Dear Backers,
Firstly, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your support and contributions towards the success of the BlackTravelBox crowdfunding campaign. Your enthusiasm and commitment to our mission have been truly inspiring, and I'm humbled by your support. While we still have quite a ways to go, I'm really excited for the momentum thus far.
So, I was going to give you a synopsis of what exactly we have planned for our warehouse and how scaling our space will be a gamechanger for scaling the business. (I'll do that next week)
But then I got an email today that made me ugly cry for all the right reasons.
I'm not going to share all the details so as to hold it special in my own heart and the privacy of the family but I will share a couple excerpts...
BLACK TRAVEL BOX WILL FOREVER BE LINKED TO ONE OF MY LAST MEMORIES WITH MY GRANDMOTHER. (she put it in all caps, I swear)
...I [traveled abroad] to see my grandmother in the hospital. After crying and hugging me, she immediately went for my mane. [she previously said my hair reminded her of her own coily, thick, crown in her youthful days] She had lou gehrig's disease, also known as ALS [so] she could no longer speak... Her smile and fingers in my hair made my day.
I pulled out my Black Travel Box Body Balm to moisturize her hands and massage her hair, but before I could take a dollop out, my grandmother, snatched the product out of my hand and stuffed it in her purse. I guess she thought it was a gift for her. I couldn't ask for it back...
...my grandmother made her transition from time to eternity. I couldn't tell you today where the body butter is, but it will forever be a product linked to the shared love my grandmother and I have for Blackness, beauty, self-care, and authenticity.
If you're not crying by now... Lord have mercy, I was glad I didnt wear makeup today because it was full on snot bubbles of gratitude. I swear I forget that we're changing things significantly for women of color, Black women, marginalized women.
Beauty may seem a bit frivolous as a category but for anyone who has struggled to love every inch of themselves its a no brainer to have brands that celebrate your uniqueness - and does so in a way that's authentic, not pandering.
Listen, you may not be able to relate to the ritual of Black hair care but I bet you can relate to the feeling of love and of being 'seen' that she shared with us.
I want us to be seen.
Sincerely,
Orion
P.S. She sent photos too, her grammy was so adorable. I really appreciate her sharing that with me.