T-shirts for Black Women

Queen Hatshepsut (1503-1482 B.C.)

I am Hatshepsut(pronounced Hatchepsut)and I ruled as King during the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt(Africa). During my time it was not uncommon for women to have a high status in our society. However it was not all that common for a woman to rule as King. There were other Queens before me that ruled in their own name such as Khentkaues, Sobeknefru, etc. However, my reign lasted successfully about 22 years(the longest reign of any woman of Ancient Egypt)and brought a lot of prosperity and peace to Egypt(Africa). My name Hatshepsut means "foremost of noble ladies" and it is very befetting of me. Being that my father was King Thutmose I and my mother was Queen Ahmose, I was born royal. When my father Thutmose I died his son(Thutmose II, my husband to whom I was the Great Royal wife) became Pharoah. Thutmose II died shortly after his Kingship leaving Thumose III heir to the throne. However, he was too young to serve as King. So, I became Regent which simply meant that I acted on his behalf. I acted as regent for some time and then I made a very bold move. I declared myself King making me the 5th Pharoah of the 18th dynasty. I described myself as the most beautiful of all women, but I donned the garb of traditional male pharoahs. I was a beautiful Black woman. Some of my accomplishments included reestablishing trading relationships(which were disrupted during the Hyksos invasion, successful warfare tactics(when I had to), an overall peaceful era, the journey to the land of Punt(present day Somalia)and the completion of the temple at Beir el-Bhari(which was started during my father's reign). The temple at Beir el-Bhari was one of my most proud accomplishments, it was a mortuary temple that would become the "Vally of the Kings" because Pharoahs wanted to associate their complexes with the grandeur of this masterpiece. The other accomplishment that made me proud was the journey that I initiated to the land of Punt. It was a successful journey because the resources that were brought back to Egypt enabled me to start many building projects which raised the calibre of ancient Egyptian architecture to a standard. Also, the 31 Frankicense trees brought back from the journey to the land of Punt was the first recorded successful attempt to transplant trees. Something that it still done today. I am of your bloodline which makes you just as capable of greatness. So, when those voices in your head or out loud tell you that you are less than a powerful, beautiful Black woman....think of me. Queen Hatshepsut.

Queen Tiye(1398-1338 B.C.)

Queen Tiye of the 18th Dynasty of Ancient Kemet was wise, intelligent, strong and fierce. She was respected and worshipped for the powers she had. Her husband, Amenhotep III recognized the potential she carried and trusted her as his advisor and confidante. She was a willing and able executor of foreign affairs on his behalf, but of her own powers of negotiation, wit and will. She played an active role in foreign relations gaining her much respect. According to historians she was the first Egyptian(African) queen to have her name recorded on official acts. Her husband thought so much of her that he constructed shrines and a temple in Nubia in her honor. Also, unprecedented was the fact that she appeared equal in size in relation to the Pharaoh on many statues and stelae. A custom that was usually reserved for pharaohs and deities. It has been said that her father(Yuya) was a wealthy landowner, oxen superintendant and a preist and her mother(Thuya) was affiliated in many religious orders; tying her in to royalty. Many members of the royal family were associated with her such as King Akhenaten(her son), Queen Nefertiti(daughter in law), and King Tutankhamun(her grandson). She was a fine example of a woman standing by her man, yet having the ability to be someone in her own right.

Makeda, Queen of Sheba (960 B.C.)

Makeda meaning "Greatness" was born of Queen Ismenie and a chief minister of Ze Sabado; who succeeded the King. Though many speculate the region she was born in Ophir, she was educated in Ethiopia. She was known to be a beautiful black woman, intelligent, resourceful and adventurous. A gracious queen, she had a melodious voice and was an eloquent speaker. Excelling in public relations and international diplomacy, she was also a competent ruler. Makeda had all the wealth and riches that one could ever imagine, yet she yearned more for wisdom and knowledge. She once said to her people, "I desire wisdom and my heart seeketh to find understanding. I am smitten with the love of wisdom.... for wisdom is far better than treasure of gold and silver... It is sweeter than honey, and it maketh one to rejoice more than wine, and it illumineth more than the sun.... It is a source of joy for the heart, and a bright and shining light for the eyes, and a giver of speed to the feet, and a shield for the breast, and a helmet for the head... It makes the ears to hear and hearts to understand." "...And as for a kingdom, it cannot stand without wisdom, and riches cannot be preserved without wisdom.... He who heapeth up gold and silver doeth so to no profit without wisdom, but he who heapeth up wisdom - no man can filch it from his heart... I will follow the footprints of wisdom and she shall protect me forever. I will seek asylum with her, and she shall be unto me power and strength." "Let us seek her, and we shall find her; let us love her, and she will not withdraw herself from us, let us pursue her, and we shall overtake her; let us ask, and we shall receive; and let us turn our hearts to her so that we may never forget her." As the story goes Tamrin, the leader of her trade expeditions was so impressed by the King Solomon(with whom he traded with) that he bestowed upon her all that he had witnessed of him. With this knowledge Makeda embarked upon a 6 months journey(one way)to meet this king, to learn from him and test his knowledge. The Queen brought with her as gifts to King Solomon of gold, precious stones, furniture and exotic spices(We should pause to consider the staggering sight of this beautiful Black woman and her vast array of resplendent attendants travelling over the Sahara desert into Israel with more than 797 camels plus donkeys and mules too numerous to count. The value of the gold alone, which she gave to King Solomon, would be $3,690,000 today and was of much greater worth in antiquity. The King returned the gesture by giving her a luxurious apartment in a palace next to his, and provided her with fruits, rose trees, silks, linens, tapestries, and 11 extravagent garments for each day of her visit. Daily, he sent her (and her 350 servants) 45 sacks of flour, 10 oxen, 5 bulls, 50 sheep (in addition to goats, deer, cows, gazelles, and chicken), wine, honey, fried locusts, rich sweets, and 25 singing men and women. After 6 months Makeda decided to return home much to the King's dismay. The story is that before she left she was tricked into losing her virginity to King Solomon which resulted in her pregnancy. Before leaving Solomon gave her beautiful apparel, 6000 camels, wagons laden with luxurious goods, and vessels for travel over desert, air, and sea. Because she was now pregnant with his child, he also gave her a ring, for he hoped that she would bear him a son, who might in time visit Jerusalem and prove his identity to Solomon. She bore a son by the name of Menelik I, but things would not turn out as King Solomon had wished with his son. The visit of the Queen of Sheba was the culminating point of Solomon's life. After she left, he continued to write and speak words of wisdom, but he and Israel deteriorated. We might speculate that this deterioration was triggered not only by his increasing preoccupation with building a glorious palace and temple, but also by Sheba's return to her country. Never again would Solomon encounter or love a woman he could call her equal.

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Poem for Flora by Nikki Giovanni

Queen Hatshepsut (1503-1482 B.C.)

Queen Tiye(1398-1338 B.C.)

Makeda, Queen of Sheba (960 B.C.)

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SoulSeed Tees~ Promoting Healthy Self Esteem for Black Women

Queen Tiye(Yellow)

"Wear her proudly"