Be creatively righteous in displaying your Goddess beauty. You can be fashionable and righteous in your style of dress.
Peace, Power & Love
I am the Kush Queen (not marijuana, lol).
Reading: Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology by Barbara Smith
5 Star Rating… that means it’s a really good book!
There are so many beautiful women singing beautiful music! I love it. I am so high on this song. A friend of mine suggested this and I am so glad that he did! This song reminds of a time in my life when I was truly alone, but not lonely. I needed to be alone. I was a young (er) woman, growing and learning and in need of solitude. Thank you Ntjam for the great vibes.
I used to hear music like this in my mind when I lived in DC. I would ride the Metro around the entire city until I got tired.
Queen for African Essence
P.S. Looking for a book to read? I came across this book on Toure’s website. I really want to check it out. The story sounds so interesting: Soul City by Toure.
I think my thrift store outfit turned out pretty good! It was priced at $8.00 but I had a 50% off coupon, so for $4, I got this beautiful suit. The skirt is connected to the shirt. The zipper runs up the back and the skirt has a slit which is also in the back. The suit is a vintage item. The label says K.C. Spencer by Chelsea Rousso who was a pretty popular designer in the 90s. Her designs seemed to be more commercial than boutique exclusive. The label says dry clean only, but I actually hand-washed and ironed it myself. I think it held up pretty well. However, I noticed that a lot of black and red dye came out when I washed it. This did not damage the suit. I assume that it had not been washed in water before. Well, I think it looks nice… although next time, I won’t wear that bracelet. The earrings are actually pretty cool (from Icing by Claire’s). I’ve had those shoes for a while but I’m thinking, I probably got them from Marshall’s. Next time, I would wear a solid black sandal.
Peace and love,
Queen Duafe for African Essence
When speaking with teenage and pre-teen girls, the most popular and sometimes most difficult things for me to discuss are…
1. how to dress
2. how to stay clean (hygiene)
HOW TO DRESS
It can be difficult to influence the way a young girl dresses because the world is mostly telling her to wear the tightest and most revealing clothes she can find. However, finding acceptable attire that makes a young woman look respectable is possible. The trends have shifted since the early 2000s, but it seems that they are stagnate right now. For the past 8 years or so, it has been all about skinny jeans and leggings. I can barely stand either! It is an easy way to say, “I don’t really care about how I look, so I am going to buy what is on display in the stores because it is easier to just blend in.” Honestly, when shopping, it is hard to find a nice pair of jeans that are NOT labeled skinny. The most popular item for women right now is leggings and blue jean button up shirts that are priced way too high! Come on, you can get one from the thrift store for 3 bucks! You should never buy clothes unless they are on sale! Yes, I said it.Young girls are always growing so why spend loads of money on things they will grow out of next month? Why spend loads of money, period?
Check out this blog on thrifting. You can do a youtube search for thrift store hauls to see how people transform thrifted clothes into masterpieces. Adopt styles that are colorful and vibrant instead of revealing and dull.
thriftionary.blogspot.com
Check out this wonderful blog!
You don’t want to end up looking like this! Absolute no no!
STUCK ON STALE
I do not desire to tell a young woman to stop wearing what is trendy. My initiative is to encourage her to find the type of clothes that best fit her and to stop buying what is “hott.” It is not hott when everyone is wearing the same uniform. Isn’t that just like being in school? I always hear young people complain about school uniform. So why buy the same things that everyone else has? The same shoes, the same fake long hair, the same shirts, the same jeans- the same style! Try something different and wear your own hair young lady! This is what I have seen the constant use of hair weave do to a woman’s hair.
I tell girls to try to listen to whats inside of them. Go with what’s natural and leave the fake in the store. A good place to start is to ask their parents to take them to the thrift stores, Salvation Army’s, and Goodwills. There, they can find unique items that speak more to their personalities. It is also cheaper and will allow them to have 3 shirts instead of 1. Sometimes variety is good.
It can also be difficult to explain to a young lady that Air Jordan’s (the tennis shoe) are not really designed for a woman’s foot. These shoes look hideous on women to me. They are too masculine. This is just my opinion. The girls always show resistance to this when we talk about it. Some listen, some continue to ask for these expensive ugly things. It may just be something they have to mature out of.
