"Afro-Victorian": Bringing Historical Black Women's Dress into the 21st Century w Cheyney McKnight

[@Chibihugs]

Cheney is an absolute treasure. As a black woman, I find her videos so enriching and insightful. I am loving Cheney's shirt. So happy to see her on your channel.

[@glynnL]

Isn’t it beautiful? Half the reason I clicked was because of the shirt, I wanted to hear more about that fashion. I was not disappointed, such good info.

[@kahluaqueen]

Glenn Long I clicked for that shirt!!!! I love her spin on the old look!!

[@UmiPalerm]

I am SO jealous of how well she rocks those colors. Plus the puffed SLEEVES, I am in love.

[@KeikoKeepSmiling]

I couldn’t agree more! ❤️

[@KaleidoSaurus]

Her blouse is just magnificent, suits her personality.

[@mynameisrockhard]

Shout out to Cheyney’s incredible work and attitude, and shout out to Bernadette for using her platform to boost other voices instead of speaking on their behalf. Love everything about this.

[@jeremiahgabriel5709]

Yes. This whole thing 👍

[@tulsiclarity3228]

ha-ha... *stares awkwardly to whatever is going on at instagram*

[@rburns8083]

I love all the love for Cheney's channel. I think her work is so important, not just for diversity in the historical sewing community but for how we understand culture as whole .

[@neuralmute]

Cheney's amazing! I haven't finished binge-watching her entire channel yet, but I love her work, and I think she's an incredible person, bringing a whole new perspective to how we look at historical clothing, women's history, and of course the history of Black people in America. She's one of those people I'd love to talk with for hours, or even just be in a class she was teaching - it would be an honour!

[@jazcarluccio4505]

Agreed 100% !

[@albvscommesincastello6346]

With the full respect towards every race i say: Fuck diversity! Embrace your own uniqueness.

[@ragnkja]

@@albvscommesincastello6346 Diversity is the sum of unique individuals.

[@albvscommesincastello6346]

@@ragnkja How nice would it be, if this statement will be true.

[@Nero_Jero]

I love this! One of my best friends is of African and Scottish descent, and she commissioned from me a "Kente-kilt." I used a traditional Scottish kilt pattern with this absolutely gorgeous Ghanaian fabric she gave me. She's a preschool teacher and wears it ever year to graduation! She always takes the opportunity to teach her students about it.

[@sylvan44]

that is the COOLEST THING

[@RichardLyleEsq]

If you haven’t heard of them, it’s worth checking out the Afro-Celt Sound System. Rocking lots of worlds.

[@karengerber8390]

That is beautiful. Thank you or sharing.

[@espeon871]

This is so beyond slay

[@AmbassadorKat]

I’m Nigerian-Scottish, and this is such a fun idea!

[@catskratch2]

I'm a registrar for The Historic New Orleans Collection and you featured two portraits from our holdings in your video! It's always so nice to see the collections pop up in contemporary content. In Creole culture the headwraps are called "tignon", and I wear them very often. I love how it's a tradition that's endured so many centuries. I love Cheney's work and it was great seeing the two of you collab!

[@andresbaroja6703]

Thanks for your important and underappreciated work

[@michellebyrom6551]

Glad you posted. Another resource to look up for future reference. Some really good, skilfully portraits in the video.

[@shaeroberts1773]

Thank you. This video is a gem!

[@lizatea69]

Yes!! I knew those looked familiar. So much culture

[@PandoraKyss]

So I have to ask you... Have you watched the new Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles series being put out by AMC? It's INCREDIBLE. New Orleans during the early 20th century - they moved the timeline up from the 18th century - is depicted in such a realistic and beautiful way, without being painted as a caricature of itself. I'm in Philadelphia, and while we have an old history, at least by American standards, the cultural legacy and sheer... vibrancy of New Orleans has always attracted me. One day I will travel there!

[@kathrynsamuelson1983]

For those who don't know, the WPA stands for the Work Projects Administration during the Great Depression.

[@maitesoto1953]

Thank you!

