Flower Crown Mag: Issue 6

Table of Contents
Letter from the Editor
Crush on You by Tionni Warren
Lover’s Lunch by Aster Delgado
Fruitful by Aster Delgado
Independent Women: An interview with business
owner and makeup artist Stephanie Bennett
Bus Stop by Cailey Tervo
Black Feminists Through History by Liz D.
Besties by Emma Ra
Girlfriends by Shanice Brim
Page 3
Page 4
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 12
Page 18
Page 23
Page 24

Letter from the Editor
Female friendship is one of the most important things in my life. I’ve been so fortunate to not only have
been a part of some truly wonderful friendships but to have seen the beautfiul friendships my mother’s
been a part of. Women building community with one another has influenced my outlook on life. I can
honestly say that not looking at every woman as my enemy or as competition has made me a more a
carefree person. I don’t think there’s anything more intimate or influential as female friendships. We tell
each other all our secrets and have each other’s backs in ways that I don’t think men often understand.
I think the complexities and the intensely personal nature of our friendships make men nervous and this
has a lot to do with the way men talk and write about female friendship. This issue is a celebration of
female friendship. You’ll see the things our writers have bonded with their friends over, a comic about
looking for a friend, an article about friendship in pop culture, and beautiful images of friendship!.
Enjoy!
Take care of yourselves and each other,
Shanice

Crush On You
by Tionni Warren
My best friends, Shanice and Michelle and I were always super into obsessing about the hottest male
celebrity in young Hollywood. Mostly, we tended to have our own personal celeb crushes, but sometimes
we overlapped and had some epic but amicable battles on who would rise as victor and marry our
crushes. This sounds insane but I’m sure we weren’t the only teenage girls writing our celebrity crushes’
names on our binders. I for one, decorated my binder with pictures
of these guys. Here are the boys we went to war over between 2005-
2008.
Ryan Gosling was a major rift in our friendship. Shanice and I loved
this dude. But usually she beat me in celeb crushing status. She knew
his birthday, what his last name meant, and all of the movies he had
been in up until that point. I was purely a fan of his face and his work
in The Notebook.
{Note from Shanice: I will admit I was creepily obsessed with him.
lol. I knew everything there was to know about him.]
Source
Brandon Boyd was both a musical genius (he
is still one is in my eyes) and a great beauty to me
and Michelle. He fronted our favorite band, Incubus.
We were hardcore fans in high school and
it did not hurt that he was easy on the eyes. The
most embarrassing moments of our epic crush?
When I dressed as an Incubus groupie for Halloween
and Michelle said these words, “I would
lick the sweat from his body.” Yeah we were gross
teenage girls.
Source

Before Chris Evans was Captain America, he was Johnny
Storm in Fantastic Four. We loved his confidence, his wit, and
his beautiful, blue eyes. I’m not really sure what movie introduced
us to Evans and started the obsession but… he was tall,
dark, and handsome and that’s all we needed.
[Note from Shanice: The photos from the photoshoot the
picture to the right are from used to rotate as the backgroun
on my phone and our theatre teacher saw it one time and the
entire class took a little break to obsess over how good he
looked.]
Originally published in Flaunt Magazine
Whoa…Channing Tatum. I remember precisely when I spotted
Channing Tatum. I went to see Coach Carter with my friends
and I noticed the cute, bald guy that was always sort of in the
background of every scene. I became smitten and watched
all his films which were all teenage fodder back then – Step
Up, She’s the Man, A Guide To Recognizing Our Saints… we
never dreamed that Channing Tatum would be the big star he
is today.
[Note from Shanice: I know we all used to think he was hot
but I kind of find him really unattractive now??]

Shanice definitely set the precedent on this one. I’ve
always been a huge fan of James Franco, but Shanice
introduced me to his little brother, Dave Franco. He
was a slightly goofier looking version of James, but
something about him was incredibly adorable. At the
time he wasn’t doing too many movies, but his most
popular performance at the time was in “Acting with
James Franco.” His adorable reactions to his crazy
older brother won us both over in a heartbeat.
Source
Andy Samberg was the funny, dorky guy of the
group. Shanice made me watch a video by The Lonely
Island called “Regarding Ardy” and his sense of
humor won me over immediately. His goofy grin,
his jokes, and his cleft chin had us ready to be Mrs.
Sandberg. It’s funny to look at Samberg now – golden
globe winner, star of his own show (Brooklyn Nine-
Nine), and successful SNL alum and think about how
his broken pinky skit was a joke we would tell over
and over again in between classes.
[Note from Shanice: I’m so glad tumblr wasn’t a
thing when we were in high school cause I would’ve
done nothing but embarrass myself with my older
white man thirst. lol]
Source

Lovers’ Lunch
by Aster Delgado
“A lesbian’s best female friend is sometimes her lover/life partner as well.”
- Aster Delgado

Fruitful
by Aster Delgado
Aster V. Delgado is a Filipina lesbian artist based in Hamburg.
Aster started to paint in 1996 while she was still working at the Women’s Crisis Center in Manila.
From the beginning, her art has consciously dealt with the situation of women/lesbians. An additional
theme is animal life and nature. Her colorful and clear images reflect her political visions, her fantasies,
dreams and passions. Aster has exhibited her work in the Philippines, in Switzerland, Germany and the
Czech Republic.

