--- title: Essence Music Festival: Congresswoman Maxine Waters Talks Voting description: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Saturday urged African Americans to get out to the polls in November for the sake of President Obama’s legacy canonical: https://time.com/2958729/maxine-waters-essence-vote/ author: Maya Rhodan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-07-05T19:04:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T08:59:14.304Z article:section: Politics og:title: Essence Music Festival: Congresswoman Maxine Waters Talks Voting og:description: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Saturday urged African Americans to get out to the polls in November for the sake of President Obama’s legacy og:url: https://time.com/2958729/maxine-waters-essence-vote/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte3fab7e45ea71069/69869aa1e53aba0d6c4d375b/maxine-waters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Maxine Waters og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Essence Music Festival: Congresswoman Maxine Waters Talks Voting twitter:description: Congresswoman Maxine Waters on Saturday urged African Americans to get out to the polls in November for the sake of President Obama’s legacy twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte3fab7e45ea71069/69869aa1e53aba0d6c4d375b/maxine-waters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Congresswoman Waters Urges Blacks to Vote in This Year's Midterms > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=de3ff9be-3626-4b2f-b42d-576de0dbed82&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=de3ff9be-3626-4b2f-b42d-576de0dbed82&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=de3ff9be-3626-4b2f-b42d-576de0dbed82&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=de3ff9be-3626-4b2f-b42d-576de0dbed82&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 5, 2014 7:04 PM UTC  U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) marches in the 29th annual Kingdom Day Parade on January 20, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) marches in the 29th annual Kingdom Day Parade on January 20, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. David McNew—Getty Images by [Maya Rhodan](https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/) ## Maya Rhodan Jul 5, 2014 7:04 PM UTC Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters urged African Americans on Saturday to get out to the polls in November for the sake of President Barack Obama’s legacy. The representative from California also stressed the historic significance of voting in the African American community during a year when the nation is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. “Midterm elections are just as important as presidential elections,” Waters said during a speech at the [Essence Music Festival](http://www.essence.com/festival#&panel1-3). “Think about your ancestors; think about their sacrifice. Think about all of those who gave their lives. Get to the polls.” African American voters turned out at the polls in record numbers in 2008 and 2012\. In 2012, 66.2% of eligible black Americans voted, outnumbering white voters for the first time in history. And black women, who are the target audience of the Essence festival, were primarily responsible for that surge. Essence is owned by TIME parent company Time Inc. But 2014 is a midterm year, during which non-white voters often turn out in lower rates. And without a big name like Barack Obama up for election, many Democrats worry black turnout will revert back to their typically low levels this November, hurting their chances at the polls. Waters also said the African American community’s legislative goals are at risk of dying in Congress if Republicans gain control of the Senate on top of the House of Representatives. Fighting for issues like the Voting Rights Act, raising the minimum wage, and improving health care, Waters said, should drive African American voters to the polls. “We’ve got a lot at stake,” Waters said. “You have got to realize you don’t just vote in a presidential election. We cannot get a bill through. We cannot get anything done as long as \[Republicans\] are in the majority.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/2958729/maxine-waters-essence-vote/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/2958729/maxine-waters-essence-vote/"},"headline":"Congresswoman Waters Urges Blacks to Vote in This Year's Midterms","datePublished":"2014-07-05T19:04:32.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T08:59:14.304Z","description":"Speaking at the 20th anniversary Essence Music Festival in New Orleans","url":"https://time.com/2958729/maxine-waters-essence-vote/","keywords":["Election 2014","Congress","Voting"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte3fab7e45ea71069/69869aa1e53aba0d6c4d375b/maxine-waters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Maya Rhodan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/maya-rhodan/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte3fab7e45ea71069/69869aa1e53aba0d6c4d375b/maxine-waters.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Maxine Waters","caption":"Maxine Waters","creditText":"David McNew—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/election-2014/","name":"Election 2014"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/2958729/maxine-waters-essence-vote/","name":"Congresswoman Waters Urges Blacks to Vote in This Year's Midterms"}}]}] ```