TRY THIS…
HOW TO STAY CLEAN
FEATURED BLOG : http://www.africanexportsblog.com/
Yes, we have all smelled an unpleasant young woman before! We have seen weave tracks, and plaque on teeth, and dirty bra straps. We have seen clothes that are too small, what appears to be ash on ankles, necks, faces, and feet. We’ve seen nail polish that has gone bad 3 weeks ago, we have smelled bad breath, saw body parts falling out of clothes… these ARE ALL THINGS THAT SIGNIFY BAD HYGIENE. You have to be careful when teaching this to a young person because many of the girls I talk to, have not been taught how to be sweet young ladies. By “sweet” I mean smelling good, feeling good, talking good, looking good.
Hygiene always starts inward and it oozes outward. What you are on the inside determines how you look. This starts with KNOWLEDGE. Put a book in a young girls hand. Visit your local library and request books on “teaching young girls about personal hygiene.”. Talk to them. Address hygiene issues head on. Pull them to the side and talk about it in a passionate way so that they can feel comfortable. Take them to stores like JCPenny’s or Victoria’s Secret where they can get properly measured for bra sizes. Get their feet measured at Famous Footwear or any department store. Buy measuring tape from the dollar store and show them how to measure the width of their hips and the width of their waists so that they can find the proper sized clothing when shopping.
Show them how to shop for sanitary napkins, getting the healthiest brands with the least amounts of bleach and chemicals in them. Tell them how to wash their bodies when bathing. Buy them soaps that won’t irritate their skin and that are sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate free. Give them scented oils that are natural instead of perfumes that are NOT. Many things can fall under this category and it is not easy to talk about it all the time, but you must. Show them how to take care of their own hair instead of funky weave! Girls should be wearing their own hair! Maybe adding a little color would be cool, but that’s it!
Love this girl!
More tips…
In the end, I like to stick with all homemade and natural products like coconut oil, shea butter, coco butter, olive oil, rosemary oil, aloe vera, etc.
STYLE SUGGESTIONS: TRANSFORMING OLD CLOTHES
I really the It’sMyRayeRaye Channel on Youtube
After looking at these videos, you will come up with many many more ideas!
Peace and love,
Queen Duafe for African Essence
My Duafe Throne- When I do poetry, I sit on my Duafe Throne!
In speaking to a group of men last week, it was not surprising that they had never heard of WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH. They asked me if this was something new. I told them that it had been a national celebration for quite some time now. The worldwide celebration of women started in the early 1900s but it evolved into a month-long celebration in the U.S. in 1987. It was started as a way to promote equality among sexes in the classroom. This is of great importance around the world even today as women are still denied many rights in countries around the world! Sadly, I do not come across many women who know about Women’s History Month or are ready to talk about the importance of women in our culture. This is a good time to learn!
I feel the necessity for the celebration from two personal standpoints: being WOMAN and being BLACK. Although the month is not just about women gaining the right to vote, women’s suffrage is one of the defining elements. Women wanted to be treated like thinking & feeling human beings and did not want to be disenfranchised on the basis of sex. This is what led to the struggle for women’s rights known as the feminist movements.
DEFINITION
Feminism (n): the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men.
In America, women’s suffrage movements and Black freedom movements were parallel but indeed separate. I am deeply affected by both. America is still in the recovery years from slavery and oppression. THE DATES:
March 30, 1870, the 15 Amendment was adopted allowing Black men the right to vote. Few actually ever voted because of other oppressive laws that were set up to counter their votes. Blacks were still being lynched and treated like animals well into the 1960s. So, almost 90 years after the initial ratification, there were still too many parameters set up to deter Blacks from voting.
Women’s right to vote came in 1920 after the 19 Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that prohibits any United States citizen to be denied the right to vote based on sex.
Were Black women voting at this point? Not too many. Black people did not FULLY exercise the right to vote until the 1960s after protesting Jim Crow laws that were pretty much scare tactics to keep Blacks from voting. This is why many people believe that women actually received the right to vote before Blacks.
