Imperious Entertainment

"You're way too beauuuuutiful giirrrlllllllllllllll"

How fitting. Sean Kingston's pop hit is blaring from a passing car and this sienna haired Latina Little Miss Sunshine is singing and swaying like a bluesy lounge singer. We smile and dote on her. "Hey beautiful," we say as we walk by. She smushes her pudgy fingers into her plush little fair skinned face in embarrassment. "Don't be 'shame, you better get it lil mama."

She gives a dazzling grin and then runs. She runs right up to my friend with open arms and throws her face into my friend's hips in tight embrace. First my friend and then she grabs me. It was probably the most endearing expression of naiveté and genuine gratitude that I have ever experienced. She was perfect. After a brief exchange about her lost ball and seeing that her family was watching her from a few stoops up the block, the three of us made our way to our clearing in the park. We spend the entire afternoon barefoot dipping and swirling our dreams, moods, and favorite scenes over paper canvases on our hot rock oasis in the summertime grass.

In that moment and even now, I love to imagine myself and my friends the way we existed that day. We were living for the company of and truly celebrating each other. With so many images and messages being sent out into the world promoting the pathologies of black women, it's nice to have moments that affirm those messages to be untrue. Sing your song, paint your portrait, and love each other ladies. Our interactions with each other, our daughters, friends and sisters could and must be so much more than what the world wants to make them.