[@Hessed3712]

Thanks so much

[@armellelegal7972]

Thank you :D

[@jhod555]

Yes, the amazing and country building programs that would now be dismissed as socialism and bad. It's a terrible shame. The national parks and many other works we enjoy were helped by this. The WPA in particular focused on the arts. Imagine that...America valuing beauty and public arts again!

[@tyrsmyra68]

Thank you!

[@anniebell6846]

Cheney makes history so accessible and so well researched.

[@LunaCosmia]

Bernadette 😭 I have always loved your channel but this was so special. Being a black woman who loves observing vintage fashion, i never felt like there was a place for me in that world but this…wow. This means a lot.

[@chrysalisamidst]

This.

[@espeon871]

This is so cute and wholesome

[@DragonriderEpona]

I'm really glad Bernadette introduces us to so many new things an people who became experts in their specific fields. Definitely gonna check all of them out ~ 💛

[@piccalillipit9211]

She is very giving of her status as a "influencer" [god I hate that word] to other people and their ventures.

[@SandrA-hr5zk]

In Cheney’s video about cooks, she features Dontavius Williams. He’s also appeared with Townsends and Sons in his videos on historical cooking. It’s always fascinating seeing all these people cross paths with others. Hollywood might have “six degrees of Kevin Bacon”… but I’m sure there’s a few youtubers that can do it too.

[@cesar.leyvag]

Disney: "Infinity War may be the most ambitious crossover in history" Bernadette and Cheney: Hold my Corset!

[@noangel1981]

Bravo 👏👏

[@DMXIII]

Delightful!

[@scalesrails7237]

You need to lose it all in a house fire

[@trashbug4843]

Now I feel like doing this for Mexican clothes in the Victorian era ! So cool 💖

[@pamdemonia]

Do it!

[@phoenixmassey]

Please do!

[@katiedid7231]

I would watch this!

[@khazermashkes2316]

Please do!

[@trashbug4843]

Aww man, glad you guys are interested, but I need to do lots of research first 🤣😂 But someday I shall! 💖

[@AmeliaBell28]

Cheney is INCREDIBLE, I'm such a fan of her work. Her "Met Gala dress" (as she's been calling her denim robe à la Française) is absolutely brilliant. Far better than most of the things actually worn at the Met Gala this year. And I also just wanted to appreciate Bernadette's role in this video- the occasional prompting question but mostly just sitting back while Cheney shines. As it should be when other people are showcasing their own work and talent!

[@senaaileigh]

This is such a great use of your platform, Bernadette. You're uplifting people through your own success. Thanks for exposing me to a creator and a topic that I didn't know about before!

[@Ladythyme]

This is exactly what I thought when I first saw it!

[@Leafygreen123]

Yes! Me too!

[@natsinnett9751]

Bernadette’s excitement the whole video is palpable and I can’t blame her for it at all

[@MsKathleenb]

I would be fangirling all over, Cheney is amazing.

[@amandarama3314]

Bernadette looking at Cheney: ❤️👄❤️

[@erlewis1111]

I came to the comments looking for this 😄 She just looks ecstatic the whole way through

[@Bearxo17]

I love that she just let Cheyney talk too! No interrupting at all, just prompts to keep talking. Bernadette really did want to hear these stories, not just get views. Two amazing people in one vid ❤

[@aerolb]

Cheney is such a treasure! First saw her on Townsend's when they did a closer look at black history. She's always great!

[@elisabetfinlayson8539]

Cheyney's channel is a gem. I've only recently found her content and it is so amazing. I hope your both doing well!!

[@nixthelapin9869]

I always love hearing the history of black people in North America! I feel like history class never did much beyond the major events. Like whenever I imagined black people in history, it was almost like they just vanished after the civil war, then reappeared for the civil rights movement. Not literally of course, but they’re not mentioned at all beyond that. So I really appreciate more people providing resources to learn about that “missing” chunk!

[@mermaliade6631]

I'm giggling about how the women would add that pop of contrasting colored fabric to those dresses. Honestly it adds a cute personal touch, they made it their own. I'm sure those dresses were beautiful. But, you got to always have that little bit of flair that is distinctly yours.

