Women of Color - Door Knocker Earrings Proud

Door-Knocker Hoops were bold, statement-making, usually metallic gold or silver earrings which were circular, or at times square, triangular, even heart-shaped, that dangled below the earlobe with a commanding proportional presence. The first hoop earrings originated circa 2500 B.C.E. in Nubia, an African civilization located in what is now Sudan. The circular ear jewelry was crafted from gold, silver, and bronze. For Egyptians, hoop earrings were viewed as jewelry that enhanced one’s beauty, allure, and sexuality. Men and women - including queens and pharaohs – wore thick, hoop earrings for style, symbolizing their wealth and power. In 1000 B.C.E., tapered hoop earrings made their way to distant cultures across the globe. Fast forward to the 1820s, light hoop earrings were more popular than heavy-weight pendant jewelry. Fashion trends during this era mirrored historical styles, inspired from Roman cultures, they led to greater popularity of large, gold hoops. These thick eye-catching earrings became so widespread that they appeared in LL Cool J’s hit 1990 song “Around the Way Girl”, in which he rapped about wanting a girl owning at least two pairs of door knocker earrings. During this period, door-knockers were popularized in the mainstream by female hip-hop artists and through style-conscious Latina subcultures. In more recent years, notable designers and brands have been praised for their consciousness of youth street style culture in incorporating and referencing these connotative earrings in their collections. Door-knockers were symbolic of connection to Black and Latino culture and never fully disappeared. Bamboo hoop earrings, various door-knocker styles, and other thick gold hoops will always be assigned a special place for their rich historical roots from culture and music.

Hoop earrings are ubiquitous and worn by many people all over the world today and continue to be one of the most enduring fashion trends around. I believe this empowering accessory and staple of Latino/African culture, symbolizes strength, pride, identity, and resistance to discrimination. Hoop earrings also signifies unity, infinity, and wholeness. Door-knockers evoke the emotion of pride because it represents Black and Latina culture, roots, and tradition. For young girls, it is a common tradition to receive a pair of small hoop earrings at a young age from their mothers or grandmothers. The bigger the hoop, the more mature the girl is in her coming-of-age journey. I also learned that these young women could customize the shape, metal, and even a word to be written across the hoop. Many women felt as if they had a voice and sense of embodiment and felt honored to show their heritage, unique beauty, and bold fashion.