A Free Fro All
Imagine not being able to do what you love to do.
Imagine not being able to have a job. Or, the job you wanted. Imagine the world moving forward around you, but you had no idea. Imagine not being able to knit. Or, own your own knit shop. Imagine not being able to sell the beautiful things you love to make and knit at a local market. Imagine not being able to do anything you want to do. Imagine not being able to go where you want to go. Hang on to this feeling as you continue to read…
For those of you keeping up with fortuknit and all of the “a knit of good fortune” blog posts, you’ll know how much I draw from my Caribbean culture for inspiration.
But that’s just one part of my multi-cultural heritage. As proud as I am of my Vincy background, I am equally proud of my African American roots. The older I get, the more I learn about those roots.
Growing up, especially attending PWIs (Predominantly White Institutions) for school, I didn’t get a lot of “textbook” education about African American history. In fact, my high school barely even touched the subject. And, even when I did learn anything in school, it generally was the same stuff over and over again—slavery, Harriet Tubman, George Washington Carver, Rosa Parks—you know the names and the stories. In order to learn anything different, or even substantial details about the already familiar stories, it requires looking to other sources of information. You’d be surprised (or perhaps not) about how much Black History is hidden away.
I have GirlTrek (an organization I walk with) to thank for teaching me so much about people and events throughout Black History that I’d never even heard of before.
I don’t recall the exact moment I first learned about June 19, 1865. That’s the date. Imagine still being enslaved despite the passing of the 13th Amendment two years earlier, but that is the date when ALL enslaved people in America were actually legally freed. It is officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day. Now, imagine having to learn to be self-sufficient in your new freedom! (By the way, if you haven’t seen 13th on Netflix, it is a documentary worth watching.) The National Museum of African American History & Culture has some great Juneteenth information on its website if you are looking to learn even more.
It’s an appropriate portmanteau for the day that centers around food and community.
A time for everyone to celebrate, have fun, and remember the struggles and sacrifices overcome to get to where we are today.
In honor of Freedom Day, I designed the “Freedom Fro Beanie.” Juneteenth is all about celebrating everyone’s freedom and the resilience it took to get there, and I wanted to create something that really captures the fun in what that freedom means to me. It is the joy of having unapologetically big hair and wearing vibrant colors that represent wealth and prosperity, and the freedom to create and have self-expression. The hat has a tri-color brim inspired by the pan-African flag, which leads up into a big, black afro made of (many) pom poms (feel free to count them, haha!).
I put a lot of love into this hat, and it makes me incredibly happy to be able to use my gift of knitting to create something that represents a big part of me, celebrating the freedom that my ancestors fought for so that I can write this blog and share my craft with you. These beanies are available for pre-order now online at www.fortuknit.com – get your Freedom Fro ready for Juneteenth celebrations!
Don’t forget that you can also stop by the Walnut Street YMCA’s Juneteenth Block Party and pick up the “Freedom Fro Beanie” in person along with other fortuknit goodies.
The 5th Annual Juneteenth Block Party is a celebration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, where the community honors this historic milestone with colorful decorations, lively music, delicious food, and engaging conversations. It serves as a powerful testament to the resilience, strength, and unity of the community and celebrates freedom while reflecting on progress made and acknowledging the work ahead for equality and justice.