Raquel Willis on the Revolutionary Act of Self-Care
“Every time we take care of ourselves, we are taking care of the ancestors who never had access to that.”
Feb 11, 2021
Courtesy
For the State of Black Beauty, ELLE.com chatted with six Black icons to hear how they define Black beauty and
how they see themselves in the space
—in their own words.
I grew up in the South, and there's a very particular way that Black women in the South get ready for church. It's a ritual, and there's an emphasis on aesthetics and presenting yourself the way you would want whoever your God is to see you. Beauty was all around me, and I have such vivid memories. I would help my grandma dye her hair blonde: She would do the touch-ups and I would help because she couldn't get the back of her head. I remember always being fascinated by rouge and perfume, but of course, I didn't have access to those things as someone who was being raised as a boy.