“Reflecting over my life as a Black woman, I’m proud to say I’ve always loved my complexion. I was raised to believe that I was one of the original persons on this Earth and that the color of my skin was to be worn like a badge of honor. My nose is perfect and my hair grows toward the Sun. My lips are full enough for me to speak with power and my hips were designed to hold the children I bear. That’s how I was taught, that’s what I believe. To be Black — unique by design that cannot be duplicated, and to be woman, a cultivator of life, excited me and I was always amazed. Unfortunately, there were times I felt that I wasn’t dark enough or that my hips weren’t wide enough, as if that made me any less of a Black woman — like I wasn’t ‘Black enough’ for the world to see. But I began to understand that a Black woman’s genetic makeup is so diverse that even in our slight differences we are still the same. Understanding my uniqueness in being a Black woman allowed me to love [and] embrace my Black womanhood.”
