Put on your Sunday clothes and join Black fashion designers at Crowns Tea

Andrea Hancock, The Norman Transcript, Okla.
·2 min read

Feb. 20—In observance of Black History Month, Norman Public Library will host the 19th annual Crowns Tea this Sunday.

Inspired by "Crowns: Portraits of Women in Church Hats," a book of photography by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry, Crowns Tea celebrates Black art, culture and expression. This year's tea party will focus on fashion.

"We always encourage guests to dress up and wear a hat — put on their Sunday best, as it were," said Loren Hinton, a librarian and one of the tea's organizers. "Just come out and learn something perhaps new, or learn more about an aspect of African-American art and culture."

As with any proper tea party, refreshments will be provided. The University of Oklahoma's Black Creative Circle will perform choir songs, and a panel of stylists and tattoo artists will discuss fashion and body art as it relates to identity and culture.

After the panel, the Norman Public Library has partnered with Oklahoma Black Fashion Week to present a fashion show featuring the work of local designers. When the show is over, attendees can strut down the catwalk themselves and visit with the library's photographer to get a portrait taken.

"When you go to church, you dress up, clean up, look as good as you can. And so that really was a place where a lot of Black families kind of showed out, you know, put their best foot forward," Hinton said. "I think modern day, we don't really have as many opportunities to do that."

Hinton said that while the event recognizes how churchgoing provided a space for fashion and culture to develop, the event is secular and focuses on education rather than religion.

For those who grew up with church representing a community center, the event can create a sense of nostalgia; for those who didn't, it's an opportunity to learn about how community and culture formed in Black social circles.

The organizers of Crowns Tea encourage anyone interested to attend, regardless of their race.

"I think that no matter who you are, no matter what ethnicity, we can all come together and have fun," said Charlotte Gordon, a longtime collaborator with Crowns Tea. "We don't have to talk politics or social class. We can come to each other and enjoy each other's company on a level footing."

Crowns Tea will be held Feb. 25 from 2 to 4 p.m. at The Well. Attendance is free. To register, visit pioneer.libnet.info/event/9979150.