Atlanta-based hairstylist Shabria aka Lil Wave Daddy probably didn’t realize the reach her post would have when she went live on Instagram while giving her young client a talk in loving her Black beauty. Her goal was clearly to instill a sense of confidence in the 4-year-old queen, Ariyonna, who called herself ugly.
But after the video surfaced on Twitter and went viral over the weekend, the community joined in on the support. Even some of our favorite celebrities showered Ariyonna with messages telling her how wonderful she is.
Now, Ariyonna has just received the ultimate message of love. Our forever FLOTUS Michelle Obama reposted Shabria’s video on her Instagram account with a caption reaffirming the sentiment that the young girl is beautiful, and enough.
“Ariyonna, you are gorgeous” she wrote. “In a world that sometimes tries to say otherwise, I want to tell you—and every other beautiful, intelligent, brave black girl—just how precious you are.”
Mrs. Obama also tagged Shabria in the post, and of course included #blackgirlmagic. It’s incredible to see the reach that this video has had, considering that it includes one Black queen empowering another. And it’s inspiring to see that the reach goes beyond Ariyonna, to include all the little Black girls who need to hear both Shabria’s and Mrs. Obama’s message.
We are inundated with reality TV shows, social media videos, and other content showing Black women going for each other’s throats. But Black women know that narrative is not our reality. Leave it to Forever FLOTUS to put her stamp on changing that narrative.