Chastity's WORDS. OUR SHOES.

CHASTITY TALKS BODY POSITIVITY, CELEBRATING DIFFERENCES AND LIVING YOUR TRUE SELF

WE ALL HAVE BEAUTIFUL BODIES

theCURVYcon celebrates body positivity and plus size women. There aren’t really a lot of safe spaces for plus size women where they are not ridiculed — we created theCURVYCon to be able to give women a weekend of feeling good, so that they can bring that great energy to their lives and hopefully retain it for the year until they return.

Fortunately, I’m able to live my purpose everyday. Body positivity is a platform to uplift other women, so maybe that is activism. I don’t know if I consider myself to be an activist or just a person who speaks up, but I am able to reach so many people through social media. I’m able to give people a diverse image, people who are not being seen in the mainstream media due to size, race, height, even religion. Social media has diversified the playing field. It allows you to celebrate yourself and the differences in other women.

EMBRACE THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU DIFFERENT

There’s a saying that plus size women are meant to be doctors, and lawyers, and politicians, and teachers, and raise their families so that this world can be a better place. But for me, what I have today is enough for me to move forward. That’s been helpful to me as I quit my corporate job, became an entrepreneur, and have done my part to make fashion more inclusive.

I don’t have children, but I am an aunt, so making sure that I talk about myself in a good way, that I’m not trying to change myself into oblivion, because I feel like young girls are getting messages that aren’t healthy for them. Embrace the things that make you different, because it’s the thing that people gravitate towards. It’s interesting because now it’s the things that made me stick out that are the reason I’m able to do the work I do.

TODAY WE WILL IS ABOUT CELEBRATING YOURSELF

It means that you are going to take charge of your life today, you are going to start something new today, you are going to move forward today. It’s being your most authentic self: I act the way I feel, and it changes day to day, but as long as you’re kind and as long as you take care of yourself, you live your true self.

EVERY WOMAN DESERVES THE ABSOLUTE BEST THE WORLD CAN OFFER

The things that make me stick out are the reason that I’m able to do the work that I do, advocating for people. Big, small, whatever your appearance may be, there’s no wrong way to live as a woman. And if we are in a position to speak up for someone what can’t speak for themselves, we have an obligation to do that.

We are mothers, we are businesswomen, we are caretakers to those around us and our families so I want to be sure that women are celebrating themselves and we celebrate ourselves. We know there are those who can’t speak for themselves, so it is up to all of us to boost each other, lift each other up, to make sure everyone knows how important they are.