Endlessly Sisters

Dear black girl,

We were just like you. We know you look in the mirror and can't find a single thing to admire about yourself. As a little girl we would also stare back at ourselves in an unloving manner. Our skin as dark as coal, our hair that defied gravity, our lips that were disproportionately large, stood no match against the beauty that we saw in light skin, silky hair and thin lips . We hated our features. We were shown through the image of my idols and peers that we weren’t the only one who hated them as well. We also entered rooms to see how our skin contrasted with the sea of light pigments to question ourselves why am I not as pretty as she is, why I didn't have what they had, why I didn't have whatever it was. Us too, were raised not able to recognize how beautiful the earthly tones of brown were. We know what it's like to be asked if you wear weave like “the rest” of them, and how your strength and assertiveness can somehow be mistaken for being sassy, angry, or ghetto. We know what it's like to be asked if you are offended by the N-word, if you're capable of bruising, or to be told that your nappy hair needs to be tamed by the destructive chemicals of a relaxer because it is unmanageable and unprofessional. We know that there have been days when you wish you were a better girl, a lighter girl – any other girl than who you are now, because you're subconsciously told to hate everything that makes you beautiful. Or that yes, you are pretty…pretty for a black girl.

Greatness flourishes through what an individual brings to the table. It is striving for success, even when things are deemed impossible. The William sisters have created a legacy by inspiring young black athletes, especially in those from low-income areas- to play tennis. They have served as an inspiration for us and many women and girls across the globe.

Growing up, our families faced many struggles. Being children of first-generation immigrants exposed us to a world where there was no black female representation of ourselves. The William sisters showed black girls that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. They became a cultural touchstone, where woman and girls were able to see black women form into something great, in a society that is not made for us. 

The Williams sisters shaped us in becoming the artists that we are today. Growing up there were many struggles our families had to face. we did not think it was possible to become someone, based off our circumstances and the way we appear. The Williams sisters showed us that having the most or least money did not matter when it came to success. Hard work and dedication were the key to greatness. Two and half years ago, we came together to pursue a passion that we’ve always dreamt about since little girls. We’ve looked past our struggles and appearance and turned it into something that we can latter back to, to remind us that anything is possible. Today, we both are physically and mentally in better positions than we were when we first began our music journey. 

Similar to the William Sisters We strive to make a statement that dark skinned females deserve to have more role models in popular culture. Sharon from a Nigerian background and Aya, Sudanese we think it’s time for another generation to see female camaraderie and people working together to create art - not just music, but visuals, stories and emotions that can leave an impact. We hear a lot about the need for role models that look just like you, and that’s not just a platitude. It’s entirely true. The power and resilience that they exude on and off the court showed us that not only do they dominate the scene from their first step in, but they can push and support each other to success, even if it ends with a blown kiss to congratulate the other for winning. They’ve showed us a legendary rivalry that has transcended not only through the world of sports but through every day lives where they inspire us to love, create and inspire others. Now as a unit, Aya and I work together to create music, a universal language that can be understood and felt on so many different levels. They have given us the confidence to love and believe in ourselves to see the results that we strive to meet. They have showed us that as a black woman, you can wear your hair to the sky, you can be strong, loud, assertive, you can be bronzed by the sun in the summer days, you can stand alone within a sea full of people who look nothing like you; and all of those things that make you the anomaly, make you “pretty”. Your thoughts, your confidence, your passion, all of those things that make you different, will bring you that much closer to success when you believe and strive for it.

So dear black girl,

We challenge you to look in the mirror to see every little thing that makes you different admirable.  We want you to know that your skin is complete and full of history that did not begin with boats and chains. We want you to know that it is full of Negus’s that reign, and that black kings and queens were before you. We need you to know that your skin is an onyx, a jewel so deep and rich that glows and radiates in the sun’s rays. We need you to know that your fro that lifts and grows defiantly resembles a foreign beautiful jungle – untamed and pure; and that your lips may speak the truth for thousands of generations to come when you utilize your self-worth. We need you to know that when you trust and believe in yourself, success will always follow you, and last but not least, we need you to know that you are pretty, not just pretty for a black girl but pretty because you are true. We need you to know this because dear black girl, We were just like you.

Love starts with you, creation begins with you, inspiration is within you.

Love,

Aya & Shay

(4TWNTY)