By Niedria Kenny @NiedriaKenny
We are all familiar with the ever so popular PETA brand, “I’d rather go Naked than wear Fur.” From that I have decided that, I would rather be covered than be naked. I understand their idea that before they would sacrifice the blood and slaughter of precious animals for their fur, they would bare their naked body. Let’s take the same idea and apply it to our temple. The temple I speak of is our body. Before I sacrifice my bare body (again), I would rather be covered. When PETA began their campaign, they sought out individuals who wore or once wore fur. So once again, with the same idea-no one is claiming a purity in being covered, that they have been living holier than thou’ their entire life. But they are acknowledging the responsibility now, and with that; they make more educated, informed, and conscious-thought decisions. Remember, we are all sinners saved by grace.
I was inspired by the idea of being covered when my girlfriend of ten years, Ebony S. Muhammad; was standing on the other side of the door I opened one day. She stood there in her garment from head to toe. It was almost like a metallic navy. She looked so angelic. She was glowing, radiant and beautiful. She looked like an angel.
Months later, while enduring a trial; I was feeling a little insecure about myself. Even though the feeling was short-lived, it’s the emotion I endured for that day that counts. In that moment, I could have been easily swayed into doing what someone else thought would make me more appealing or beautiful. Never underestimate someone’s pain or gage it by your own threshold. The point is, what I endured for a day, could be just as painful as what you endure for a month and v.v. Look at it this way; If you are totally lost and you come upon a “convenient station” and you think you know where you are because you have seen it before—you ask for directions out, because you have been running circles for hours. Under normal and likely circumstance, you take the instruction given-because you just want to get back to your place of comfort. If you take the instruction or direction against your better judgment, you may find yourself in a place you never meant to be. And now we are back at that day-I was feeling insecure. What if it wasn’t me though? What if it was a woman who was weaker than I was? Would she had taken his advice and deiced she needs to dress a little more revealing to gain his attention or anyone else?
Any man, who wants you to be a showpiece for other men, is no man. Be very clear about that! He does not respect you. Beyond the natural instinct of a man that may want to see a beautiful woman- I am speaking of a man who insists you wear things in public that would leave no mystery about you. Ask yourself, why would a respectable man who considered you virtuous want you to do anything but be virtuous? If he suggests that you do something that would exhibit anything other than that, he does not respect your reign! Sure the outfit he described sounded pretty- but it wasn’t me. I am glad that I saw myself through the outfit when I looked in the mirror. When I stood there in the dressing room, I saw something so shallow and empty while I had my back out, my shoulders and thighs. I quickly returned all the garments to their rack and left the store. I felt restored immediately. I was back to myself and all it took was looking in the mirror and envisioning myself becoming something I wasn’t. People are afraid to admit they have had moments of insecurity or become fragile and vulnerable when societal influences can and will overcome them. I am saying-I am not afraid to stand in the gap for someone and admit that I have been there. And with that, I quote Maya Angelou: “Most plain girls are virtuous because of the scarcity of opportunity to be otherwise.”
Shortly after this moment, I was invited to a youth summit by my girlfriend where I had the pleasure of listening to a panel of women, who discussed one topic of “being covered.” When I listened to some of the ladies, especially a young girl who talked about the comments she may endure while being covered-I wanted to hold her and say- you are beautiful because you are covered! Stand up and give yourself a standing ovation because I applaud you for your chosen journey. Being covered is not unattractive. It’s the courage to do something and be something different. Dr Ava Muhammad said a man will tell you anything to get what he wants out of you and this is true. He can lay down with you without any emotional connection to you at all. Once you have bared your naked body and exchanged your soul- you are tied to him.
There are women who have not been able to find their crown. They have not been able to see the beauty beyond the clothes. For those, I embrace. This is not to pass judgment, it is to encourage you to look in the mirror and be comfortable with whom you are and be that. This is not even to say I am going to be dressed in a white robe the next time you see me, pants only or a garment that covers me down to the ankles. It is to say that if you are comfortable with your beauty and the image you were created in, you will find it way more precious to be the girl that no one knows than the one everyone knows. Be the girl that everyone wishes they could have but no one has had.
“I’m not the average girl from your video and I ain’t built like a supermodel but I learned to love myself unconditionally because I am a QUEEN!” India Arie
Freely Speaking,
Niedria Kenny