[@findingbeautyinthepain8965]

Same here hehe! 😅 These moms definitely wanted their children to wear something a little bit more in line with the fashion of their culture, which is awesome. To think that these moms worked tireless, 16 hour days doing manual labor, and instead of just saying, “Okay, great,” when they saw their daughters were gifted dresses, they said, “Girls bring me your dresses so I could make them prettier,” is so incredible!

[@milliedragon4418]

It's also very African too me anyways, Africans seem to wear very color and very bold prints I wonder if they tried re-create some these prints back in the day.

[@mermaliade6631]

@@milliedragon4418 oh I wouldn't doubt it! You gotta bring something that's a part of you and a part of home to whatever you're doing!

[@megtell]

What a treat! My mom taught me the saying "every time a person dies an encyclopedia is erased". This is even more true for POC . Thank you for introducing Chenny to us!

[@facelessdrone]

@@heatcheck3 don't go there, joseph...

[@lazycraz6740]

@@heatcheck3 what?

[@PandoraKyss]

@@heatcheck3 That felt a bit out of left field. Not everything needs to be about us, friend.

[@plutonium2]

That’s such a deep saying and LOL at the idea of it being more true for men. Come tell me about it when they have babies

[@plutonium2]

@@heatcheck3 you sound racist friendo

[@katherinemorelle7115]

I love These Roots, it’s one of my favourite historical education series. It’s something that actually keeps people (including teens) engaged while educating them, and that’s sorely needed. Unfortunately schools just aren’t making history interesting or relevant to most people. I’ll try to stop myself from ranting about how useless and awful memorisation of dates is, or why Great Man Theory needs to die a quick death, and how we really need to look through materialistic and cultural lenses in order to understand what drives history… (it’s difficult, but I’m restraining myself) But this is exactly why I love dress history so much- it opens up that very human level of understanding. You can’t ever separate dress from its historical and political context, but because it’s something that is so relevant to everyone, it then makes history relevant and accessible to everyone. It’s also a great way to understand material history (in this case, both kinds of “material”). But all of this is why I love Cheyney and These Roots. If all history were taught in a similarly accessible and entertaining style, I do t think we’d have a tiny fraction of the historical ignorance that we do today.

[@rburns8083]

Cheney is a living history Goddess!

[@ladymunsonthemagnificent6929]

Exactly!

[@maasp3440]

This is why i love watching historical education channels, because they make it interesting or relevant to us. At school people didn't understand why i liked history class, i did have 2 amazing teachers who tried their best at making it fun. But when i was watching with a friend a historical education video, a few classmates could hear it and they became interested enough to even ask about the channel/video's we were watching at the time, i explained a bit and told them what kind of history they covered. While we were walking into history. My teacher over heard and he looked it up while we were working on our assignment, in the end he found a video that was relevant to our time period that he showed as a reward for our hard work. I don't know if they still watch it or not but that was one of the fun things that happened in history class that i experienced.

[@May-qb3vx]

I guess I was really lucky. I never got Great Man history and my teachers never forced us to memorize a bunch of dates. I mean the big dates like 1776 they wanted us to learn, but as long as we could get the overall narratives correct and look closely at cause-and-effect relationships, we were golden. I thought that’s how everyone was taught history until very recently.

[@MMGhost123]

You are so right. If people knew history, all aspect of it rather than just about the bad parts, there would be less hate in the world today. I'm southern and extremely passionate about history. Sadly, much of history has been rewritten and people are taught to only focus on the bad things like slavery, war, etc, and not the good things like how we over came those horrible things and grew together in our differences as a whole.

[@JP2GiannaT]

Pierre Toussant, the husband of Julie (her portrait is shown and discussed in the video) was a leading philanthropist in New York City. He was the first layman buried in St. Patrick's cathedral, and was declared "Venerable" (the first step towards being canonized as a Catholic saint) by Pope John Paul II in 1996. The guy was just an all around fascinating, kind, and awesome individual.

