As one of the cover girls for Essence's May issue (with Ledisi and Solange Knowles being the other two), our girl Erykah Badu talks about embracing her natural beauty. In a recent behind-the-scenes video the publication posted online, Badu also opened up about marriage, motherhood, and carving out her independence. Turns out the singer grew up watching and learning from the strong women around her.
"I came from a long line of matriarchs. There was not a lot of marriage and partnership that I saw as a child," she said. "I saw strong women: grandmothers, great-grandmothers raising grandchildren, the next generation of children, and children and children. I learned from them a lot of things. They weren't just mothers. They were also individual human beings who had careers, and ambitions, and jobs, and lovers, and lives. I learned from them that in my own motherhood, as a woman, I can also be Erykah, and grow as Erykah. And I think that's a beautiful gift to have. Just the knowing of that."
What a beautiful treat it must have been for Badu, now a mother of three, to grow up watching women standing strong, setting goals for themselves, and achieving them despite their relationship status.
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(Photo: Tyler golden/ BET)