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Cipriana Quann and TK Wonder
When you look at identical twins Cipriana Quann and TK Wonder, you’d never imagine they had any insecurities. With their stunning hair and features, the girls would turn heads everywhere they went.
However, they didn’t always enjoy the attention they get today.
Seeing Yourself As An Obstacle
In reality, the girls used to hate their hair. Despite its fullness, and unique style and texture, the girls began to see it as a negative. “I was beginning to actually hate my hair and seeing it as a huge obstacle,” Cipriana said. It was something they saw as different, and different in this case felt like it wasn’t good enough for the modeling industry at the time.
You won’t believe the lengths the girls went to fit in.
The Industry Standard
The girls would always have to style their hair down with a straightener and there energy was always spent trying to fit in instead of standing out. They fought hard to live up to the industry’s tough standards of what they “should look like.”
Until something changed.
Embracing Natural
As time passed, they decided to stop straightening their beautiful locks and started embracing the uniqueness of their natural hair. Life wasn’t meant to be spent trying to sit into a certain look that isn’t natural to one’s true self. What makes people beautiful is the traits that make them stand out. So the girls did just that.
Natural Hair Queens
Embracing their natural hair eventually led the girls to be recognized as the queens of natural hair, bringing Instagram envy all around the world. What people admired most about the girls was not only their beautiful natural hair but the way they presented themselves. They did not let the outside world dim their beauty. They decided to shine in the best way possible, the natural way. Click this link if you are looking for hair care products that can help keep your dreadlocks healthy.
Urban Bush Babes
But the sisters aren’t just pretty faces… Along with their friend Nikisha Brunson, they’re also the girls behind the natural hair blog “Urban Bush Babes”. An Urban Bush Babe is anyone who goes beyond the labels and steps outside of the box, they are comfortable in their own skin and embrace others.
Connect & Inspire
“We started Urban Bush Babes for people to connect, inspire, and share with those who are on a similar journey. We are especially fond of big hair, vintage, and thrifting”.
The road to Instagram fame and recognition did not come easy though.
Stigmas
“I think it came to a point where it was derogatory toward people who wore their hair natural, and there was a certain stigma around people who wore their hair natural or in an afro,” TK Wonder said. She is referring to the double standards found throughout not only the beauty and fashion industry but also throughout everyday life for women who wear their hair natural.
Breaking Down Stereotypes
“It was about breaking down stereotypes and derogatory perceptions that people had about natural hair.” They decided to make their hair mean what they wanted to mean, and not what others decided it meant. The stigma of natural hair being unprofessional or messy was now a thing of the past for these girls. Now, whatever the girls do, they do it with ambition, confidence, passion, and, of course, great hair. It was this confidence that started a revolution.
Starting a Revolution
With this attitude, sparked a revolution. A revolution where women could take back their bodies and their identities and reclaim them as their own. If a woman wants to wear an afro, she can do so and no matter what society has to say about it, the only truth is your own truth. This revolution is now known today as the body positivity revolution.
Body Positivity
Body positivity is not limited to just hair or appearance. The Body Positive Movement is a movement that encourages people to adopt more forgiving and affirming attitudes towards their bodies, with the goal of improving overall health and well-being. In other words, its about time for the people of the world to start loving themselves for who they really are.
Loving Yourself
Loving yourself is a term often thrown around, but there is a deep importance to the act of truly loving one’s self. Self-love has often been seen as a moral flaw, akin to vanity and selfishness. Self-love in today’s terms is the belief you hold that you are a valuable and worthy person. An example of self-love is when you have a positive view of yourself and are confident in yourself and your place in the world. Self-love also feeds into another movement that has recently picked up quite a lot of traction amongst young women.
The Self-Care Movement
This popular and revolutionary movement being the self-care movement. There seems to be a notable shift in focus on the importance of self-care from generation to generation. It’s been said that the millennial generation has been rather obsessed with the aspects of self-care. Self-care is care provided “for you, by you.”
Identify Your Needs
It’s about identifying your own needs and taking steps to meet them. It is taking the time to do some of the activities that nurture you. Self-care is about taking proper care of yourself and treating yourself as kindly as you treat others. Speaking of treating others, the twins have also been key contributors in embracing the importance of empowering others.
Empowering Others
Self-care and self-love are both not only crucial building blocks for a healthier and happier life, but they are also crucial to building a better society. How so? Through empowerment. Once people feel fulfilled within themselves they are better equipt to serve and help others throughout society.
However, what exactly does it mean to “empower” one another?
Giving Power & Authority
Empower means “give power or authority to”. When you educate children and believe in them, you empower those kids to go after their dreams. However in today’s terms, to empower often refers to helping someone realize their abilities and potential, perhaps for the first time. This can lead to even greater things.
And now, more than ever, women need to build each other up rather than tear each other down.
The Birth of #MeToo
Since the birth of the #MeToo movement in 2017 and Hollywood finally speaking out about sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct against women, we’ve seen more women stand up for themselves than ever before. Taking a stand and saying “times up” has become a message of empowerment, one the twins both embrace wholeheartedly.
Inspired to Speak Out
As more and more celebrities have come forward, women across the globe are finally feeling safe and bold enough to share their own experiences.
There is no shame or judgment, but acceptance as women from all different walks of life have come together to life each other up. It’s truly an inspiring time to be a woman.
Removing Limitations
When we help those realize their true potential it removes many limitations not only on the person themselves but upon those around them. When limits are removed from people, limits are removed from society, and that is where true enlightenment and innovation can thrive within a community.
So, what makes a great community?
Piece by Piece
A community is made up of many parts and many represented groups. These movements sparked by the twins outward messages are especially targetted to building women up. Communities don’t have to be people that all represent the same race, religion or creed. It’s about like views and opposing views coming together for the common good.
But what does it mean to build women up?
Building Women Up
Building women up, in a society creates a community that truly functions with respect and equality. When women are building one another up, there is no force to tear them down. Women can be seen as equals by one another instead of competition, and thusly women can be seen as equals in many other aspects of society. In the workforce, in the realm of relationships, and even in the realm of leadership.
The Fight for Equality
Now more than ever we’ve seen women and men finally come together to demand better pay for women workers. While women have fought for this long before now, the movement is finally gaining traction. The sad truth is women and particularly women of color are paid less than their counterparts.
Now, women are coming together with the demand for more. It’s an inspiring message and one that promises big things to come.
Be the Change You Want in the World
Cipriana and TK continue to inspire others because they refuse to mold to what others think they should be. They also don’t wait for change to happen, they ARE the change. Thanks to their body positive movement and empowering messages for women, these twins are becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Why? Because they won’t settle.
Never Settle for Less
Sometimes it’s easier to simply accept what you’re given; however, can that truly bring success, joy, and peace to your life? Cipriana and TK are shining examples of what can happen when you choose to challenge the norms, embrace your uniqueness and challenge the status quo. Together, they are building a stronger future for themselves and the next generation of women.
Building a Stronger Future
This all starts somewhere, and for these twins, it started when they decided to embrace what made them different and unique. Embrace your quirks and your flaws, embrace what makes you stand out. After all, Oscar Wilde says it best, “Be you. Everyone else is taken.”
Brittany
