Senegal To The World!
Khoudia Diop, aka Melanin Goddess, shares her love for traditional Senegalese wear and her Wolof heritage in this gorgeous photo series.
Titled, NYENYO, the name of the caste her family originates from in Senegal, she represents an element of her identity she’s not only proud of but embraces fully—and looks like a queen while doing it.
“Nyenyo, also known as ‘teug’ or ‘ngengo,’ are the blacksmiths and metalworkers of the Senegalese caste system. In her family’s case, they are jewelry makers and gold workers,” Victory Jones of The Colored Girl says in a press release. “Although caste systems are used as a stringent class system, and cultural identifier to maintain hierarchy in many different cultures in parts of the world, Khoudia embraces her Nyenyo heritage and doesn’t see the label as a hindrance. Rather, she sees it as part of the fabric of her identity, her family’s history and the overall story of her people.”
Diop indeed has a family history to be proud of. Her grandfather helped build the Malaaw monument in Dakar.
“The monument is a giant horse and represents loyalty between the kings and their animals (horses),” she says.
