Wrap Star Ann-Marie Davy
“After joining the group, it dawned on me that the head wrap was an integral part of my womanhood….I wrap my head to reclaim and own the pride and responsibility my foremothers left me”.
I am pleased to introduce you (our wonderful audience) to this week’s featured WrapStar Samira Mifatou Addrey. I wanted to do things a little differently this week and let Samira do most of the talking. So, we will learn about Samira and her style of head wrapping through question and answer format.
First, I asked Samira to tell us a little about herself. 
To which she said: “I am a part-time working woman, part-time student, fashionista, outspoken socio-political critic and activist, photographer, daughter, sister, and friend” who aspires to be a physician. Well Samira, I look forward to seeing a picture of you in a white coat, stethoscope and a head wrap.
Ann-Marie: Samira tell us, why do you wrap your head?
Samira: “I wrap my head for various reasons. But the most important being my chance to reclaim and own the pride and responsibility my foremothers left me. In my Ghanaian upbringing, a popular concept called Sankofa often inspired me. Sankofa demands that we reach back and retrieve important values and for me there is a collective memory and pride that is embedded in the head wrap worth reaching back for. In other words, I’m tapping into something very old and sacred.
Ann-Marie: Why did you join the group “Headwraps & WrapStars”?
Samira: I joined the group after participating in a Facebook event, the first “Rock Your Wrap” day, created by you, Ann-Marie Smiles. (smiles) After joining the group it dawned on me that the head wrap was an integral part of my womanhood. It brought my spiritual and cultural identity journeys together full circle. This group ignited certain pride I had never experienced before. It taught me how encompassing the art of head wrapping can be.
Ann-Marie: Wow, I’m touched and honored that our group has had such a significant impact. So Samira, how long have you been wearing head wraps?
Samira: “I wore head wraps for religious and cultural reasons most of my life but have been actively wearing wraps for a few months now. I remember making a decision during my senior year in High School to wear my Hijab (the Islamic form of head covering) for the entire year. I felt a need to do so because most of my schoolmates, coming from heavily Jewish and Christian backgrounds, knew little to nothing about Islam. I can say that decision was fruitful as well as challenging. 
More of my friends and classmates opened up to learning about Islam through the initial question regarding why I was wearing a hijab. When I started college, I went back to occasionally wearing the hijab because I felt like a stranger in a new place and I didn’t want to stand out. I’ve struggled with the idea of feeling restricted to my hijab mainly because my parents never pressured me to wear it while growing up. So I used to wear it whenever we went to the mosque or to Islamic functions.”
Dear readers, just a quick note about the hijab for those who may have missed our previous introduction in It’s A Wrap 6. The term hijab refers to the modest covering of both the head and body worn in public by some Muslim women. A hijabi is a woman that wears the hijab. There are multiple styles of hijab head dresses, such as the Mandil, where the entire face is revealed; the Afghan Burqa which is a complete covering from head to toe, including the eyes covered with a mesh type of material; the Niqab, leaves the area around the eyes revealed while covering the remainder of the face. I would like to note that there are also different versions of the Burqa and even more versions and names for the hijab head wraps.
Samira goes on to say: “In the past year, my hijabi identity has blossomed especially with the help of this beautiful group and lots of wonderful YouTube videos! I now wear my hijab in ways that I feel are modest yet fashionable. I don’t feel my Muslim self is segregated from my African self, they are merging into something I am loving. I stand more comfortable and open with my identity as a Muslim woman who is also African”.
Ann-Marie: What is your favorite way or style to wrap your head?
Samira: You will find me rocking head wraps any time and at any place. My favorite style is the 4 minute wrapping style taught by WrapStar Ann-Marie Smiles. It is easy and quick for a woman like me who is always on the go. I rock my wraps with professional, casual and ceremonial wear; all, of course, with a dab of western and eastern flavors. Head wrapping is an art and lifestyle that I find to be limitless and liberating.
Ann-Marie: What kind of challenges, if any, have you faced in regard to wrapping your hair?
Samira: “Not long after joining the group, I decided to wear my head wrap to work. Apprehensive towards the nature of my workplace, a high-end retail department store, I went ahead anyway. Images of my beloved late Ghanaian grandmothers rushed to my mind’s eye and I felt encouraged. Before I could even walk out the door that morning, my mother exclaimed her pride and approval, something that meant the world to me. And when I got to work, coworkers and customers showered me with praises. After a few days of wrapping to work, a few coworkers even asked me to teach them how to wrap their heads. That made me very happy and proud. Questions I had avoided facing about wrapping my head as an African woman and as a Muslim woman became more comfortable for me even if it was just me and the mirror on the wall. It really mattered to me that I remained true to myself. All the while, I also yearned to be a vessel of understanding for those who were unaware. Head wrapping has been liberating and constantly inspiring. I will never forget the summer of 2011!”
For more interesting commentary by Samira, please check her out in the Facebook group, Headwraps & WrapStars .
Please join CaribDirect, Sandal Solé®’, and Headwraps & WrapStars as we congratulate this week’s feature, Samira Addrey! Thank you, Samira Addrey for your insightful and enlightening commentary and congratulations on being chosen for as the feature of the week.
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