Tracee Ellis Ross Covers Coveteur's 'Endless Summer' Issue

Written by D'Shonda Brown for Coveteur

Between playing Bow Johnson, M.D. on Kenya Barris' Black-ish—which is coming to a close following its eighth season—and managing her real-life Pattern business, one can say that when it comes to finding balance, Ross does this well. She described to me her mental state as "hanging in there," especially as we prepare for a world of re-entry and post-pandemic adjustments.

Currently located in Los Angeles, Ross assures me that she's doing just fine and I can tell. The natural glow from her skin is just as radiant as the light peeking through her window onto her blue walls.

She calls this version of herself "hiatus Tracee," which is her favorite version—especially because she's not waking up at 4:30 in the morning to cram everything into one day. Throughout the craziness of the world, including a historic election cycle, a pandemic, and a resurgence of a social justice movement, she's managed to have a holistic approach to life which in turn served as a solid foundation for her mental health the past year.

Instead Ross shifted her meditation practice to a more movement-based ritual and allowed herself to be more explorative—mentally, physically, and emotionally.

She acknowledged that the pandemic granted the opportunity for illumination and realization of knowledge, and she extended her gratitude for the vaccine. "When I got vaccinated I felt a deep sense of relief and gratitude that science could step in to take the place of my rudimentary tools of being afraid of people and locking myself in my house," she disclosed. As someone who never took the flu shot or takes antibiotics and medications regularly, her body and fine-tuned physiology respond best to forms of care such as acupuncture. "I wish everyone would get vaccinated, but I know that it's a very personal choice. For me, it was the right one."

Black Creative Crew

Photos by Natalia Mantini for Coveteur

Styled by Marcus Allen

Make up by Tasha Reiko Brown

Read Entire cover article here at Coveteur Magazine.