Not until the Voting Rights of 1965 did African Americans start to vote, without fear of being beat, lynched, spat on, turned away, etc. It eliminated literacy tests, poll tax, and other subjective voter tests that kept Blacks from voting.
Technically, all WOMEN did not get the right to vote, free of discrimination until 1965. This meant that any person regardless of race or sex could vote. Every diasporic groups voting rights were strengthened during the Civil Rights Movement.
In the celebration of the history of the woman, I would like to acknowledge the 1920 amendment as well as the Voting Rights Act which was the beginning of the right for every woman to vote free of discrimination. I am you, and you are me and we must celebrate every woman the same.
QUEEN DUAFE FOR AFRICAN ESSENCE
Today is February 13 and it is my birthday! I am excited! I never really get excited on my birthday but this year I am grateful for so many things, including all the new and wonderful people who have become a part of my world. I can thank my greatest friend in life (he knows who he is) for introducing me to so many new ideas, people, and feelings… we have a chemistry only true friendship can understand.
SMOOTH IS LIFE TRAVELS WITH YOU BESIDE ME… Thanks for being real and being so kind and tough and respectful and thoughtful and supportive. You have helped me evolve as an artist more than anyone. Peace and love to you always.
So… I love being an Aquarius. The sign defines me and I define it. Now it is time to write.
This is my first blog entry of the year. I wanted to write many times, but for some reason I could not! I think I had to get into the groove of the year. I was discouraged from making observations about the year and making resolutions until I made some major decisions about my life. My new year starts NOW- February 13. My birthday always feels more like a new year for me. In the past I have not been a big birthday person, but it means a great deal to me this year because I feel like I have more wisdom than I ever had. I have grown tremendously and I do not mind getting older. I welcome age. I can already see myself loving my gray hair when that time comes!
WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT GETTING OLDER…
I’ve noticed changes in my body. It looks like I will have to get more active this year because my skin feels different and my face looks a bit different.
I’ve noticed changes in the way that I think. Things do not affect me the same. I want more now and I have this constant desire to find freedom.
I’ve started to face reality. I used to struggle with the here and now. I wanted people to be how I wanted them to be and I wanted them to change on the spot. I am not too concerned with these types of things anymore. My biggest concern is connecting myself with nature and seeing the world.
I used to have time to waste, but as I get older I realize that I need to keep pressing on. I do not want to play as much anymore (well, maybe just a bit). I love to have fun and smile every moment that I can… smell the flowers, if I may. I just realize that work and play have to match. THE KEY IS: USE MODERATION IN EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. Overuse and abuse make you grow old faster. Bad habits make you grow older as well. Only take what you need. Only buy what you need. Only use what you need. I accept enough to get by. Do not be greedy. Have you ever been at a cook out and watched that one person load their plate up until it is spilling over? Then they laugh and make meaningless comments trying to come up with an excuse as to why they are being greedy? DO NOT BE THAT PERSON. Take a little and leave some for others, move on. Do not accept anything for free. Work for the things you desire in life.
2013 HAS BEEN GREAT!
I ushered in January with history and poetry and art. I celebrated Kwanzaa with a group I perform poetry with: The Griot Project. We celebrated our 2nd Annual Kwanzaa this year. We had all observed Kwanzaa in the past, but we decided to celebrate it together and invite people to our celebrations. For 7 whole days we did this. Each evening we had a brief ceremony, ate, had discussions, took pictures, gave gifts, and glowed in the midst of our ancestors knowing they were proud that we took pride in our African American Identity- no watering it down.
I made Kwanzaa gifts. Since I paint and create, I love to give people art. I used old vinyl records to create Africa-inspired designs.
I enjoyed making these gifts and spending time with friends. I invited my friend Robert over ON my day which was Nia: Purpose (we all take a day and do research and share our findings with everyone who comes). He brought his friend Jennifer who I had never met. She later connected me with another poetry group in Columbus,Ohio. I was very grateful. This is why I enjoy meeting new people because it seems we all touched each other and were there at that particular time for a reason. THAT WAS MY NEW YEAR!
I also spent time with my friends from Umojah Nation Reggae Band. We went to Oil City, PA. They had a 4 hour gig welcoming in the New Year! Yes, 4 hours! It was fun. I do not have a picture from that day because I think everyone was too cold to pose!
