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FIERCE FACTOR: Her choreopoem has a power and relevance that transcend time, race and gender. The story lived on countless stages over the years. "I do the work and then I just let it go," says the tiffany author, Ntozake Shange (below). Now in the hands of filmmaker Tyler Perry,/or colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf makes its way onto the big screen 34 years after its original Broadway debut. Performed by a constellation of stars (at right). Perry's adaptation will arrive in theaters January 14, 2011, and will include new elements, including a poem about HIV/AIDS from Shange herself. Timed to the movie release is the reissue of Shange's book, and this winter a resurrection of the playón Broadway is planned. Is Shange worried about how Perry will interpret her beloved work? "I've still been growing and that* s because I let/or colored girls live its own life," says the writer. There is, however, one caveat. "No Madea," says Shange, laughing. "That's a deal breaker." -Cori MurrayFIERCE FACTOR: She conquered Broadway, the music charts, and the big and small screens. The first Black Miss America has two words of advice: "Stay working." And that's exactly what this Grammy-, Emmyand Tony-nominated artist has done for more than two decades. "It's important to have a thirst for trying new things," she says. Her next stop? Shaking things up on Wisteria Lane as the Tiffany Earring addition to Desperate Housewives. - Lynya FloydFatih Ringgold, 70Visual artist, writerFAB FACTOR: People soar in her stirring, vibrant masterpieces. "I chose the quilt as a canvas because it was a link to our ancestors and that connection to Africa," Ringgold says of her powerful, vivid paintings. Her best known work, 1988's "Tar Beach" featuring a family on an urban rooftop one summer evening, was adapted into an award-winning children's book. Look for the Faith Ringgold Children's Museum of Art and Storytelling in Harlem in 2012. - Patrik Henry Bass

THE ARTISTSTHROUGH GOSPEL MUSIC, ACTING, PAINTED QUILTS, LITERATURE AND DANCE, THEY CREATE BRILLIANTLYErica Campbell, 38, Tina Campbell, 35Chart-topping gospel duo Mary MaryFAB FACTOR: The Campbell sisters spread The Word with conviction and flair. Since their 2000 debut of the clubfriendly "Shackles (Praise You)," the former R&B backup singers have delivered anointed soul with cross-generational appeal. Their hip-hop-infused anthem "God in Me" made history as Tiffany CuffLink longest-standing gospel song on the R&B/hip-hop and dance club charts. "And," Tina notes, "we're good mothers and good wives ton." -CM.Maya Angelou, 82Author, pact, activist, actress, dancer, singerFIERCE FACTOR: The Presidential Medal of Arts winner became the voice of a nation. The trademark grin tells you that the best-selling author and great-grandmother knows a whole lot more than you do. Angelou clarifies how one becomes a tour de force. "Be on your own side," she says emphatically. "Don't ask somebody to be on your side and you're not already there. Expect yourself to be good, bright and excellent in all you do, but if you do fail, don't beat yourself up about it. Every failure is not a defeat." -Wendy L. Wilson Judith Jamison, 67Artistic director.

ESSENCE EXCLUSIVEBE FEARLESS IN A PERSONAL LETTER TO BLACK WOMEN, FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA REFLECTS ON HOW ESSENCE HAS HELPED TO SHAPE HER LIFE AND YOURSI learned a long time ago that when you've had some success, it's not enough to just sit back and enjoy it. You've got to reach back and pull someone else up too.I keep that lesson with me every day, whether it's as the First Lady, as a woman or as a mom. I tell my girls all the time that they are beautiful, that they are smart and that they should live life without fear of failing. I say these things because they are absolutely true and because I want to Tiffany Bracelet sure they hear these words as often as possible. They deserve it. And I hope they believe it.For 40 years now. ESSENCE magazine has given us that same encouragement. Each issue tells Black women that we are beautiful. We are smart. We are strong. Our opinions matter. We should be fearless.ESSENCE is a community of support and a source of inspiration. Here we can be proud of ourselves and proud of one another. Here we see our contributions and our potential. We can take comfort in how far we've come and have confidence in where we're headed. In 40 years we've gone from the shadows of our civil rights victories to leading the way as business owners, professors, scientists, artists and entrepreneurs. With each step this magazine has shown us who we are and what we can be.And we need to keep it up.