For this challenge, i wanted to talk about Martin Luther King Jr., and what his life meant to me. To me, he represented so much more than a dream for equality and a call for brotherhood. He represented freedom and taught us that there were no limitations under God. He tried to teach us that it didn’t matter the color of our skin or our background, we are one in the same. He stood up for what he believed in and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind or encourage people of all nationalities to embrace each other.

On the outside, we might come in many shades, but on the inside we all have the same things and we all bleed one color.

It makes me feel like i can do anything! I feel confident! I feel regal! i feel like that African Queen… The cultural part of it is in HOW the head wrap was worn.  I rock my head wraps proudly because it reminds me of where i came from and how far we’ve come!

My family celebrates the life of this great man every day. We talk about what this special day means for the world and to us. We talk about the changes that have come about just by this man’s existence, like the fact that children can now share the same classroom and drink from the same water fountain. My children are biracial and i talk to them about loving themselves, not just on this day, but each day. I want them to grow up knowing that they were lovingly created by the Father and he doesn’t make any mistakes!!

I tell them that they are a beautiful representation of the melting pot Dr. King wanted us all to be. I teach them to accept and love others the way Martin Luther King Jr. did. The world isn’t always a pretty place. It has imperfections and flaws, but i try to teach them to look beyond the surface and see something much deeper. On the outside, we might come in many shades, but on the inside we all have the same things and we all bleed one color. We aren’t so different at all. Isn’t it the many colors of the rainbow that make it beautiful and breathtaking to look at? If we were all the same, my what a boring place this world would be!

When I think of Martin Luther King Jr., It makes me PROUD to be a black woman!! I hold my head up high and rock the hair God gave me! As i look back on the times he lived, I feel stronger and i want that to show in the way I live, walk and wear my crown. He paved the way for so many of us today to be who we are and not care about what others think of us. If we believe in ourselves then that is all that matters! It is also because of him that I feel the freedom to show a part of my culture by expressing myself with my head wraps. When I rock my head wraps, it makes me feel like i can do anything! I feel confident! I feel regal! i feel like that African Queen lol! That is a part of our culture, something that goes way back to slavery.

Back then, it was a way to identify the slaves and used as a means of separation. I learned that later it was turned around to symbolize courage, like a badge of honor!! African americans aren’t the only ones that wore head wraps however, it is also a beautiful fashion worn by many. The cultural part of it is in HOW the head wrap was worn. I wear mine in many ways. I wear mine covering my hair and knotted in the back or swung to the side with a knot like a beautiful flower of fabric. Sometimes i wear mine with my mighty mane above or below it. I wear my head wraps in a variety of colors, patterns and textures. When i am feeling bold, i wear two to give me that Erykah Badu vibe lol! I love my head wraps sitting high upon my head, it makes me walk taller because it commands attention!

I wear my head wrap low to my head because it looks exotic. I get compliments whenever i wear them and that is always a plus! I wear my head wraps any and everywhere from the grocery store to a night out with my husband. I love the versatility, you can dress it up or down! It gives me a different look and camouflages a “bad hair day”! It’s also a means of protection against the elements whether it be on the head or on the body. I always wear a satin scarf underneath to further protect my strands. I rock my head wraps proudly because it reminds me of where i came from and how far we’ve come!