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SunDaze: Photographed By M.A. Davidson

showmedmani
Jan 20, 2016
2 min read

This past summer my father went to Miami to visit my grandmothter and he came back home with a record player, records he blasted through the house and a box of my favorite thing...CLOTHES!

As I looked through the box filled with Chanel suits, high-end blazers and designer cardigans, I realized my personal style is greatly influenced by the bomb ass women that made it possible for me to be here (honestly, I didn't JUST realize it in that moment per say, but I was like, dang my granny was fly) Now back to our regularly scheduled program-

Shortly after receiving these clothes from my grandmother a photographer by the name of M.A. Davidson contacted me to collab on a photoshoot.

This photoshoot is the first of many to come and it's one that is close to my heart because I am wearing some of the clothes my grandmother sent me. This shoot also means alot to me because I am usually the one behind the camera, instructing the models on poses, styling and creative directing, but I got to see myself from another point of view infront of the camera.

My magazine has inspired me to continue the 'Melanin Is Magic' movement and while it was fun capturing the beauty in other people's melanin, it was exhilerating celebrate the very skin I'm in.

As a confident, dark skin black woman I want to be an example to younger girls whose melanin got just a few more kisses from the sun lol, I want them to see me and be inspired to love and celebrate the skin they're in. While I've hearrd disheartening stories about darker women feeling less beautiful because of their skin color, I feel blessed to say that was one thing I was never insecure about.

I grew up around gorgeous dark skin women, one of which is my mother; to this day I feel like she is one of the most beautiful women to walk the earth and as a young girl I thought she looked like a queen. Since I can remember my family has always kept art of black women and families as godesses and queens- and to me my mother's chiseled construct and flawless ebony skin reminded me of the art I grew up around (hence the reason people of color stress representation in the media, that's another story for another time).

Anywho, how did I get here? Why am I fawning over my mother? This is about me lol, enjoy the gallery below of the photo series I deemed "SunDaze."

For those wondering, the inspiration behind the name of this photo series came from a concept most dark skin black girls were taught a young age, "Don't stay in that sun too long, you'll get too dark." As if having darker skin is a bad thing. While statements such as these are seemingly little, the long-term effects they place on the confidence of little brown girls last forever.

So soak in the sun brown girls, may your melanin remain on fleek, absorb light and glow!