Do Dirty’s Daughter
Today I’m tasked with viewing the final remains of my father before his home going service. One of my favorite memories of my dad is from spring 1995, I was a Jr in H.S. and going to my first prom CGHS. I remember going to the mall with my friends and looking at the price tags and thinking, I’d likely have to steal my prom dress. #jokingnotjoking
But, thankfully my dad had a plan. He didn’t have the money, but he did work at a hospital and one day brought home a fashion magazine from that hospital. He told me to look through that magazine until I found a dress I wanted and I did. He took me to a fabric store and introduced me to a woman who helped me pick out fabric and a pattern. He bought me a Marta card and every couple of days two weeks, I rode the school bus home and then rode Marta to Piedmont hospital for a dress fitting. And as my dad cleaned those floors and took out the trash and completed whatever random responsibilities he was tasked with. I waited in a women’s locker room, where a woman measured me, then took that magazine picture, the fabric and pattern…and made me a dress!
I don’t remember the seamstress, I couldn’t tell you her name nor what it cost my dad to pull this off. I can only say that in 1995, I went to Prom and I had a black satin dress and it was one of a kind! #custommadedress #blackwomenmagic #blackfathersmatter #pearlgirl #blackgirlmagic #blackwomen #blackdadsmatter
