Blackness – (adj.) the quality or state of being black. 

• The term given to the experience and expression of the socio-political identity that black people, the world over, hold.

Blackness encompasses the essence of more than just melanin within the skin, or the curl pattern of the hair. It is an expression of how culture meets the rest of the world around us and how we utilize it to coexist. Every individual black person wears their blackness differently, as our experiences vary and the world around us can mold how we come to that. In general, there is a consensus of how blackness feels in America and amongst the diaspora as a whole. It is amazing to see content and hear others experiences that exudes and celebrates it. I think it aids in us being able to identify with ourselves by seeing ourselves in actuality, not just in stereotypes or negative lights. But also, to be able to identify with those who are more similar than different to us, locally, nationally, and globally.

There are many ways to wear blackness. Some wear it unapologetically, with pride, with magic, with grace, with ease, with shame, with rage, with misunderstanding, with hope, with peace, with excellence and dare I say, with happiness. There are so many facets to what forms a person’s blackness and fashion is a key way to express it. It’s what leads to all the vibes that accentuate the variances of blackness. With the mission to empower, Power in One challenges you to wear your blackness unapologetically with style, pride, magic, and joy this black history month and all the months to come. Take every day as an opportunity to celebrate yourself. With our ‘Seed of Africa’ tee and others, take the opportunity to identify how you wear your blackness and what forms that. Then consider what you will wear in order to express that. It can be effortlessly a part of how you exist in the world, as it inevitably a part of you. 

Stay empowered, and show us how you identify with your blackness and how it feels for you.

written by

Naomi Crumpley

Resident Fashion Consultant/Blogger

Power In One