“Our laughter is a holy hymn:
It preaches sermons
disrupting service
making servants of our grief
Beneath the surface of these smiles
—a Bethesda of tears; bittersweet
They belong to our mothers
for whom this kind of joy
was only a dream.”
FOR THE LOVE OF BLACK GIRLS is a series of visual narratives depicting the nuanced, yet all too familiar realities of Black girlhood. Using portrait photography alongside cinematic video portraits, visceral prose, and nostalgic, dream-like set designs, the project aims to provide a restorative lens through which we can reflect upon our sometimes artless experiences as Black women and girls.
FTLOBG an invitation to reimagine our personal histories; an observation of what it means to feel at home in one’s body; a reconciliation of the childhood selves we have either outgrown or been forced to leave behind. The project will explore themes such as rites of passage, beauty standards, and female relationships through experimental approaches to the visual and performing arts.
Story: Black Girl Miracle
Creative Direction: Chineze Okpalaoka and Dana Belizaire
Photography: Chineze Okpalaoka
Models: Laila Abbott and Alyssa Abbott
Studio: The Que Studio