Earlier this week, Ayva told me she wished she had “gold hair like Ashley’s”. Now, being the Soul Sister Mama that I am, I let her know that her hair is beautiful, just like her friend’s, with the added benefit of being able to be braided, twisted, curled, straightened, or left alone to be gorgeous all on its own. Raising a little Black girl, I knew these types of things would come up. Heck, raising a little girl of any color, I’m sure these things come up. Insecurities, wanting to be like everyone else,the desire to fit it, these are the things that we deal with when we are the caregivers for little women.
That’s why the timing of this Black Girls Are Magic tee-shirt is absolutely perfect. My friend Cashawn started this campaign after finally finding the word to describe what she had been witnessing her entire life. Magic. The magic of being a Black Girl. The magic of being a Black Woman. The feelings, the energy, the thing that takes our breath away.
So, back to the gold hair thing. I told Ayva that we just needed to rub a little coconut oil on her hair and it would shine, too. I did that, brushed and braided her hair, added some barrettes, a ribbon, and when Ayva walked into school the next day…Black Girl Magic. 🙂 And then today, the shirt arrived as if to bring my point home. Perfect timing…or magic?
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