[@dismurrart6648]

I want to say, my favorite thing Cheney has ever done is using enslavers. It was frankly revolutionary for me in the discussion of the slave trade and resolves all my issues with saying Master and slave

[@aerynvii7773]

I’ve also noticed more people using the term “enslaved person” rather than “slave”. I gives those people back their humanity

[@dismurrart6648]

@@aerynvii7773 yes!

[@Elizabeth-ux5kd]

@@aerynvii7773 YES

[@jessicacarron8117]

The language choice struck me as well, and is something I’d like to use going forward. Accurate and without giving power or position to the enslavers.

[@circesbohemia]

I appreciate Bernadette not saying much and just letting Cheney speak.

[@Firegen1]

Cheyney is amazing! Yay for introducing her important work to more people. ❤🙏🏾✊🏾🌷 Edit: Her top is everything!

[@marymohr2799]

I love her top! And I'm so glad she's getting the attention she deserves!

[@lizzykay9912]

As a West Indian this was so wonderful to watch, a lot of early West Indian art shows people dressed so differently from Europeans at that time, a lot of which still remains as echoes. Thank you Bernadette for introducing me Cheney! :D

[@loureysavick5736]

Thank you for your conscientious use of your platform, Bernadette. You have learned so fast not only how to make beautiful and inspiring content, but also how to set good boundaries, make positive impact, and practice interdisciplinary outreach. You are much more than a maker of sewing videos. I love to catch glimpses of how you might be creating, and growing, many years into the future.

[@ReneesatItAgain]

Yet another smart art KZbinr to add to my curriculum - my students will see your work for sure!!! Thanks, BB - and THANK YOU Cheyney!!! Necessary stuff!!!

[@aricostulis2209]

Ooooh how interesting! It’s cool to see a less-talked about side of dress history! Thanks for this! ❤️

[@breedlejuice8691]

As a white girl from the north, I never realized how different the black experience is. I think I naively thought that our cultural experiences were the same regardless of race. I thankfully have a lovely gf who patiently educates me about what it’s like to be a black woman in the city we live in (and I got to teach her my white bs, it’s very funny). I appreciate this historical perspective, because it hadn’t occurred to me how western influences impacted fashion of enslaved persons and fashion since then. So many of these subject just hadn’t occurred to me due to my narrow world view and I feel silly for not ever questioning these things. Thank you for this :) loved those paintings and pictures, it really brings it to life

[@aspiring_fossil]

Cheyney is incredible! Her work is so incredibly important, and the passion she has is present in her work. We LOVE an informative collab!

[@claremurphy5901]

Cheyney's airpods on her chatelaine at 2:46 gives me LIFE. What a creative way to incorporate Victorian fashion into modern life!

[@fatdandelions]

The headwrap is familiar to me. I am Chinese but born in Surinam, Dutch colony in South America. I recognise one of the headwraps, old Surinam Ladies wear on special days. The women wear beautiful dresses along with the headwraps. I live now in Rotterdam the Netherlands 🇱🇺.

[@greylarkspur]

That’s so cool!

[@SassafrasTee7366]

Cool beans

[@tacrewgirl]

That's interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@wilmascholte7607]

Even though I'm Dutch, I just posted the same re: historical background and the color use by Surinam ladies. Those ladies look amazing in those traditional dresses and headwraps.

[@gabkikop6949]

If anyone is interested. Look up agnisa, koto misi Suriname or kimona Suriname. :)

[@beckstheimpatient4135]

This is a wonderful video, and as an Eastern European woman I have little to add but this: the Airpods on Cheney's chatelaine are *chef's kiss* perfection.

[@ShiroArctic]

Cheyney is doing incredible work for history. It's people like her who make sure that important history is not forgotten.

[@pollypocket2282]

Okay, I know this sounds weird, but when Cheney was telling the story about how the plaid donated dresses were fixed by the children’s mothers, it reminded me of a scene in “My big fat Greek wedding” when the parents of the waspish groom and the Greek Orthodox family met. The grooms mother brought a Bundt cake… the Greek women of the family didn’t understand why there was a hole in the middle of the cake… so they took it, and brought it back (I think) with a potted flower in the middle and said “we fixed this for you.” It always comes back to cultural perspective and understanding where each person is coming from… I have luckily come across Cheney’s channel, for once youtube got it right, and I loved it! I learned so much! Although, I’m particularly loving what she is wearing in this video! A nod to historic dress, with modern necessities hanging from her belt! Love, love, love it!

