Let me introduce you to a sistah who wrote to me a few days ago. I dug what she had to say and she is our new Goth of the Month. Deeper than her hairstyle, but of course that looks rockin' too!.

Say hallo to Ursel, y'all!

My name is Ursel. I am a female of 33yrs old, artist/designer. I am of bahamian decendancy but was born in Bronx NY, raised briefly in Harlem and now once again am living in the Bronx. I got into the gothic scene around 89/90 while away in Boston at a private two year culinary Arts college. I got into the scene by interest of the music and of such bands as Bauhaus, the Cure, Siouxie and the Banshees just to name a small few. Not only the music that drew me but also the fashions of such a subculture. If only my mom understood my love for fashion at the time I would have stayed here in NYC and attended a fashion college to pursue my dream as a designer. Anyhow, I did only one year of the culinary arts then came back to NYC, worked a couple of parttime jobs(at the time)then attending a fashion college on and off between working. while working on such dream endeavors I started to learn more and more about the gothic subculture, that is wasn't just about the music or the fashion, but also the meaning behind something not any of the other subcultures understood (and in that matter didn't wanna give a shit to do such), "its embracing of the darkside of life" the difficulties of growing up in a broken unhappy home, peers constantly picking on you because you were not like them, the constant being alone because you couldn't fit in with others. Now, what I meant by the embracing of the darkside I really meant the whole factor of understanding and excepting that things in life aren't always rosy and happy and cheerful and full of light (as I was led to believe dued to a very confusing christian upbringing). I will not sit here and go through what has been in detail my darkpast but what I will mention is that recently i have converted to the pagan/wiccan way of life(I have no interest in turning back either). All in all as I've gotten older and learn/and still am learning more and more that being a goth its like a comfortable home to me. Every once in a while I am irritated by these new goths and yes the non-colour goths as well with their misunderstanding of goths of colour. To them it seems to be only about glamor, about cutting and fucking, hell I don't even hear much amongst these younsters about interest in the music, art, and writings of great authors that were and still are looked upon in the subculture anymore. Let me take the time to commend you on an absolutely beautiful and informative website for the goths of colour. This is definetely something we were in need of for a long time now. Yes I must also admit before finding your website I above all else still felt like an outcast because of my ethnic background and my involvement in such a real subculture as goth. Goth is beauty, Goth is reality Goth is understanding and embracing both the darkness and light. Goth consist of all races "DARK AND LIGHT", This is what I want my goddaughter to understand and learn........

Thanks, Ursel! Keep on Keepin' On!