Ludacris' Wife Eudoxie Opens Up About Miscarriage: "My Faith Has Been Tested"
Women experience loss on a more intimate level than any other creature on Earth. We've all mourned the death of a loved one, relationship, or even the loss of our own identities. Loss is inevitable, but nothing could be more traumatic than the death of someone who's life was conceived within your womb.
It's estimated that anywhere between 10-20 percent of pregnancies in the U.S. result in miscarriage, but the actual rate may be much higher because many happen before a woman knows that she's pregnant. Most miscarriages occur within the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, but 1 out of 5 pregnancies result in miscarriage in the second trimester. Since black women normally have higher risk factors, we have a higher chance of pregnancy loss - including miscarriages, stillbirths, and preterm births.
Yesterday, Ludacris and his wife Eudoxie celebrated Eudoxie's 32nd birthday with family and friends. The two were engaged after five years of dating, and married the same day in 2014. The couple announced last December that their New Year's Resolution was to have a baby boy in 2018, but yesterday, Eudoxie made a bold confession that inspired us all by showing gratitude despite surviving a heartbreaking experience.
She wrote on Instagram:
"This year didn't necessarily start off right for us. I had a miscarriage and needed to have surgery. It was very easy to complain and self pity but I refused to let the enemy win."
Born in West Central Africa, Gabonese Eudoxie endured physical and sexual abuse and came to America knowing only three words. If there's anybody who deserves a break, it's definitely Eudoxie, but she learned to focus on faith and count her blessings instead:
"I stayed faithful and prayed up. I spent hours focusing on the many ways the Lord has blessed me. How could I complain when God has blessed me with the opportunity to already experience motherhood?"
The couple are parents to a 2-year-old Cadence, the rapper's daughters from past relationships, Cai, 5, and Karma, 16, and also raise Eudoxie's younger sister from Gabon. Although they have a big happy family, only a mother who's loved and lost a child knows that the pain never diminishes.
NPR reported that black women are much more vulnerable to losing their babies, warranting some serious analysis. The numbers don't lie, and the numbers reveal that there are a multitude of women of color that deal with prenatal and postnatal loss every year. Although no hole can fill the loss of a child, Eudoxie says that she used gratitude to help her navigate through her emotional turmoil.
She continued in the post:
"I'm sharing this with you all to remind you to live in gratitude. When the enemy tries to knock you down, get even closer to your faith. My faith has been tested many times throughout my life but I'm only getting stronger. Life will not always go as planned and keeping a positive and grateful attitude will only bring more and bigger blessings."
Her strength to publicly confront her loss is admirable, and it teaches us a valuable lesson:
Your test will always result in a testimony.
Whatever your religion, you have to understand that there is an enemy that will kick you when you're down; but staying down is a choice. Eudoxie's brave confession teaches us that pain is inevitable but suffering is an option. There comes a time when your faith will be tested, but Eudoxie proves that if we keep our faith and our intentions aligned, we have infinite power.
Featured image by C Flanigan/Getty Images
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy