so, I’ve been up for an hour and I am a firm believer in knowing that everything occurs for a particular reason. Now, at first I didn’t realize why I was up, but then I began to pitch ideas of a project for a shoot and thought that was the reason, but quite frankly I was wrong. I am not truly sure how to start this which is okay. . . . i remember growing up people always questioned who I was, not only where I belonged in society but more so speaking in terms of my nationality, my background, my ethnicity. I am a woman, born & raised in the streets of New York. I am a woman whose parents hail from Jamaica and Guyana. Most, usually don’t guess what I am which has grown on me over the years. For some reason, people singled me out as a young girl, wanting to tell me what I was and all of their so called “reasons” as to why I wasn’t black or why they felt I wasn’t black enough, whatever that means. And I have to be real and say that for many years I felt the same, I felt as though I didn’t want to be put into a box, when it came to who I was and everything in between. Although, I still do very much feel that way, this outlook of mine has changed on many perspectives.
Over the course, of a few years maybe more than so, God has been challenging me. He has been allowing me to see the very pieces of myself that I didn’t necessarily recognize or want to realize about who I was / who I am. Maybe, some of you might understand fully on how I feel. As these months, have been approaching I have been growing in more ways than I would of ever imagined. Not solely speaking on the physical aspects of things either, but mostly pertaining to what is within. The Lord has been placing words that have been encouraging the heck out of my beautiful brothers and sisters of color, and I have to say that I’ve been loving every second, minute, hour, day, month, of it all. Most know me to be quite soulful, if you will and being given this opportunity to speak on what means the most to me, is something that still leaves my heart speechless to this day.. I don’t share these words, or anything that the Lord has for me to for any apparent reason or cause at all. I believe everything I do whether good or not so good (let’s be honest here, cause I am still human despite what I allow you to see) is for a purpose. Writing has always been a significant part, nope let me scratch that out, and say that over again. Excuse Me, ART has always been a significant part of who I am. I was never one who had an interest in playing sports or anything of that nature, I was and still am more so interested in being an artist, one who expresses herself genuinely, one who has grown immensely, one who creates for a reason that is beyond herself, one who truly tries to live to inspire.
I am proud to be black. I am proud to be the woman that I am. I accept the mistakes, decisions, and actions that I have made. I am just like you, therefore you are just like me.
I decided to share a beginning of a very meaningful piece called “BEING BLACK” , this wasn’t created to bash nor put down any other race or ethnicity but to uplift the souls and very skin of people who have been mistreated, disrespected, and taught to be ashamed of who they were, this is for you.
BEING BLACK
“being BLACK is who we are and we cannot stop being who we are to appease you. we as a people carry the stories of an enriched history within the pores of our skin.”
– herbeautyspeaks
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as always,
much love & peace,
– herbeautyspeaks
HERBEAUTYSPEAKS 