“When I got my tattoos, I met a surprising amount of resistance from a lot of different people. Some of it was dismissive, a lot of it was unsolicited, and absolutely none of it actually stopped me from getting the things. I didn’t tell other people so they could advise me on what was or wasn’t a good idea for my own body. I told them because they asked or because I wanted to. I was going to get them whether they liked it or not because, ultimately, it was my decision to make and I wasn’t doing it for them. I think that my tattoos reflect that.”
“What do your tattoos mean to you?”
“Both of my tattoos were things I came across that inherently praised African culture and autonomy, which is something that’s really important to me. It’s the same as when I made the conscious decision to go natural despite what plenty of people were telling me. These tattoos kind of have that same sentiment and meaning. The symbol on my wrist is kujichagulia, self-determination. It’s one of the 7 principles of kwanzaa, which are the basic values of African culture. The quote on my foot, Still I Rise, is a poem by Maya Angelou that praises women, African culture, and a kind of happiness that isn’t reliant on anyone else. Those are the kind of values that I aspired to and wanted to remind myself of everyday, so I got them tattooed on my skin where I could see them whenever I was doubting myself or hurting.”