From fashion school and life on the east Coast, CeCe Taylor has recently moved to the Pacific Northwest. Her love of work in the fashion industry and the environment caused her to seek out the city of Portland. It only took one visit for her to want to live here. Taylor is attracted to the size of Portland and it’s sense of community. She’s currently working at one of the five companies she set out to gain employment with.
Taylor is also actively creating a line of her own work and incorporating her philosophies such as veganism and kindness. One of the pieces she designed and wore to the Be Seen Be Heard photoshoot. A stunning, flowy outer layer that gave her a beautiful look for some of her shots.
She explains, “I want to design a vegan line that's also sustainable and earth friendly, environmentally friendly and using African sensibilities. I want to make vegan fashion and my brand, affordable for people.”
“I want to design a vegan line that's also sustainable and earth friendly, environmentally friendly and using African sensibilities. I want to make vegan fashion and my brand, affordable for people.”
After introductions, Taylor pointed to her sleeve tattoo. Each came with a story and deeply personal symbolism. Getting her first tattoo was a big leap as it was viewed as a sin at the Church she attended. It was a pivotal moment for her to choose her own path against the church’s views. For Taylor, it was the passing of her grandmother that outweighed the church’s judgement. A tattoo of an orchid for her grandma was to remember how my grandma was her own woman and she never let people dictate her life. Other flower tattoos decorate her body: calla lilies, as they are her mom's favorite flower, carnations which are my Aunt's favorite flower, tulips for a great aunt; a peacock feather for friends who have been with her through the good and bad, and a beehive to represent the importance of such a community.
Community, has had a positive influence on Taylor’s growth over the years, supporting the journey to her own self freedom. Freedom to be authentic and to believe in herself and have her own opinions about the world while putting less weight on what others think. She is thankful for all the strong Black women her in life growing up. Taylor emphasized that a key element to her personal growth was when she went off to college. That made her who she is today & strongly recommends this path to others.
Taylor’s family supported her through the times when she came up against racial remarks and unsettling dynamics. Taylor shared a few incidents when racial slurs were tossed around and directed at her. Words spoken when she was initially too young to understand but quickly learned. On one occasion as kids, a white woman approached her and her brother and asked about her brother’s speech. Her brother, who is mentally challenged, and Taylor were talking among themselves, and because this woman was a stranger, chose not to answer her, to which the woman made a racial slur towards them, equating them to animals. It became a childhood memory for Taylor.
As an adult, Taylor is very aware that she needs to always be on her toes. She spoke about the fear that any day, on any occasion, violence could be directed at her or a member of her family. Regarding the repeated violence toward Black people both past and recent:
“That could have been me you know, that could have been anyone that I've known.” Taylor says.
Taylor is highly aware of what is going on and feels the effects of being a Black woman during this time. She stays alert considering her whereabouts and replays scenarios in her head to be certain she knows how to act in any given situation, such as being pulled over in her car for example. She is cautious and aware when she and her fiancé are out together as he is white and she is Black. She tunes into people who are staring and automatically assesses the situation as to whether it is of concern or not. An exhausting level of alertness on a daily basis.
The effects of stereotyping is a part of her world: “How many people get triggered by the words Black Lives Matter? I've never seen anyone getting triggered by the words ‘all lives matter’ or ‘blue lives matter’. It's just when the word ‘black’ is in the sentence, people get triggered.” Taylor has hopes that people are paying attention, as the repetitive cycle of such dynamics often seems endless. She doesn’t want to see it fizzle out or become the norm, she wants to see justice.
“I want to see someone get convicted and go to jail. I don't want this to become a new norm of another Black person has died, they're going to become another hashtag.”
Taylor finds solace and strength in remembering back to when she was proposed to by her partner. They were together by a river, just the two of them. She understands the complexities of an interracial marriage, explaining, “At that moment he was ready to take on that challenge and I knew that okay, he's going to fight for this. He loves me and he wants his future with me.” There were no second thoughts, just a resounding yes! It was a time she felt all was right with the world. That together they could take on any adversity and approach the future with joy.
Taylor is on the journey of becoming her more authentic self. A path she has been on since her youth. If she had anything to tell her younger self it would be to take more risks and express who she is more fully. Not to worry about being different.
She feels her resiliency now. Coming into her own womanhood has brought more urgency for social justice, and more personal expression. Taylor advocates for support for Black Lives Matter through protests and/or donations.
“To invest ourselves in any way we can to further justice. This movement is a revolution. I think while we're in this moment we need to keep pushing forward (and) even though we may not see change right away.”
Interview & story by Jennifer Randall
Editing: Calcio Rose & Shawnalee Anderton
Photographs: Shawnalee Anderton
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