SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - What an unforgettable two days! From Coils to Crowns marked its powerful debut as a heartfelt celebration of culture, confidence, and community inspiring youth to embrace their heritage and wear their crowns with pride.
Hosted across Charlotte Brookson Academy, Sundial School, and Sr. Borgia Elementary School, the event brought together over 120 students in a dynamic program exploring hair heritage, self-expression, and identity. Through storytelling, performance, and creative engagement, students reflected on the beauty of natural hair, its history and link to our African ancestry and the deeper meaning of self-acceptance.
Organizer Soidi Sorhaindo-Illis expressed immense gratitude for the overwhelming response:
“My heart is full as I reflect on what we’ve created together. Seeing our students connect with their roots and celebrate their identity reminded us all that our culture is powerful and alive.”
The success of this initiative was made possible through various sponsors in our community and their generous support like: Prime Distributors, Nestlé, and Carl & Sons, whose contributions helped transform a vision into a vibrant experience.
A heartfelt thank-you also goes to the dedicated team who worked tirelessly behind the scenes “the true crown behind the crown” ensuring every detail reflected purpose, passion, and pride.
Special acknowledgment is extended to Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied (CCG) for believing in this vision and supporting the program’s development from concept to reality.
To every student who participated, performed, and shared their voice thank you for reminding us why this work matters. You are the future, and your crowns shine bright.
From Coils to Crowns is only the beginning. Together, we will continue to celebrate our roots, rhythm, and resilience as we reclaim our identity one crown at a time. As From Coils to Crowns continues to grow, we encourage our wider community schools, parents, cultural leaders, and businesses — to join in creating initiatives that educate, empower, and uplift the next generation. Together, we can do more. Do not be afraid to start, to collaborate, and to build spaces that celebrate our heritage and identity while building stronger communities.
https://www.soualiganewsday.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=63482:from-coils-to-crowns-reclaiming-our-identity&Itemid=450
