What is your name, and where are you from?
My name is Dominique Webb, but you can call me Dom. I’m from Antioch, Tennessee, a city right outside of Nashville.
Who do you dedicate this segment to?
I dedicate this segment to my mama and BFF, Mary Vanette. I also dedicate this to my aunties - Pam, Gerry, Poochie, Freddie, Ann, and Patricia. Finally, I dedicate this to my grandmothers, Mary Frances and Doris Webb, and great-grandmother Ruthie Bell. All of the flyy ass, magical matriarchs in my family who had a hand in my upbringing – I dedicate this to them.
Tell me a little bit about them?
My mom was originally from Arkansas before she moved to Gary, Indiana, and then finally to Tennessee, where she took roots. She worked in retail managerial positions such as Upton’s, so she was always fly. She stayed with a tailored suit or matching two piece set. She loved makeup, always did her own, but never had to do too much. She worked a lot to provide for her kids. My work ethic comes from her.
My granny was in the medical field, fluent in Spanish, and an all-around magical woman. She was like a firecracker, and when she looked at yo,u I’m almost sure she could see your soul. She taught me everything I know. She taught me how to shop; she would always find the deals and steals at Goodwill. We would spend our Saturdays thrifting and yard sale hopping, finding antique shit for the house and little knick-knacks. Everybody loved her, because she didn’t take no shit.
What are/were their hobbies that you’ve intuitively picked up on today?
My aunties are very creative. Storytelling is their art, and writing, photographing, and designing were their mediums. The knick-knacks my granny would find used to irritate my granddaddy, but now I use those same things as props for my content creation business. My granny must’ve known I’d grow into a creative, and now I use all of her old things in my content I create for myself and my clients.
Tell us about their home and some of the fine details that you remember.
My granny’s house always smelled of tobacco and food. My granny could cook anyone under a table, so her house always smelled like a bakery to me. My childhood home was vibrant; we had pink walls, velvet furniture, and big, gaudy paintings. My dad was a DJ back in the day, so we had a wall full of vinyls and his big system that took up most of the space. Our house was loud, eclectic, and lush.
How did they adorn themselves?
My mom and aunties were always super expressive through their appearance. Always had their nails done, long acrylics, multiple gold rings on each finger. We were a working poor class family, but we stayed fly. My granny’s signature fragrance was White Diamonds, and I still spray that on her altar.
Describe how your heritage and memories of it have impacted you today.
My nails are always done and long with eclectic designs. My fingers stay adorned in gold rings just like my mama and aunties’ used to be. I gravitate to muskier, sweet, and masculine scents like tobacco, oud, and bergamot - just like my granny’s house used to smell. The women who raised me were fly, fierce-ass women and everything from their mannerisms, the way they carry themselves, the loud and eclectic way they used to dress is something I carry with me till this day.
