Tattoos are about owning our identity in the world. They’re about proclaiming who we are without having to say a single word.
People with tattoos have an unbreakable sense of their authentic selves…
Christ = Love
My first tattoo–a small equal sign is on my right wrist. I got this tattoo in the summer of 2015 shortly after graduating undergrad. This tattoo was not only an act of rebellion, but it was an opportunity to conceptualize my belief that our creator (God, by my belief system) created us all equal. I later added a cross to the left and a heart to the right of this tattoo to represent that love isn’t something Christ does, but who He is!
Hebrews 11:
Anchor
This tattoo on the back of my leg is and is representative of my father who is an officer in the Navy. Across the middle is “Hebrews 11”.
“Well behaved women seldom make history.”.
This tattoo is in reference to my 2012 win as the University of Mississippi’s first Black Homecoming Queen
Phoenix
Representing a connection between the following quote by Malcolm X and Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”
“The most disrespected woman in America is the Black woman. The most un-protected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.”
THORNS
Representative of 2 Corinthians 12 and Lecrae’s song “Cry for You”
Grey’s Anatomy
On the inside of my arms are the famous words of Grey’s Anatomy’s Cristina Yang — “Have some fire. Be unstoppable. Be a Force of Nature.”
Even Louder
On my bicep are the words “Even Louder” & “The Louder My Praise Gets” in the shape of a cross inspired by Steven Malcolm’s song “Even Louder”
Mississippi
On my tricep is the outline of the state of Mississippi — where both my parents are from as well as where I spent many formative years.
Ashley & Tennessee
On my forearm is the state of Tennessee, another home state and the words “Be Good. Be Safe. Behave.” — the last words of my English teacher who was murdered by her husband when I was a sophomore in high school.
Pineapple
My last leg tattoo is a pineapple. It is the most recent and it has no meaning, but it is representative of my recent commitment to be the owner of my body and its art
Not Your Average Pearson 