The inspiration behind the “I Do It For The Girls Who Twerk And Read Books” tee goes back to me just never fully feeling like I fit into one particular box. Since I can remember, I have always chosen “And” over “Or”. I've always questioned why we had to choose between parts of ourselves versus allowing ourselves to exist in wholeness rather than pieces. So, while the twerking and reading are very much so activities I thoroughly enjoy, the phrase goes far beyond that. It's about reclaiming our right to exist in multitudes. It's for the girls (and the guys) who embrace the energy of being multidimensional, or having many different facets, elements, or factors.
I think it's important for nuance to exist, for us as human beings to be able to express ourselves in ways that may not fit the status quo. I’m not sure whether people understand the concept behind the t-shirt or are just drawn to the provocation of two things that aren't usually paired, like twerking and reading. I mean, it definitely captures attention. I want to lean into multiple things being true because truth is actually more expansive than we give it space to be. I hope to start a movement. A cultural line dedicated to doing it for the girls and rooted in people being more open to exploring the layers of our humanity.
People are often reduced to a singular self-identity and encouraged to pick a single lane in how we experience life. From birth, we are forced into constantly editing ourselves to be more digestible and easier to categorize and contain. Multidimensionality is our birthright. It's our superpower, it's the thing that fuels our evolution. We were not created to be or stay one thing. We were not designed to be held hostage inside boxes. Our complexities are what make us beautiful. The world tries to flatten us into stereotypes, here, we celebrate depth. It’s okay to be a contradiction. The human experience is a spectrum. The I Do It For The Girls Who Twerk and Read Books shirt concept is a body of thought made wearable. It connects you to the “Choose AND” philosophy.
The core principles of this philosophy are:
“And” Is The Point
Choosing “And” gives you options and possibilities. Many things can be true, many parts can be experienced, many directions can be explored. The “And” holds the power to choose as often as you need to.
Wholeness is Evolutionary.
It's a disservice to who we are every time we pick ourselves apart out of insecurity, shame, or fear, or in an attempt to make ourselves smaller to fit into molds. To fit in is to lose oneself. It is in wholeness that we discover freedom. To be whole is to be liberated. Choosing wholeness is a radical act.
Letting Yourself Exist In Possibility Is Respectable
Respectability politics tells you that if you just present yourself correctly, if you speak right, move right, want the right things in the right order, you will be granted access, safety, or dignity. It is a lie told most aggressively to women, to Black people, to anyone whose full humanity has historically been considered inconvenient. Society has always been more comfortable with people it can categorize. Pick a lane. Stay in it. Be one thing clearly so that others can decide quickly what you are worth and where you belong. This movement does not negotiate with that stifling framework.
I have always believed that the most powerful people are the ones who refuse to shrink themselves into something more digestible. The curious, the wanderers, the black sheep, the ones who sit at the intersection of every category they've been handed are usually the most honest people in the room.
At the end of the day, the girl who twerks carries knowledge in her body. The girl who reads carries freedom in her mind. And yes, both can exist within the same being. This is the philosophy behind the shirt. It's an ongoing practice to show up whole. The world will keep offering us “the box,” but we don’t have to choose it. We can choose depth over digestibility. You can choose to twerk AND to read.
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