in their words
THE AUTHO R WA S N AME D TH E B E ST
S E RIOUS CO LUMNIST OF 2 0 1 1 B Y T H E
N ORTH CA RO L INA
P RE S S AS S O C IAT IO N. HE IS THE CO -
P RODUCE R O F “ G O D
OF THE OPP RE SSE D,” AN UP COMING
DOCUME NTA RY F IL M
ON BLACK L IB E RAT IO N THE OLOGY A ND IS T H E
AUTHOR O F “ P RE AC H A’
MAN “ AN D T H E SE QUE L
Fashion Statement
“BACK S LID E .” H E H A S
LE D CON G RE G AT IO NS IN MIS S OURI A ND
N ORTH CA RO L INA .
B Y CA RL W. K E NNEY II
I
FEEL GOOD WHEN I LOOK GOOD. Some say I think I look good all the time, so I feel good most of the time. That statement could be considered problematic given my role as a minister. The good book tells us to look on the inside and not to judge based on outer appearances. We should avoid being tricked into finding beauty based on the way we look. I know: Preach inner beauty. I, among all people, shouldn’t get fooled into thinking I’m more credible when I strut into public space with a look that turns heads. Although no heads may turn, it helps me to think a few women are mesmerized when I walk while singing a song in my head. “Carl, he’s a bad mother, shut your mouth.”
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durhammag.com
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october/november 2018
Yeah, I changed the lyrics to make me feel like Shaft. A new set of threads has a way of making you feel like a fictitious character. A brand of cool comes with being made new from head to toe. I enjoy being pampered. My journey into the world, in my mind, begins with a manicure and pedicure, followed by a trip to see Victor Hughes, my barber. It’s the facial that matters the most after a trim of the beard. The details are necessary before putting on the attitude. My love affair with fashion goes back to high school. It’s never been enough to just look good. It’s how you get to the look that makes the difference. Looking good and feeling good isn’t about borrowing or stealing another person’s style; it’s about creating your own style. Fashion is about making people wish they could be you. Loving fashion requires a willingness to make what others perceive as mistakes. It’s more about not fitting in. It demands a desire to play with colors, like a painter creating work never seen before. It typically comes with questions like, “Why did you do that? What were you thinking? Have you lost your mind?”