Independent Women:
An interview with, Business Owner and Makeup
Artist, Stephanie Bennett
I found Pnkdigger through instagram one day and
became completely obsessed with it. Growing up I
was never into makeup. I would wear it on special
occasions but for the most part I didn’t really fool
with it. It wasn’t until I got out of college that I
became heavily interested in it. My favorite part
of my makeup routine is my lip color and Pnkdigger
is everything you could want in a lippie. I
ordered “Spring St.” as a treat for myself when I
got my first paycheck from my job and instantly
fell in love. Even though I’d seen the swatches I
wasn’t prepared for just how rich and vibrant it
looked on my lips. This stuff is magic. It looks
incredible and stays on forever. I get compliments
on it everywhere I go and it’s all cruelty free/
Source
homemade! It’s Black-owned, it’s woman-owned,
and it’s incredible. I was fortunate enough to get an interview with the creator of Pnkdigger and she
was gracious enough to offer a giveaway!! - Shanice
First thing’s first can you tell us a bit about
yourself?
I am an 11 year veteran makeup artist who
currently works for CNN. I attended Howard
University with a major in marketing, and
started to work part-time behind the makeup
counter my senior year. When I moved to
Atlanta after graduation, I continued my job
working behind the counter. I then decided
that I did not want to work in a cubicle and
that makeup was my passtion. Once I decided
that, my career grew and I landed a job at
CNN 5 years ago.
Spring St.

How did you first start creating the lippies?
I was always known for wearing every shade of pink
lipstick. It was my signature. Once Instagram came
along, I had a personal account and people would
always ask me what my lipstick I had on. So my
friends told me that I should create my own. I blew
it off for a while. But then I went through a bad
breakup and needed a hobby, and I started to create lippies.
Pnklanta swatches
Why did you decide on the name Pnkdigger and
what does it mean to you?
I am kind of known for being a gold digger, but I
am really in love with love. Pink is the color of
love, and I am more of a love digger.
Clairemont Rd. Swatches
What’s your process? Do you make the lippies on demand or do you have a schedule?
I do not make them on demand. I try to keep a stock of a certain amount. I attempt to keep a routine
schedule of when I make them, but I have not mastered it. Life gets in the way, and it is my second job.
What advice do you have for young women who want to start their own shops?
Do lots of research. The internet has everything you need to know out there. I knew nothing on creating
my own line, but I’m a great researcher. Take the time to save money, and don’t rush it. It’s
okay to start small, your profit can build the brand. I started PNK Digger with $1200 (and $500 was a
waste), bad packaging, and bad presentation. I am still rebranding the brand. I have never had to borrow
money, because I let PNK Digger create
the brand.
What’s your favorite color to wear?
Pnklanta is the first color and was my favorite,
but now I have been going more subtle and
nude with Clairmont Road.
Bankhead Shawtie swatches
You name your lippies after places in Atlanta. What do you love most about Atlanta?
The energy is very young and fresh. The city is full of dreamers and hustlers. Everyone has a hustle.
No matter how much their main job may pay, they have a side hustle. And people actually support
each other.

If one of our readers had one day to spend
in Atlanta what spots would you suggest they
check out?
Chattahoochie River
Well that just depends what is their cup of tea.
Do they want history and culture? Do they want
low key spots? Or the total turn up? One thing
though, Atlanta can provide it all.
You’re big on empowering women to take charge of their finances and careers, where do you get
your independent spirit?
My mom and grandma. They are true women who get to the money. They can make literally make a
$1.00 out of 50 cents. I have not gotten there yet, but I am on the way.
What’s the best beauty advice you’ve been given?
Don’t do anything that will change the rest of
your life (for the bad)
-Thanks Dad
What other online shops run by women do you
recommend?
Campbellton Rd.
Glamuniversity.com IG @glambar
Theglamatory.com IG @theglamatory
HairbyAJandlola.com IG @hairbyajandlola
Flychixatl.com IG @flychixatl
Luxforeverco.com IG @luxforeverco
Do you have any other projects in the works? If so can tell us about it and when we can expect it?
New Packaging. It’s costing me a great bit of money,
but it’s all PNK Digger money. It has taken me a year to
get it done, but it is getting done.
Stephanie was kind enough to host a giveaway with
us! Just reblog the issue on tumblr to win “Magic City”
pictured right.

