforming the healthcare of the Black Mother and Babies in Virginia,” said Felicia Cosby, dean Virginia Union Technical College. “This program is more than training – it’s about saving life, reducing differences and strengthening the position of the community.”
All this to improve the health of the Black Mother will proceed to take many various people pursuing the same goal from many various points of view.

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Health and Wellness
More than music: fans say the farewell festival of J. Cole Dreamville – Essence

(Photo of Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images)
When the Dreamville festival began awarded by Grammy Emcee, it was more than a musical fete. The event was a project and a love letter to North Carolina, where the rapper grew up.
The two -day, multi -stage event was an enormous draw for music fans around the world. Last yr, 104,000 people attendedrepresenting all 50 states and lots of countries.
For five years, pilgrim fans to Raleigh in North Carolina, transforming this capital in the south right into a huge celebration of creativity, community and hip-hop. In December 2024 Cole announced that the 2025 festival could be his last.

In the depths of 2025, amongst the mega Superstars Lil Wayne, The Hot Boys and Big Tymers, 21 Savage, Erykah Badu, Glorilla and Wale, along with colleagues from the Dreamville Ari Lennox, Earthgang and others labels.
When the sun was lasting at the Dreamville festival for the last time, we asked Dreamers, from OGS to the first timers to take into consideration what this concert meant for them. This compilation of votes is a thanks, farewell and ODA with the artist who began all this, J. Cole.
“It seems to be a family meeting,” says Shannon Burnett, from North Carolina and a 4-time Dreamville participant. “This is a gathering. It’s like a family here. So it seems that you are in a large family meeting. It allows me to be social, meet new people, hear new artists, and just connect me more.”
Burnett said that there have been several unforgettable moments, noting that USher provided one of the best performances at night and that the high-energy T-Pain set was fully committed.
Similarly, Jonathan Zona, a longtime fan, noticed that “being here has a lot of meaning to me. I am a big fan. I was a fan of J. Cole, since I was JIT. You look at people who look like you who have passed, so being here is a dream.”
“Every song he created had an influence on me.” 2face and “Side Stock – it’s my hymns. For me it is a goat. It will always be in my heart,” the wife continued.
Fayetteville, NC, Anastasia Mevane, attended the Dreamville Festival five times and shared that the festival presented the very needed headlights in North Carolina. “North Karolina is not necessarily known for the great, popular music scene, but Dreamville presented light in North Carolina, which I really love. So that’s why I come and support every year.” Mevane expressed gratitude for what the rapper has done for his family state up to now. “Thank you for giving North Carolina, because you didn’t really have to. But we appreciate what you do especially for two six. In this way you represent Fayetteville!”

Another fan considered the festival as a “safe space” to build up with the community. It is nice for culture, “says Da’mek Johnson.” I’m a bit sad that that is the last one because I got here last yr. This is barely my second. “
Michelle Sawyer, a longtime resident of Raleigh, participated in every Dreamville festival. Her thoughts? “We have something really big here that matters.”
Sawyer wondered how Dreamville Festival modified Raleigh’s perception as the destination of music, noticing that while festivals akin to Coachella and Broccoli Fest often come to mind, Dreamville placed Raleigh on the map. “Nobody thought about Raleigh to Dreamville. So many people recommend from different states, and all hotels in the center of Raleigh are sold out; that’s yes, yes, we can have something really big that counts.”
Sahr Sebba, Dreamville Newbiewieho, traveled with Seattle, Washington State, said: “I went to high school in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and a kid from my youth group put him. Since then I have been a fan.”
For Raleigh, Amanda Wesson, he says it’s a very good look of the city. “Raleigh is a bit of Bougie. So it was nice to have such an opportunity for Raleigh, and the hip-hop community was represented and could have attracted crowds from around the world at all. It brought a lot of money to the city. It was nice to have something like that in our yard. And Raleigh’s good appearance at all.”
However, the rapper has a gracious community on the entire board for bringing such a festival to North Carolina. Many say that the state wouldn’t have thought if it wasn’t for Dreamville. “My heart breaks that this is the last round,” says Jaconna Brooker, a festival participant. “Thank you for bringing this unbelievable culture and climate to your family state. For being faithful to yourself, your craftsmanship, and most importantly, for giving new artists a chance.”
However, history may not end. While 2025 is the last Dreamville festival, event organizers and manager Raleigh City announced plans to get well and alter the event in the future. What a brand new iteration will appear to be, remains to be unknown. But for hundreds of fans who’ve filled Dorothea Dix Park for the previous couple of years, hope is that the essence of Dreamville is alive.
Health and Wellness
Kenan Thompson sends a message to the Gerd community

Kenan Thompson for the first time opens on his “personal journey” from GERD to help distinguish the state affecting over 65 million Americans.
The longest -working solid member appeared in history Black companyS, where he opened his experience with gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD), because a part of Gerd is just not a joke campaign. The initiative goals to increase awareness about GERD and encourage people experiencing frequent heartburn to talk to their healthcare providers.
Thompson knows the first -hand fight when his GERD symptoms began to influence his vocals during rehearsals and sleep pattern, ultimately pushing him to seek for treatment. His journey to higher health led him to Voquezna-butt approved by the FDA specially designed to manage each kinds of Gerd.
“It’s a personal journey. I have Gerda and I could like a medicine that finally worked for me,” said Thompson. “I have been a bit like suffering for years.”
“I understand how it could be for others. So I just wanted to speak to see a doctor,” he added. “Don’t keep these things for yourself. You don’t have to suffer like that.”
After finding a relief in heartburn with Voquezna for his non -emergency GERD, Thompson joined forces with Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PHAT) -Firma Biofarmaceutical coping with the progress of the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases (GI)-for the end of the GERD campaign is just not a joke. Now, when he found an efficient solution, Nickelodeon Alun calls on other people living with Gerd to stop ignoring their symptoms or depend on ineffective treatment treatment, and as an alternative seek the advice of a healthcare provider to examine simpler treatment options.
“When I actually talked to a professional and managed to get the right medicine, I was able to achieve healing I needed,” said Thompson.
Thompson dives deeper on his personal journey with Gerd Gerdisnojoke.comWhere guests can download a guide written from his unique perspective. The resource includes helpful suggestions and starting talks to enable others to talk to a doctor about managing this condition.
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