But when the lights come down and the stages are packed away for next year, Union is determined to bring that Essence Fest feeling everywhere she goes — including in her own home. This summer, Union is dedicated to having discussions with her three boys (stepsons Zaire and Zion, and Wade's nephew, Dahveon, who lives with them) about colorism . In a recent conversation with them, she asked the teens about the hottest girls at their high school, and requested to see their Instagram pages. "Literally, probably about 10 girls I looked at had the same light skin, curly hair, tiny waist, butt, boobs — it was the same girl over and over again," she says. "So I asked them to show me the most beautiful chocolate sister they've seen. They say there are none. I was like, 'Why do they get exed out so fast? What is happening in your brain that is causing you to look at these women through a prism that is distorting their actual selves?'"