My Road To Essence Fest Has Been Beautiful!

* I am a Niche Parent Network influencer and received compensation for this post and to attend Essence Festival as a My Black is Beautiful Social Media Correspondent. Of course all opinions are my own.

I am having BEAUTIFUL moments left and right! I am very grateful for the opportunities I am being presented with. I do not know if the planets are aligned or if it is my due season however I am so grateful to be reaping my harvest. You see I truly believe “Service is the rent we pay for living…” and My Black is Beautiful is giving me a voice through their Beauty in Action challenge with nationally renowned transformational expert, Lisa Nichols! I am so honored.

My Black is Beautiful celebrates the diverse collective beauty of African-American women and encourages them to define, explore and promote our own beauty standard which is one authentic reflection of our indomitable spirit. MBIB initiates one of the largest online community conversations with African-American women. Join the movement, define your own beauty standards, help ignite a national conversation and share your extraordinary beauty with the world.

What does this mean to me?

Whew… This means EVERYTHING to me because self-acceptance is so hard to come by in my culture and race. You see I was born in the 70’s when the brown paper bag test was still acceptable and I was too light to be dark and too dark to be light. Not to mention other complex complexion challenges ranging from a mother dealing with her own darker complexion challenges to being discriminated against within my own culture and race because I was not light enough or dark enough and trust me the list goes on and on and to top of all I had short thin hair with little edges. Yes, it has been a journey embracing my inner and outer beauty despite being school queens more than six times from middle school through college but I survived and learned how to thrive!

With this being very first time I have shared my journey with anyone other than my pillow I am feeling free on whole new level! I want to thank MBIB for allowing me to stand in my truth and own it! I thank all the people on my journey who helped me embrace The Kimberly Wright and all she is inside and out. My grandmothers and mother used to say “Pretty is… As Pretty Does” and that has stuck with me and caused me to embrace myself through everything I do and experience. In my teens it was a huge struggle which panned out during my twenties. Then in my thirties it was GRAND how comfortable I had become in my own skin. Talk about a new pep in my step. Yes ma’am, it was a new sheriff in town and I was it. Then I had a very life changing acute stroke at thirty five. My forties have been comfortable on the next level readjusting to challenges and after math from the stroke. Challenges I continue to see and have to deal with directly or indirectly are others’ insecurity in regards to me because yes my black is still beautiful accompanied with brains, motivation, determination and a POWERHOUSE mindset! Simply stated, I respect and celebrate me as well as other ladies.

Please visit MBIB website and their Facebook page. Join in the conversation on social media by using the #BIAJourney hashtag.