Victoria Uwumarogie

Victoria Uwumarogie is a Nigerian-American editor and writer from the Midwest who resides in Brooklyn, New York. She holds the position of senior lifestyle editor for ESSENCE magazine and ESSENCE.com, curating content that ranges from wellness and parenting, to travel and love. Her most important role is being a proud #boymom to two little ones.

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Could A Trip In The Newest SUV From Rivian Finally Make Me An EV Girl?

What would make you buy an electric vehicle? That’s the question I asked myself as I prepared for a mini press trip to upstate New York to test out a Rivian car for the first time. I’ve driven a few impressive electric vehicles since delving into automotive writing a decade ago, but the car I own operates on fuel. All of the Black women in my life still buy gas. And while we all want to have a positive impact on the environment more than ever, no one I know personally has taken the leap....
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Everybody Loves Usher Raymond | Essence

This story is featured in the May/June 2024 issue of ESSENCE. Usher Raymond is at peace. A true showman who goes above and beyond on the stage, the crooner could be expected to be a ball of kinetic energy offstage too. But as we begin our conversation, he’s very calm. His tone is warm and mellow. Not tired, as well-known figures often are when interviewed after a long stretch in a studio or on a set—but not overly energetic, either. He’s present, confident and engaged. This is because, befo...
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Get Yourself A Car That Can Do Both: The New Range Rover Sport SV Is Fast And Incredibly Functional

Living in New York, if you take a look around, whether in the city or upstate, there are no shortages of Land Rover vehicles on the road, specifically Range Rovers. Brand-spanking new ones, classic models including ones going back as far as the third generation model from the early aughts, the fellas and the #RangeRoverMoms can’t get enough of this esteemed vehicle. That’s probably why the newest Range Rover model is already going like hot cakes as devoted customers scramble for it. I should add...
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We Drove It First: Here's Everything To Know About The EX30, Volvo's Smallest Ever Electric Car

If you’re someone who has been intrigued by the increasing popularity and production of electric vehicles and the ever-evolving style of them, but don’t really know if they’re for you, Volvo‘s newest car, its smallest and most affordable SUV yet, is about to have you trading in your gas card for a plug. The EX30 is a fully electric car with a good price (starting at $34,950), but it is a premium car nonetheless. That means it has all the qualities that have made Volvo, the Swedish brand, a t...
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Hold On To Your Edges: A Nascar Driver Taught Me How To Operate A Stick Shift In The 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse

There are certain practices that as time has passed and technological advancements occur at warp speed, people don’t embrace as much as they used to. Something that has become less and less common, for example, is people learning to drive stick shift. With the increase in the preference for automatic transmission over manual options, it’s rare to find people who own and know how to drive these cars, despite the benefits of having one (including that they’re cheaper vehicles). So when the opp...
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I Traveled To The South Of France To Test Jaguar's Last F-TYPE Sports Car And It Was Peak Luxury

The last time I took a trip was in the summer of 2022. At that time, I was waddling. I was heavily pregnant on a family vacation with my second child, struggling to walk around comfortably and nodding off when I had the chance to sit down for more than a few minutes. It was not the carefree experience that getaways should be. A few months later I was in full baby mode, very rarely leaving my house, stuck in a cycle of being awake all night and exhausted all day. My sense of wanderlust was buried...
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