10/09/2026
To my Brazilian family 🇧🇷💙
At Black on the Square, I had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful Brazilians. But one conversation in particular has stayed with me.
A man from Bahia stopped at The Nubian Princesses stall and was immediately drawn to Kiraa. As I introduced him to our dolls and stories, he began sharing something deeply personal.
He explained that although many people may see him as white, his identity and traditional clothing are understood differently in Bahia. Yet when he travelled to São Paulo dressed in the same way, taxi drivers would not stop for him.
He sat at our stall and read each of the books. He then told me about his 73-year-old aunt, who had only recently begun discovering and embracing her own natural hair. For most of her life, she had never truly known her hair in its natural state.
He felt that Sigi’s story could support her as she begins this journey of rediscovering herself.
That stopped me in my tracks.
The Nubian Princesses began because of the experience of a four-year-old girl struggling with how she saw her skin and hair. I often say that the four-year-old girl of today becomes the woman of tomorrow.
If we do not address discomfort around hair, skin and identity early, it does not simply disappear. It can follow us and become amplified over time.
But his aunt’s story also reminded me of something equally important: at 73, it is still not too late to return to yourself. It is never too late to discover, embrace and celebrate what has always belonged to you.
Representation is not simply about dolls or books. It is about planting the seeds of confidence early—and sometimes helping an adult heal the child still living within her.
To everyone from the Brazilian community who embraced us that day: obrigada pelo carinho. 🇧🇷👑