Well. this year I hope to do some extensive traveling and see my family more.
More to come…
Check out my birthday playlist:
1. Jill Scott: Spring Summer Feeling
2. Telepopmusik: Don’t Look Back
3. Esthero: Thank Heaven for You
4. Janet Jackson: When We Oooo
5. Madonna: Secret
6. Maxwell: Bad Habits
7. Corinne Bailey Rae: Closer
8. Portishead: All Mine
9. LiAnn La Havas: Don’t Wake Me Up
10. Erykah Badu: Out My Mind, Just in Time
Peace & love and thanks for reading,
Queen Duafe of African Essence
Outfit Elements:
1. The Crown- I really love my hair short. I’ve kept it short for the past 6 six years or so. Right now, my grooming regimen is simply brush curls. This is- taking the softest bristled brush you can find and brushing your hair in a circular motion, allowing the natural curl pattern to become very defined. I use a a shea oil mixture from aiiznaturals.com to condition the follicles. I then use a non-flake gel (Eco Styler) to hold the curls in place. However, most of the time the gel isn’t necessary. The curls will just stay because I have tightly coiled hair.
2. Manicure- Clear polish.
3. Make-up- I normally like my lips tinted, but I am not wearing any make-up in these series of photos.
4. Jewelry- I wore two sets of earrings. The first set was a bronze colored pair that I got from Kohl’s. The second pair, I got from a natural hair fair that came to my city about 3 years ago. An African vendor sold them for $15 a pair. She made them and painted them by hand. The rings were from various vendors at festivals. They are copper. One is shaped like an ankh and the other is an abstract design. I wear them often. The large bracelet is from an annual African street festival held on Jefferson Ave in Nashville, TN between Fisk and Tennessee State University.
5. Dress- DOTS (on clearance for about $7)
6. Tan sweater- JCP ($20); multi-colored sweater- DEB ($5); large reversible scarf- Forever 21 (maybe about $14)
7. Stockings- Target ($6 on sale)
8. Fringe boots- $10 (Sears/Kmart website on sale w/ free shipping!)
9. Notes & Style Rules: It is rare that I pay full price for any item of clothing or pair of shoes. It is mos def possible to dress for cheap. The items that I like, people don’t normally go for, so I can find them for dollars. Also, I am not into designer brands. So no, I did not need the Minnetonka boots although I know that they are a better quality. Maybe one day, but not for now. I didn’t need to spend much money. These cheaper fringe boots are working out just fine for me.
The dress was a great find. I love the textured look. It matches the stockings. I’ve gotten similar dresses from the thrift store.I do not like a lot of the clothes at DOTS because they look cheap, but the key is to go for those items that you can make look more elegant.
Also, have rules to what you can and cannot buy. For example, I do not ever wear stripes! I think stripes do not compliment what I am- my skin tone, my hair, my mind- they are just not for me. In the cheap female clothing stores you will see a lot of stripes. People go for that, but I go for the items with patterns or for the items that are plain. Another of my rules is not to purchase anything with a logo or name brands unless its something I got from the thrift store. I do no like to rep any company.
Overall, because I buy for cheap, I can splurge on other things when I need to. I work in a casual environment so if I wanted to wear this outfit to work, I would put on the longer sweater so that my butt would not show. At night, to go out with friends, I can wear the orange sweater with the designs. It does not cover the butt (keep in mind it is still appropriate for the African Essence Queen, nothing too revealing). Also, I convert all earrings to clips. I cannot get pierced ears because they don’t agree with my body. I buy clips on earrings at Claire’s on clearance and remove the clips and use them on other earrings. I also buy them from JoAnns Fabrics but they don’t sell any comfortable clip-on findings.
Queen Duafe for African Essence
Grace-full💜🌙
seeking solace in the horizon of life and beyond
When is Kwanzaa and my daily Kwanzaa practice
"Enlightening Through Words Of Wisdom"
"I saw the Angel in the marble, and carved until I set him free"
BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH
Prime my subconscious, one hint at a time
WE CREATE YOUR FAIRY EVENTS
Earth & Ether 