Jen Hayes Lee Wrote The Golden Hoops To Teach Their Magic
Jen Hayes Lee Is Teaching The Magic Of Hoop Earrings To Black Kids
“Golden hoops have a really important significance to me,” said author Jen Hayes Lee. “One of my earliest memories was receiving my first pair of golden hoops from my mom.”
She recalled the sweet moment from her Chicago childhood that made her want to share the tradition with children all over the world. “My mom came in and she presented me with my first pair of golden hoops, and even at that young age, I remember acknowledging that she was also wearing hoops at the time that she gave them to me, so very early on, it felt like a bridge that connected me to her, and I always associated hoops with not only her but other amazing Black women in my community,” she continued. “They were really tiny little hoops, and just over the years, I would continue to get new hoops, every couple years.”
The (Gold) Circle Of Life
As Hayes Lee grew up, she found her own way to continue the tradition. “They would get a little bigger, a little bit bigger, and sometimes they’d have a little intricate dangles. Sometimes they were just the pure gold hoop, but once I started wearing hoops, I really never stopped.”
They marked her special occasions and life transitions. “I do remember going into Macy’s and actually going to the fine Jewelry section,” she said. “I invested.” They made her feel stylish and powerful.
Hayes Lee developed a character to highlight an asset that helped her as a little girl. “I was always a very curious kid, so that was probably a sentiment that felt very natural for me,” she said. Throughout the story, a young girl grows more confident by learning the history of the hoops. The character is rewarded for her strong intellect and spirited nature, setting an important example for Black children.
“I think that is the essence of growth. It’s the essence of becoming to lean into those curiosities and to discover more about yourself more about what you like, more about what you know gives you that spark and what gives you that joy, and I really wanted Janie, the heroine of the book, to be able to be conveyed going through that process.”
Channeling The Spirit
She set out to find someone to bring the story to life, once she had its path in her sights.
“The process to find an illustrator was a really special and intimate process because it’s literally like matchmaking,” she said. Publishers paired her with potential partners. One appeared capable of executing her vision.
“I met Mokshini, and I saw her art style. I instantly fell in love, because it was so, fashion forward, but it was also somewhat nostalgic, and it had a classicness to it that that really felt like the right pairing because I wrote The Golden Hoops with an intent for it to become a classic book that that stayed on shelves for a very long time,” Hayes Lee continued. The multi-disciplinary artist had a technique that served the author’s vision well. “I just didn’t want it to look like digital art. I wanted the illustrations to be fine art, and that is exactly what Mokshini brought to the table.”
Symbol of Sisterhood
The Golden Hoops connects the accessory to their true origin, something that could be forgotten in a world of flashing microtrends. “This was my opportunity to not only remind myself but to be able to create a love letter to our community about the things that we hold precious that we hold dear that we uplift, as something that is important is to be cherished,” said Hayes Lee.
Like long fingernails, cornrows, and satin bonnets before them hoop earrings have been subject to cultural appropriation. Titles like this help little people set the record straight.
“I also, in a way, wanted to claim that this tradition of wearing hoops, wasn’t just a passing trend or something that, you know, some Instagram model could say was cool today, and out tomorrow. But to say that, no, no, this is something that has been a part of our tradition that goes back,” she continued. “It was a way for me to accomplish several things. At one time, it was to center this young black child, specifically young black girl in the story, was to be able to share her history, had importance to show that she could stand on a legacy of incredible women over hundreds and hundreds of years.”
The heroine in the story connects to herself and other women through the hoops’ power.
“For me, that is what the gold Hoops have always represented something bigger than just jewelry. It’s about being a part of a sisterhood,” said Hayes Lee.
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Jen Hayes Lee Is Teaching The Magic Of Hoop Earrings To Black Kids was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
