The last days of 2014 were already very promising. On Sunday 28 December I received the Kuumba Award from the Sankofa Community Empowerment. That is an award for creativity. Literally it stands for:
To always do as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
This was a great honor in itself. And then the way Lurie Daniel Favors, the president of Sankofa, motivated my award made me feel at home. Before the lawyer gave me the award she said:
At a time when frizzy hair wasn't hip yet. When everyone said frizzy hair is ugly, you can't go out with it, it was Mireille who saw the beauty of frizzy hair, captured the hairstyles and said: Not at all! Frizzy hair is beautiful! She was the one who started building websites and writing books to promote frizzy hair. She's been doing this for 12 years now!
More than recognition, the award ceremony and the speech made me feel understood and appreciated. Far from home, as far as warm Suriname, I felt at home in this community that understands what it's all about. That women, black women, wherever they are in the world, should have a fair choice when it comes to choosing a hairstyle.
Kuumba
On the last day of the year I was also invited to attend a Kwanzaa ceremony on the day of, you guessed it, Kuumba. The rituals were vaguely familiar to me from last year so it was refreshing and again very nice to attend.
After that it was serious Party Time! In my area of Bedstuy alone there were three parties that I knew would be a blast. Since I am very easy-going and prefer not to be dependent on transportation I chose the party within walking distance. That way I could walk home any time and at the same time enjoy the first fresh walk of the year in the wintery surroundings of Bedstuy Brooklyn. That turned out to be the best choice.
Almost from the beginning to the end I was able to let loose my dance bakru on great music ranging from soulful, 80's to Shakademus. What more could you want?
Before midnight, there was shampoo, too, tooters and confetti and then it was party time until the early hours. The weekend was needed to recover.
So 2015 has started off great for me and I am ready for it. Are you?
Read: Start the year with the New Hair Milk for Frizzy and Curly Hair