Black Feminists
Throughout History
It’s Black History Month, and as always the main
(and only) names being mentioned are Martin Luther
King, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks. Although
Parks is a celebrated activist, she is often the only
name people can come up with when asked about
black women and the Civil Rights movement. And
even then, her name is often not connected with
feminism, likely because much of her legacy has
been erased or watered
down. It is easier
to remember her,
and many other black
women through history,
as coincidental
heroines. Women who
just happened to spark
movements. The narrative
that Rosa Parks
was a random woman
who just happened to
be tired and sat down
in the segregated
section of a city bus
is the one taught in
school, although in
reality she had been
involved in activism
before and after that
action, because the
trend has always been
to either ignore black
women completely,
or to minimize their
accomplishments.
So in honor of Rosa Parks, and the many other
black women who have been erased or underrepresented
throughout history, this is a brief overview
of five black feminists (because yes, Rosa
Parks was a feminist), or womanists, who changed
by Liz D.
the face of feminism as it exists today.
Sojourner Truth
Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth escaped and
became an abolitionist and an early advocate for
black women’s rights. She was a powerful and
magnetic speaker who accomplished much in her
lifetime. After escaping from slavery Sojourner
found out that one of
her children had been
illegally sold to another
plantation, and
she went to court in
order to get him back.
She won the case in
a landmark decision,
with it being one of
the first times a black
woman had ever won
a case against a white
man. She is also well
known for asking
the question, “Ain’t
I a woman?”, which
has become central
to much black feminist
thought. It was
a line from a speech
given she gave at the
Ohio Women’s Rights
Convention in 1851. It
is significant because
Sojourner Truth
with most feminism,
black women are commonly erased, but Sojourner
truth refused to have her existence, or those of
other black women, swept under the rug, and she
proudly asserted her right to claim both womanhood
and blackness in the same breath.

ell hooks
bell hooks
bell hooks is perhaps the name most associated with black women and feminism. She is a scholar who
has made many contributions to post-modern feminist thought and theory. Born in 1952 as Gloria Jean
Watkins, her upbringing and experience in segregated schools influenced her later thought. Her work
focuses on the importance of including race, class, ability, and other identities in feminist thought. This
is because the mainstream feminist movement, despite proclaiming its commitment to the empowerment
of “women”, often works only for the advancement of middle class white women. hooks’ called
out the racism and apathy of many leading white feminists, and in her book Ain’t I A Woman: Black
Women and Feminism, published in 1981, she questioned the role black women played in feminist
movements throughout history, and how the identities of blackness and femaleness, among others,
affected their experiences.

Marsha P. Johnson photographed by Warhol
Marsha P Johnson
Marsha P Johnson was a black trans woman who fought for the acknowledgment and inclusion of trans
women and women of color in society. She and fellow trans woman of color Sylvia Rivera, were the
initiators of the Stonewall Riots, which were an important event in queer history and the foundation
of the modern day pride movement. She worked to increase visibility of queer people of color, and
started different foundations to help her community, like one that provided homes for trans youth who
were kicked out. Marsha was found dead in 1992; initially ruled as a suicide despite the protests of
her family and friends, the case was reopened in 2012 by the NYPD. She was an icon, not just for the
queer community but for the black community as well. She represents not only just the endurance and
strength of black women, but also our beauty, our ingenuity, and our dedication. She was an artist and
an activist, a representation of all of the potential black women have even when inhabiting such marginalized
identities.

Angela Davis
Angela Davis
Angela Davis is a famous activist, educator, and writer. She was born in 1944, and became an active
member of the Communist Party USA and the Black Panthers. She was accused of being involved in a
conspiracy that ended in the deaths of four people in a courtroom, and was jailed for eighteen months
before being acquitted. Currently she teaches feminist studies at the University of Santa Cruz. She, like
bell hooks, also emphasizes the importance of intersectionality. She noted that black women, especially
during the Civil Rights Era, were asked to choose between the women’s movement and the black liberation
movement, neither of which fully encompassed their needs. She is also an advocate for ending
violence against women, noting that this violence can range anywhere from domestic violence to not
allowing lesbian couples to adopt children. One of her specific focuses is rape and the perpetuation of
rape culture. (We’ll be giving away her book Women, Race, and Class)

