“Despite my feelings about my own body, I do find the female form to be exquisitely strong and sensuous. As women, I don’t think we are often able to openly celebrate our bodies without the male gaze supplanting any beauty or virtuosity we may see and experience. I saw this project as an opportunity to upend that tendency.”
Why did you decide to participate in Women with trees?
I thought the WWTs project sounded like a worthy and empowering experience. I had never taken nude photos and figured that taking them in “nature” would allow me to feel more comfortable. I knew that the scenery would be beautiful and therefore I wouldn’t focus too much on my own body, especially if I didn’t like how I looked in the photos. Despite my feelings about my own body, I do find the female form to be exquisitely strong and sensuous. As women, I don’t think we are often able to openly celebrate our bodies without the male gaze supplanting any beauty or virtuosity we may see and experience. I saw this project as an opportunity to upend that tendency.
As a Sociologist who is also a woman of color, how do you think, if at all, the media has changed in terms of representing black women since you were an adolescent? Did you suffer any personal pitfalls due to the lack of representation? In what ways does the media need to change in order to level the playing field, in terms of representation, for ALL women?
The media is ultimately an institution, one that both shapes and is shaped by power, history, and social engagement. So, I think media, especially news and visual media parrot back to us how we value different groups. That said, when I was growing up, I didn’t see diverse representations of black women on television or in film. I often saw the same tropes over and over again. Certainly, we were happy to watch shows like The Cosby Show and A Different World on television, but their representations of black womanhood were also constrained and didn’t necessarily reflect the lives of people in my family or community. I definitely think there’s been an increase in number of ways black women are represented in the media, but a lot of that has to do with the influence of the internet and social media, which has allowed people to develop their own stories and shape their own representations. I’m not so much interested in the amount, but the quality of representation and the diversity of representation of black women and women of color, specifically.
You have a young daughter. Are there ways in which you are raising her to be a strong, black woman that would have also benefitted you as a young girl? What are you doing differently?
I don’t think I’ve thought much about raising her to be a “strong, black woman” because I think that’s a position and characterization that is fraught with unrealistic expectations. Black women are expected to be strong regardless of the conditions. I do, however, focus on her knowing that she is a black girl, and that we are not living in a colorblind society. I teach her that while there are people of different colors, cultures, and classes, no one is better than she is, and her potential is limitless. I started by incorporating children’s books that show black and brown children, especially girls. She is also very aware of black political leaders and historical figures like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., Josephine Baker, and Barack and Michelle Obama (both of whom she has met and is very fond of). I struggled with my confidence as a young girl and teenager and still struggle with it today, so I try to make sure she knows that she is loved, that she is brilliant and beautiful. I tell her these things each day. So far so good. She’s told me on several occasions that she knows she’s really smart, that she loves how she looks and that she likes that she looks different than everyone else. I sit back and marvel because I could never imagine myself having that much confidence at such an early age.
How did it feel to be naked in nature? Was participating in the project a good experience for you?
I really enjoyed the journey we took to take the photos. I think I enjoyed that most. I loved the swampy environment and the lushness of the area. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a vibrant green before. There was something magical about the space and it felt both comforting and timeless.
Can you share your thoughts (be honest) about your photos? Do you feel good about the way you look?
Hmmm, what I love about the photos are the trees. They are massive and old and connected intimately with the water. When I look at the photos, I think about the history of the swamp. To be honest, because I still struggle with my appearance (especially my body), I avoid looking at myself in the frame of the image. When I look at my body, I start to critique it unnecessarily and pick it apart. I feel uncomfortable. So, I’d rather focus on the environment surrounding me.
Favorite Sunday morning activity?
Because I’m a teacher, I don’t work a typical 9-to-5, so my Sundays could be a like any other day. I think I prefer to sleep in, but that’s not often an option because my daughter wakes up ready to eat!
