WRAPOLOGIE - STORY II - My Black Lemonade

Being Present in the Present

“It was almost like an unspoken type of blueprint just launched in me.”
Serrita Sy, Wrapologie

Serrita Sy, owner of Wrapologie, pays homage to her mother, father and stepfather in her determination for never giving up. With college educated parents who held traditional jobs and businesses of their own, the value of hard work was ingrained in her lifestyle. Although gentle as a bluebird, her mom became a parole officer in an effort to provide for her community and a social worker to help fight for social injustices. Meanwhile, Serrita’s father was a computer engineer as she got to witness his diligence in building computers from nothing. Entrepreneurship was just a stepping stone away.

“It’s so important that we maintain that connection with our ancestors and just continue to implement them in our daily work and our daily walk.”
-Serrita Sy, Wrapologie

Q: Who is Serrita Sy now?

Taking after her parents, Serrita is a kindergarten teacher as well as a 5th year entrepreneur of Wrapologie. Wrapologie, when broken down means the study of [head] wraps, and is very much a study as it’s not just your normal head wrap company. Serrita travels far to Africa twice a year since 2002 to encompass the history of African patterns in her head wraps.

It was inevitable that Serrita would start a business traveling there as well. Outside of Wrapologie, Serrita runs G.O.R.E.E. Drum & Dance, a traditional African dance studio. Her family’s constant travels to Africa sparked the attention of the people around her so much that she and her husband started traveling with groups exposing them to their way of life in Africa. The trips have become her children’s narrative of learning about their culture growing up just as it has been hers. Although, now, Africa is no longer a vacation for Serrita and her family– Africa is home.

“I can’t imagine being who I am without that experience.”

“It’s so important to be exposed to other cultures and other ways of life and then come back to appreciate what you have. And that doesn’t mean that those individuals [they] are living in a deficit, but it does mean that when you have access to things here, um, that other people don’t have access to you appreciate it. You give thanks to the Creator, God, to the universe, you know, you do something with the powers you have here. And then you go back to Africa and you give to them because that is the circle of living. It’s the constant giving and receiving and that’s that reciprocity that’s that good karma that comes.”

Her daughter has been to Africa since she was 2 years old (now 13) and her son has gone since he was 10 months old. They visit every other year now and stay a month at the longest.

The next audio clip is one that couldn’t be captured in words. I could hear the resounding depth in Serrita’s voice as she spoke about one of her most impactful moments going to Africa.

“… standing in that sanded splendid castle and looking out into the ocean and just knowing that those people never came back. That point of no return is a very chilling place to be in because so many people walked passed that door and never came back. And the reason why I’m here is because they were able to survive the middle passage and survive slavery, so I represent the strongest of individuals not to say that anyone who died was weak, but my reason for being here was because someone put their feet into the ground and stood firm, you know, despite being brutalized and humiliated.”

What the Future of Wrapologie Holds

“It’s a way for me help other women not just adorn their crowns, but also acknowledge their natural beauty.”
Serrita Sy, Wrapologie

serrita sy wrapologie generation of women

Serrita’s head wraps are made of fabric from Africa, but her goal is to travel the world for other patterns including India and Paris. As a representation of who we are culturally mixed, she wants her customers to take a mental visit with her to other native lands through her intertwined fabrics. You get a deeper perspective knowing that you are wearing Parisian and Senegalese patterns.

When asked if Wrapologie’s torch would be passed to Serrita’s kids, I could hear the joy in her heart. She firmly answered with slight laughter,

“My son is not at all involved or show any interest to anything that I have with Wrapologie.”

I get it! Boys his age are only interested in what they’re interested in, okay!

However, when it comes to Serrita’s daughter, she just might keep that torch flame lit. Her daughter is a present help in her business. From choosing design styles to being an encouraging voice, her daughter brings a fresh perspective when Serrita needs it most. Not to mention, she can promote her mother’s work! Serrita feels her daughter will be the one to take pride in her business. She spoke with a gentle voice,

“She’s very artistic. She loves to get involved so I can foresee us working in the future…”
Serrita Sy, Wrapologie

Maybe when her son gets older he’ll want to help with the business side of things, but I get the sense that Serrita would be happy with him choosing his own path in life. The most important lesson she wants her kids to grasp is showing them the value of the working entrepreneur.

“I think there is freedom in that.”
Serrita Sy, Wrapologie

I love that word and that Word– that word meaning “freedom” and that Word meaning the simple yet powerful message in her statement. There is a lot of freedom in owning your own business. You get to set the tone for your life and your way of life. Entrepreneurship embodies every aspect of who you are and who you were taught to be.

Serrita goes on to describe why leaving a legacy to her kids is so important:

“I want them to be able to say my name and when they say my name it’s popular the works that I did. And then that work then transfers over to them. I don’t just want to leave them determination, I want to leave them that the whole notion that faith without works is dead. You know what I’m saying? That’s the seed that I want to plant.
I want them to know that it’s possible, that it’s achievable, and that, you know, one no… one no.. one no.. will eventually you’ll get it to a yes.
I think it’s important that we show them the hard work because nothing comes, you know, by chance. It’s like…. It’s all hard work. And that goes back to our ancestors like just knowing they were working for us… knowing they weren’t going to see, um, that opportunity themselves but that it was just for us to see… that’s… that’s… that’s… crazy. So, you know… that’s what I want to leave to my grandchildren.”

Serrita and her husband’s strong level of work ethic to balance family and work life in America as well as in another country is not one to be taken for granted.

“My husband’s work is not just for us. It’s for our children’s children’s children. I mean, we’re trying to create generational wealth.”
Serrita Sy, Wrapologie

Serrita sums it all up for us by letting us know that people may not understand the depth of what her business means to her but she has created a way that they can relate to it.

“Wrapologie some may say is just a head wrap. It’s like no, it’s a gift and its gift is suppose to bring life and light and birth other things for other generations to come. It’s my responsibility to make it tangible.”
Serrita Sy, Wrapologie

*raises glass*
Today, I toast My Black Lemonade to Serrita “Dehari” Sy for being the light the Black culture so needs…

Signed in Black,

FUN FACT QUESTIONS

After noticing a 2Pac post on Serrita’s IG account, we couldn’t help but to ask her favorite 2Pac song.

She shared 3 favorites (in no particular order):

Dear Mama
I Ain’t Mad at Cha
Keep Ya’ Head Up

Q: What was your favorite cereal growing up?

Lucky Charms
Corn Flakes
Frosted Wheaties

Because entrepreneurs are faith-driven and I, personally, like to speak power over our future, I wanted to know as a Black entrepreneur...

Q: When your business prospers, what do you plan to do with your wealth (not riches)?