You’re likely quite familiar with the voice of Candice Marie Benbow. In 2016, she created the viral “Lemonade Syllabus” based on Beyoncé’s magnum opus; she then wrote about the other side of heartache with her popular essay “4:43,” which used Jay-Z’s 4:44 Album as inspiration. Benbow is not only a critic of pop-culture moments but also a theologian, with degrees from Duke Divinity School, North Carolina Central University and Tennessee State University. She uses her platform as a platform to advocate for Black Christian women of faith, discussing everything from misogynoir, feminism, love, grief and resilience in her writings.
Her first collection, essays Red Lip Theology: For Church Girls Who’ve Considered Tithing to the Beauty Supply Store When Sunday Morning Isn’t Enough—available now—celebrates Black womanhood and proves there is strength in being vulnerable. Here, Candice Marie Benbow opens up about her debut book and discusses why she has always chosen to live in her truth–regardless of the consequences.
Nobody slays like Black women. That’s why everyone tries to be like us, but nobody can slay like us. Red Lip TheologyThis fact is honored. It’s my way of thinking through what it means to be a Black millennial woman of faith. How can I thrive in the intersection of faith & feminism? What kind of theological growth is included in that?
I was in divinity school when I had to go through a very, very difficult breakup. The book’s title is inspired by a promise that I made to my best friend following the breakup: to look my best no matter what. Every morning, I got up at the right time to put on my full makeup. I discovered that that ritual helped me remember who I was during difficult times.
When I think about faith for me, it was in that moment. The table of contents and the structure of the chapters in Red Lip TheologyFollow a beauty routine. I felt it was important to acknowledge Black women’s creativity in the beauty industry, as that is where we thrive. Choosing that format allows us to have a conversation about faith that doesn’t center men—that was also important to me.
The book explores all types of relationships and the complexity they can create. It’s grounded in the relationship with my mother and the failed attempts at a relationship with my biological father. My own failed romantic relationships and my failure to respect boundaries. These experiences are a chance for sisters to discover their faith through my own failures. I don’t shy away at all from sharing my life because that’s the only way that I genuinely believe we’ll be able to achieve freedom and wholeness. Sometimes you just need to watch how someone else does it.
Source: Glamour
