The Women Of ‘Sinners’ Blaze Essence’s BWIH Issue In All Black

ESSENCE’s highly anticipated Black Women In Hollywood issue has arrived, starring the women of Sinners, and the ladies are strikingly beautiful in black. The annual cover coincides with the legacy brand’s illustrious Black Women In Hollywood luncheon. This year’s theme, “Off Script,” speaks to the Black women blazing unconventional paths in Hollywood. The cover features Zinzi Coogler, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Ruth Carter, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Shunika Terry-Jennings, and Hannah Beachler.

In the cover story, penned by Brande Victorian, the dynamic group opens up about the cultural significance of ‘Sinners’ and the profound thought that went into production.

For Zinzi Coogler, Sinners was “deeply personal.”

“We knew everyone was pouring so much of themselves into every detail and craft. We needed the environment to enable the cast and crew to feel creative and free, but also safe spiritually and physically.

Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter says it’s her responsibility to “honor the essence of the character as written.”

She elaborated,

“Annie was never defined by her size. On the page, she was not described as “plus-size.” She was a hoodoo priest, a spiritual protector, Smoke’s lover, his wife—a woman who carries a profound aura. That is how I approached her. Annie’s power is spiritual. It’s ancestral. It’s rooted in knowing. So her wardrobe had to reflect that authority and that grace. Her garments are layered—cottons, textures, sacred pouches—each element chosen to suggest history, ritual and protection.”

Wunmi Mosaku’s character came to life with Carter’s vision.

“The way Ms. Ruth works is such a layered process that I liken to the Michelangelo quote: “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there; I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” I felt like we started with so many ideas and layers and chiseled away down to her core, and in that process of chiseling, I found her. She became clearer and clearer the more we took away. Annie’s hair felt really organic using a reference picture of the era. One woman really stood out to us, and she became the basis of where we began with Annie.”

Jennings, who was the mastermind behind the Academy Award-nominated hair and makeup team, revealed Michael B. Jordan got a texturizer to soften his hair. Miles Caton combed out his locs for a haircut, and Delroy Lindo wore a wig.

“Those were some of the most significant transformations that altered natural patterns and silhouettes, and each one required intention and care to protect the integrity of their hair. Everyone valued and respected our approach. The transformations were never about forcing a look. They were about serving character while keeping hair healthy and honoring texture. I was deeply honored by the faith they placed in me and my hair team.”

Lawson, who came to set a blonde, said she felt deep trust for Jennings’ leadership in the beauty department.

“I just knew I was in good hands from the moment we met. I was blonde at the time and was not trying to color my hair! Shunika was so collaborative. She came with so many references, but really gave me a say in helping to create Pearline’s look. I didn’t have to worry about showing up and getting my edges snatched from me, any heat damage—none of that. She made it easy. So, all I had to focus on, which is all we should ever have to focus on, was my job. In this industry, that is still a rare gift.”

Hannah Beachler who is nominated for Best Production Design, revealed her favorite set from the movie was the church and Annie’s store.

“I love Annie’s store, but I love the church as well.  I think Annie’s store, for me, was really this mystical place that delved into the spiritual, but she was also a cook and someone the community would go to for healing and nurturing.  So, it was a lot of fun to dig into what that could be and how to create her world. The church was special because I wanted it to both look and feel grand while remaining simple and small, and that was a fun challenge to create that juxtaposition.”

The women of Sinners will be honored with the Luminary spotlight award at the 2026 Black Women In Hollywood ceremony.

Read the full cover story here.

Hit the flip for more.

As for Kerry Washington, she’s covering ESSENCE’s Black Women In Hollywod issue as “The Iccon” and celebrating her second act.

As the 2026 recipient of the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Lifetime Achievement Award, Kerry said she’s entering what she calls a “more reflective chapter” and the actress, producer, and activist opened up about a pivotal moment following the release of her 2023 memoir Thicker Than Water. In it, she revealed that the man who raised her was not her biological father. “

My dad was like, ‘This will kill me’—not even [me] writing the book, but [me] taking a DNA test, he felt, was going to kill him,” Kerry told ESSENCE, reflecting on the difficult but transformative process that followed.

The revelation, she explained, forced her to examine the narrative she had long believed about her life and identity.

Now, Washington says that reckoning has informed the way she approaches both life and work.

“When I say the era that I’m in is more about introspection and having more courage, about being curious about my internal being, it comes out of that experience,” she said.

For Chase Inifiniti, she’s “The Starlet” of ESSENCE‘s Black Women In Hollywood Issue.

The rising star is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most exciting new faces after a breakout year fueled by her lead role in the Paul Thomas Anderson–directed film One Battle After Another. The 25-year-old actress has seen her career accelerate at lightning speed, landing award nominations from the Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and NAACP Image Awards while balancing an increasingly packed schedule that includes filming Hulu’s upcoming The Testaments and other projects.

“I’m still trying to process everything that’s happened in the past three years and then process what’s even happening now,” she told ESSENCE.

The 25-year-old Indianapolis native, who studied at Columbia College Chicago, credits the pandemic for helping her recalibrate her relationship with performance and rediscover her passion for the craft.

“I think being able to play with that versatility and that variety with [roles] is something that I want to put out into the world because I don’t want to put myself in a box,” said Chase. “Nobody should put themselves in a box.”

Rounding out ESSENCE’s Black Women in Hollywood issue is Latanya Richardson Jackson.

The wife of Samuel L. Jackson is “The Virtuoso” for the publication, and she’s being celebrated as a seasoned actress whose decades-long career has been defined by authenticity, fearless storytelling, and a commitment to uplifting Black narratives. The Atlanta native, who began performing as a teenager at Spelman College, says her upbringing and spiritual experiences shaped the confidence that has carried her through the industry.

“There were all these little instances that would occur that attached me to something that was either metaphysical or something that was more spiritual or something that was extraordinarily out of the ordinary,” she said, recalling formative moments from her childhood that affirmed her sense of purpose.

Over the years, Richardson Jackson has built an extensive career across stage and screen, appearing in films like The Fighting Temptations while directing and starring in acclaimed Broadway productions by playwrights including August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry.

Now, as she continues directing and mentoring younger artists alongside her hubby, Richardson Jackson says she’s focused on community and cultural preservation.

“Philanthropy is a big word now, but you know, Black people have always been philanthropists. We’ve always had to take care of each other.”

What do YOU think about ESSENCE’s Black Women In Hollywood issue?