The Ancestral Language of Black Style

Rekindling the spiritual significance of style staples across the diaspora

Growing up as a young, Black girl, there’s always been this inner knowing that my physical presence is the first introduction to the world; a consciousness inherited from my ancestors. Before any words roll off my tongue, my melanated skin broadcasts our history. As we know, that history is many things, both muddy and triumphant. Though the world is now beginning to comprehend that the Black experience is vast and certainly not a monolith, we all have carried the weight of our ancestors. Those gut-wrenching false narratives of us being unkept and untamed spread throughout society have been retold and reworded throughout generations, branded into our identity, resentfully so. It still feels contradictory, being that the majority of trends like street style, ornate nails, bold layered jewels trace back to Black culture. 

Yet still, these faux fables place a great deal of responsibility upon us across the Diaspora and every chance we get we feel indebted to “show up and show out”, and we know that when we leave our safe spaces we carry our entire race with us. Whether we accept that way or sweep it under the rug, there will always be someone combing through our image to generalize us. Our sensitivities towards comments on our outer appearance and cultural appropriation is merely political. Though burdensome, we do it well because style is an inherent language we speak. We’ve remained connected to the divine by casting spells through dressing with intention, even subconsciously. Along the way we may have forgotten why we do it, but it always circles back to our spiritual practices. I wrote this as an ode to celebrate foundational fashion trends within Black culture and remind us of it’s spiritual beginnings.