Beauty, strength, inspiration – Inside and out
Judy Mowatt to receive Marcus Garvey Lifetime Achievement Award
Caribbean Life, NOVEMBER 20-26, 2020 35
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
To relax, or not to relax?
Why not? Whatever. Your
hair has gone through several
stages of change: you’ve braided,
straightened, curled, permed,
and loc’d, put it beneath a turban,
a durag, scarves, wigs,
and kangols. It’s been shaved,
picked, plucked, pulled back,
and done up. There were times
when you fought your own
hair, and you don’t want your
children to go through that. So
look for “Glory” by Kahran and
Regis Bethencourt, and call the
kids.
As photographers, Kahran
and Regis Bethencourts say
that they consider themselves
“cultural storytellers” who
believe that Black culture has
been “under-celebrated.” For
far too long, for instance, Black
children were led to believe
that their hair and skin was
“not long enough, not straight
enough… too dark or too light.”
As the Bethencourts noticed
the somberness in their portraits
of children, they recalled
personal memories of childhood
hair issues and decided
that “acceptable black beauty
was not our natural beauty…”
They vowed to change the
perception.
The children in these pages
“are a recognition and celebration
of the beauty and versatility
of black beauty and its
innate glory,” they said. The
kids were chosen because they
were change-makers, because
they’ve stood up to adversity,
racism, bullying, illness, poverty,
loss, or other hardships.
Some wear the costumes of
Kings and Queens here, while
some reflect the dress of their
cultures.
Among others, there’s Nia
from England, who overcame
a skin condition that left her
scarred. There’s Kaylee, a
singer from Chicago. Nariah
from Maryland is a definite
foodie. There’s Mbali from
South Africa, whose modeling
career helped her to overcome
shyness. Darryl from Kenya,
who wears his dreadlocks with
pride, even though they’re
frowned upon in his culture.
Havana from Germany hopes
to be an astronaut someday.
Kheris from California founded
a clothing company. Bryson
in Arkansas is “a kid advocate”
for HBCUs. And there’s Ava, a
fair-skinned, blonde and blind
African American eleven-yearold
who learned to “appreciate
the way God created me.”
Pick up “Glory” and flip
to any random page. You’ll
immediately see that the title
is apt.
Indeed, much is glorified
inside this book, including
the no-nonsense strength and
do-what-needs-doing attitude
of the generation coming up.
These kids are pretty incredible,
as evidenced by the brief
biographies that accompany
every portrait. Some will
bring you tears, while others
are downright empowering.
Speaking of empowering,
inspirational quotes are scattered
throughout so look for
them – that is, if you can
take your eyes off the exquisite
portraiture from photographers
Kahran and Regis
Bethencourt. The lighting in
each is perfect. The costumes
that the children wear are
gorgeous. The kids come from
everywhere and both boys and
girls are elegantly represented
in portraits that are nothing
but respectful of their essences.
This is the kind of book that
anyone of any age can enjoy.
Yes, there’s a three-year-old
here, so show your toddler.
There are youngsters, tweens,
teens, and an entire school
mentioned, so give this book
to your kids. Or just grab
“Glory” yourself, and relax.
“Glory: Magical Visions
of Black Beauty” by Kahran
and Regis Bethencourt
c.2020, St. Martin’s
Press
$30.00 / $39.99 Canada
243 pages
Book cover of “Glory: Magical Visions of Black Beauty” by Kahran and Regis Bethencourt.
By Nelson A. King
Reggae singer Judith “Judy”
Mowatt, O.D., a member of Bob
Marley’s back-up group, the
iconic I-Threes, will be honored
Friday night, during the 27th
virtual hosting of the Caribbean
American Heritage Awards
(CARAH) in Washington, D.C.,
with the Marcus Garvey Lifetime
Achievement Award.
The CARAH Awards, which
was held last year at the historic
Smithsonian Museum of
African American History and
Culture, is the brainchild of the
Washington, D.C.-based Institute
of Caribbean Studies (ICS).
The awards “celebrates the
accomplishments and contributions
of outstanding individuals
of Caribbean descent, who have
made extraordinary contributions
to their fields of expertise,”
said Dr. Claire Nelson,
ICS’ Jamaican-born founder
and president.
Dr. Nelson said that Mowatt,
at the height of Marley’s popularity,
managed to keep her
solo career on track, releasing
a solo album, “Mellow Mood,”
in 1975.
Mowatt’s five solo albums,
after “Mellow Mood,” were all
released in the United States.
As a producer of her own
albums, Dr. Nelson said Mowatt
was among the first female
Jamaican musicians to seize
creative control of her own
music.
“Through all the phases of
her career, she remained an
advocate for women’s ideas in
a genre heavily dominated by
men,” she said.
Dr. Nelson said the decision
to host a virtual awards ceremony
was “a tough but necessary
one, as the world grapples with
the novel coronavirus (COVID-
19), and the USA with the racial
uprising and a national election.
“We have lost many noble
citizens in our community this
year,” she said. “We grieve with
and for the loss of some of our
supporters and CARAH honorees,
such as, the late Prime
Minister Owen Arthur, of Barbados,
who joined us as keynote
speaker in 1996 to lend credibility
to our then-three-year-old
toddler self.
“We also grieve the loss of the
late Frederic ‘Toots’ Hibbert,
who we honored in 2007, and
who blessed us with his joy
and luminous presence over
the years,” Nelson added. “Even
though we cannot celebrate in
a physical space, we believe the
experience will still be intimate
in a new way.”
She said that “it is important
that we celebrate and honor
the success of Caribbean immigrants.”