The Power of Headscarves to Unite
I was thinking about headscarves this morning as I read some blogs about Whole World Baby. It seems that they have so often been a symbol of division. They have seemed to identify us as different from each other. We see someone in a headscarf and think, “Oh, she’s Indian, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Russian Orthodox, Hindu, Eastern European, African, a fashion model or even perhaps bravely battling cancer.” How has this simple fashion accessory come to tear us apart as we reduce the wearer to a mere label?
Scarves have been worn by Christian women in Medieval times, sports fans all the time and on the Prairies of America at one time. They have been part of traditional Armenian, Norwegian and Chinese fashion. They’ve been banned, fought over and forced on some women. They have done equal time in the fields and on the runways. They’ve been a sign of pride, respect, social distinction, culture, religious beliefs and even ridicule.
Isn’t it time that we decide to use this simple accessory as a sign of our togetherness rather than our separateness. To honor all traditions and remember that at some point all of our ancestors wore some sort of headscarf. Shouldn’t it allow us to start conversations about our unique histories rather than stop conversations in our modern world? If this little piece of fabric is going to have so much power, shouldn’t it be to bring us together?
These are the questions we asked ourselves as we created Whole World Baby and our intention has always been to be a part of the answer.
