“What’s Your Story?” is a guest post feature on BCBA’s blog. Indie/Self-Published authors are invited to write about their books, writing journey, creative process, inspiration, rewards and challenges of publishing, etc. They can go in whatever direction they choose. We are excited and grateful for their willingness to share, and we hope you enjoy Shellice Beharie’s story. Go here for more WYS? posts.
As a child, I remember being fascinated with my mother’s curls. Soft and silky like Tracey Ellis Ross. Every Saturday, my sister and I would find my mother’s Luster’s Pink Oil Moisturizer, grab a comb, brush, and barrettes and style away. Full of grace, our mother sat patiently as my sister and I manipulated her strands with twists, crooked parts, and crayon-colored baubles. My sister and I found our mother’s fine-looking tresses fun to play with. This was our bonding time. It was precious to all of us.
Fast forward 35 years and I find myself reliving history with my four-year-old son, Christian, who has found a connection to me through my hair. At a very young age, Christian loved running his tiny fingers through my hair. At night, he snuggles up with me and tunnels his fingers through my curly strands until he falls asleep. I enjoy it. I can see he feels safe and loved.
Both of my sons were in awe of my hair transformations. I was constantly dying my hair a new shade of red, black, or brown or putting it in cornrows, braids, or a ponytail. The versatility kept them wondering how I did it. Black girl magic. At times, they commented on liking the previous look better. I switched up monthly.
There is so much history and a great sense of pride in African American hair. My nine-year-old son Nicholas encouraged me to write a children’s book about the beauty of my hair, and so I did.
Prince and His Mother’s Crown: Tales Within My Mother’s Hair is the story of a young boy whose wild imagination finds him on quests in which his mother’s hair is a source of adventure, fun, and safety. Pictures of a young Prince climbing his mother’s Rapunzel style braid honors her strength, while an image of him slaying a dragon in her curly afro shows where his sense of security lies.
Unlike most children’s picture books published with hair as a central theme, my book shifts the focus to a young boy loving his mother’s hair. The mother-son bond is crucial in shaping how boys will relate to others and treat people, especially women.
Whether it’s 1985 or 2020, in my family, a child’s love for their mother’s hair is a love that binds us together.
Shellice Beharie is the author of Prince and His Mother’s Crown: Tales Within My Mother’s Hair which is dedicated to the memory of her son Nicholas, whom the Lord took home in 2019. She resides in Southern California.
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Prince and His Mother’s Crown: Tales Within My Mother’s Hair
Shellice Beharie | Richa Kinra | Outskirts Press, Inc. | August 1, 2020 | PB | 25 Pages