Beyoncé
Beyoncé
While the pop star is known globally for her strong vocals and hit songs, in recent years she’s clarified
her initially vague message of female empowerment and independence into full blown support of
feminism. Some would argue that feminism needs the strong and radical voices in order to create real
change, while others insist that feminism needs to become more accessible and mainstream in order
to be accepted. Both of these views have value; both are necessary for building a viable movement,
because people can contribute in different ways depending on their skills. Beyoncé has introduced
feminism to an entire generation of music fans who would have otherwise only encountered the term
in conjunction with incorrect stereotypes. She offers an alternative view of feminism; she is not the
bra-burning man hating stereotype of old. But she also isn’t the middle class college educated white
woman of mainstream feminism either. Of course Beyoncé’s particular brand of feminism, because it is
heavily influenced by her need to maintain a lucrative a specific image, can be problematic at times, she
is a step towards a more inclusive brand of feminism that is accepting of women of color.
All of these black women, and many more, have made great contributions to not only feminism, but to
the culture of activism in the United States as a whole. Recognizing the contributions of black women
is important, and not just during black history month. Their input has changed the shape and direction
of this nation, and learning about them not only honors their legacies, but enables modern feminists or

Besties
by Emma Ra

Girlfriends
by Shanice Brim
Sometimes it can be really hard to find good
images of female friendships. Women are often
portrayed as overly competitive and incapable of
having anything but “frenemies” yet there have
been some truly great examples of female friendship
despite this. Here are my top 5 female friendships
from film and tv.
The Golden Girls
I grew up watching this show with my mother.
When I was a kid it was a mainstay on Lifetime,
a channel my mom and I lived on (back when it
didn’t suck so much.) Sophia, Dorothy, Rose, and
Blanche were 4 fundamentally different people.
Thank you for being friend.
They had very different personalities, interests,
and tastes but they all loved each other. They didn’t always get along and some arguments were worse
than others but they showed us that you and your friends can pretty much work through anything if you
all make the effort! And if there’s late night cheesecake involved.
Leslie Knope and Ann Perkins!
Ann, you beautiful tropical fish.
home because you could tell it was made with love.
Leslie and Ann didn’t start out as friends. At first,
Leslie was kind of a pest but just like with every
other person in her life, Leslie weasled her way
into Ann’s heart. I loved these two because they
were a realistic portrayal of female friendship.
They had moments when they drunkenly yelled
at each other and didn’t see eye to eye but it was
never in the kind of bitter/underhanded spirit that
marks so many depictions of female friendship. It
was an incredible and honest vision of what female
friendship is really like. I am devastated that
the show is over. I’ve grown to love all the characters
on this show so much. This show felt like

portrayed as.
My giiiirlfriennnnnds
The Women of Girlfriends
Girlfriends is beyond underrated. I was kinda
young when this show came out and so I
couldn’t really relate to a lot of it at first. But as
I got older and Black faces on television grew
scarcer I appreciated it a lot more. It’s a pretty
big deal to have a TV show about (mostly)
successful Black women who have different
personalities and all love each other. Now when
you have this many Black women sharing a TV
show it’s usually a reality show and the women
usually hate each other. I appreciate that Joan,
Maya, Toni, and Lynn were all human beings
a thing we’re still fighting to see Black women
Abbi and Illana
Broad City is seriously one of the best shows I’ve seen in a very long time. I grew up watching all
these comedies about lovable male fuckups where the female characters seem to only exist to shake
their heads at the male leads. To have a show about two young women who have no idea what the hell
they’re doing is a relief. We don’t give young women the same leeway that we give men. We expect
women to be organized. To have things taken care of. To rescue everyone else from their terrible ideas.
We’re supposed to have plans. Unfortunately, with the economy and job market a lot of the plans young
people have made are kind of on hiatus and that includes young women. It’s so comforting to have a
show that recognizes that and to have two women who unapologetically love each other at the heart of
it.
The girls from Some Girls
I squeal a lot when I watch this show because it’s just so cute. First of all the lead character is a Black
girl which is highkey why I started watching it but I stayed because it’s just so heartwarming. There
definitely have been moments where I’ve been
really upset about some of the things that have
gone on between them but the girls always
work it out and try harder to be better to each
other in the end. I really wish this show had
come out when I was still in high school. The
show takes the girls, their friendship, and the
happenings of their lives very seriously. It’s not
afraid to depict the awkwardness of life, sex and
relationships in high school. Most teen shows
in the US either depict sex in a sensationalized
manner or give it the after school special treatment
but Some Girls keeps it real in a humorous
way. The girls all have vastly different lives and I really do try. Really do try. Really do tryyyy. a
goals but they all help and support one another. If you haven’t seen it go watch it now!!

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