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ABC/Lorenzo BevilaquaLast week, Atlanta-based hairstylist Shabria posted her exchange with 4-year-old Ariyonna while doing her hair on Instagram. She was heartbroken after the young girl looked into the camera and said, “I’m so ugly.”
Shabria, who goes by Lil Wave Daddy on Instagram, immediately embraced hthe young girler, responding with “You are so pretty” and other words of affirmation, which resulted in Ariyonna crying.
“We must uplift our queens,” Shabria wrote in a caption, concluding her post by asking viewers to keep Ariyonna in their prayers, and to keep lifting up our future.
The viral post ha since received tons of support from celebrities on social media.
In an Instagram story, former first lady Michelle Obama wrote, “Ariyonna, you are gorgeous. In a world that sometimes tries to say otherwise, I want to tell you — and every other beautiful, intelligent, brave black girl — just how precious you are.”
Jada Pinkett Smith said, “This made me cry. Kudos to this beautiful woman for loving on this beautiful child! We gotta love on each other! This made my heart sing.”
According to Good Morning America, Viola Davis declared, “From a sista who looks a lot like you….you were born worthy therefore you were born beautiful!”
Laverne Cox chimed in, “Teaching stunningly beautiful brown girls like this one to see her profound beauty and worth is our work. Let’s get busy.”
Actress Cynthia Erivo also left a comment, saying, “Tell her that she’s just like me, brown skin with a gap in her teeth and I KNOW she’s beautiful. Always.”
Hair Love‘s Matthew Cherry started the hashtag #ArtworkForAriyonna for artist to express their support for Ariyonna through illustrations.
Today, Ariyonna is happy and smiling, saying in a new video, “I’m black and beautiful. Thank you everyone!”
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