Part IV – Guest Editor: Brenda Brunson-Bey, Founder & CEO, Tribal Truths

by Celestine Wilson,
Owner, The Celestine Collection

The goal of my Celestine Collection of gemstone jewelry and nourishing beauty products is to uplift and empower through products that allow people to “Dress the Spirit” — inside and out.

My journey to entrepreneurism began as a youngster, observing brilliant, powerful women in my family create beauty and beautiful things with passion. I grew up in a household that revered music, art and nature, respected family, embraced our indigenous culture, and balanced hard work with an appreciation for elegance.

My mother, Carole, and maternal grandmother, Nana Celestine, were craftswomen, culinary and couture artists. Nana made cakes from scratch and played the piano without benefit of precise formal lessons.
When Nana transitioned, we went through her belongs and you could see how much of a fashion queen she was; every bag had its scarf, leather gloves, shoes and hat.

“Big Mama,” my paternal grandmother, like Nana Celestine was, a loving, spiritual lady, who migrated from the South Carolina to escape racial injustice and economic inequality. In her back yard she grew nature’s bounty — a garden of fruit and vegetables like tomatoes, cherries collards and a concord grape vine.

When Nana transitioned, we went through her belongs and you could see how much of a fashion queen she was; every bag had its scarf, leather gloves, shoes and hat.

“Big Mama,” my paternal grandmother, a loving, spiritual and church-going lady, also migrated from South Carolina to North to escape segregation, racial injustice and economic inequality. In the back yard she grew fruit and vegetables like tomatoes, cherry’s collards and a concord grape vine. She was often in the kitchen cooking or baking.

I am a beauty products creator, jewelry designer, and teacher who learned from those family matriarchs the importance of paying attention to life’s small things.

Outside the family, friends with shared interests, played a major role, too, in encouraging my interests.
I started making jewelry just by asking a friend, jazz cellist Nioka Workman, a crafter, about beads and supplies. I transformed hand-painted cowrie shells into fine jewelry and sold them to friends and family, before selling them to markets, churches and beauty salons. Working with gemstones and glass beads brought healing and meditation to me, and more followers.

Other businesses, business owners and business collectives encouraged my entrepreneurial dreams.
I was inspired by entrepreneur Lisa, creator of the Carol’s Daughter enterprise. Her work with beauty products expanded my creativity and inspired my interest in developing a line of beauty products of my own.

She inspired many other entrepreneurs, too! My family used hair oil, hair creams, shampoos, conditioners, body jellies and body butters. When I participated in street fairs and sold Carol’s Daughter products, customers would say to me “Are you Carol’s daughter?” I would respond and say, “Yes, I am Carole’s daughter but not the Carol’s daughter who you are thinking of because my mom’s name is Carole too. Carole with an ‘e’.”

I admired Lisa and her husband because they had a niche in a market that was not tapped into. They made products that addressed our specific needs and they really worked. There was no other melanated entrepreneur that I knew that made products for us during that time period.

She was in “da hood” and I had access to her.
Then, I connected with Brenda Brunson-Bey w invited me to carry my products at 4W Circle of Art & Enterprise, the Ft. Greene-based business collective. “4W”, run by Selma Jackson, allowed me to have a permanent space, there.

Brenda, Selma and 4W allowed me to be me whether it was through modeling in the fashion shows with the “Diaspora Art Collective,” filming the other artists on social media, being featured in one of the spring shows, supporting the Cooperative concept or just simply displaying my wares and supporting my products in a quality venue.

My family, the Brooklyn business community, and sisters helped shape who I am today as a teacher, designer, entrepreneur and one who dresses the spirit — inside and out.