I am headed back to the states today after a wonderful and empowering experience in Costa Rica at the Meaning of Blackness Conference at the University of Costa Rica, San Jose. I met so many awesome Afro-Costa Ricans, Afro-Canadians, Afro-Europeans, and Afro-Americans that are doing some awesome things for us, our Black people.
While nerves ran a little high before giving my presentation, I was notified by a colleague at UNT that I had made the front page of the Denton Chronicle! Just the thing I needed to calm my nerves, or at least mask them with excitement just a few hours before I was to present. 
After presenting on a panel with two strong, creative, Black women, we were asked so many questions from Blacks, Whites, Spaniards, and those from African Nations about living Black, have not only our hair define us, but our skin as well. To say I felt proud to be Black, surrounded by Black women with their PhD’s and Master degrees, empowering ourselves, would be an understatement. Pictured below is the three of us on the panel. Myself, Anique J Jordan, Dr. Carmen Hutchinson Miller.
The conversation about being Black, a Black woman, a Black woman with natural hair NOT ASHAMED of her literal and figurative roots is being started. It’s our time to take back what we lost and it starts with us. It starts with us putting down the fear of our Blackness and standing proudly with our dark skin and nappy roots. Question is, are we ready?
Link to my paper for the conference is here: Hardaway_ProjectNaptural_MeaningOfBlackness
Link to my presentation slideshow is here: MeaningOfBlackness_Presentation_lowres