[@lauralizza1]

I love Cheyney’s videos so much! So happy to see her here and discussing new projects!

[@AmiableAimee]

You have seemed so much happier and relaxed over the past 6 months or so. Like, you have started to feel comfortable with being yourself instead of the "Bernadette" persona. It's nice to see you smile and laugh and interact with other creators that bring out the best in you.

[@TanteElster]

I'm so grateful that people like Cheyney exist, putting the spotlight on otherwise completely overlooked aspects of history.

[@SturgeonPilot]

Watching ya'll interact is just so wholesome, it literally makes me wanna call up my best friend so we can geek out about our interests to each other. Its so sweet to see people who clearly enjoy each other as friends but also have so much professional respect for one another.

[@andyexe2213]

Cheney’s style is so unique and beautiful. Her garments INCREDIBLE 😍 She is also beautiful herself ❤️

[@onegirlarmy4401]

This conversation reminds me of the quote from "In the Heights." The clothing distinctives that "assert *our* dignity in small ways... little details that tell the world, *we* are not invisible."

[@karengerber8390]

Thank you for using this quote. I am grateful that these viewpoints are being celebrated!

[@sadiebelcreations]

Love love LOVE those beautiful bright colours in a Victorian style outfit 😍 This video has such joyous vibes!

[@11thShadowDragon]

The term Afro-Victorian on its own just sounds great, the style I'm seeing in this video associated is even better. Glad for collabs like these!

[@mdutch]

For anyone in, near, or travelling to, Nova Scotia, Canada - I would like to recommend the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Birchtown, NS (just outside of Shelburne, on the SE coast of the province).

[@GreatGoatRebellion]

Cheyney's work is so, so important, but also seems like it must be so difficult to do. I have endless appreciation for her and her dedication to centering Black historical narratives. I'm so happy you've collabed with her, and I hope y'all get to do more collabs in the future!

[@Alice0hMy]

This is two of My favourite KZbinrs finally doing a crossover😍

[@thebabythesavage]

I really appreciate that this video is brand spankin new… and it’s captioned. 🙌🏽 so often we have to wait if we want them!!

[@sarah-phillips]

I love these videos with Cheyney! The video you did on Not Your Mama’s History was a delight (I see that chatelaine!). Cheyney is such a wonderful historian and someone I could listen to for hours. It is SUCH an important part of history.

[@snazzypazzy]

Awesome! I love all of the headwraps. You see them in a lot of the afro-caribbean history too, and in the Surinamese dress, which is also so fun and colourful! The history of the wax print fabrics that are now commonly worn in West Africa, is also really fascinating. It starts in Indonesia with batiks! (Lot's of colonialism in that story too. But still fascinating.)

[@Strampunch]

I only started following Cheyney on Instagram a couple of weeks ago and I had no idea she had a youtube channel, so pardon me while I run to follow it and peruse her videos. Wonderful way to introduce your audience to more diverse creators, thank you!

[@EmilyGDesign]

I am so excited to watch Cheyney's videos, thank you both so much for collabing!!

[@erinniccoinn1gh]

i got SO EXCITED to see yous TOGETHER!!! :D the contrast in your outfits is just so lovely. I've always noticed that the dress of a place reflects onto the dress of its cultures - eg. the West African patterns which are so bright and sunny vs. the more subdued tones and textures of Western European dress. I loooove seeing them together. Whenever you see an African woman in traditional dress in Ireland where I live, it's literally like a drop of sunshine.

[@breeze5926]

I love all the different African textiles. They're so vibrant and beautiful!!!

[@hellomoron]

"We fixed the dresses." I'm in love with this line.

[@MsKathleenb]

That made me so happy!

[@ragnkja]

They lengthened and reinforced the hems, and rather than try to disguise it with an almost-but-not-quite-matching fabric they used a contrasting one so that it looked deliberate and beautiful.

[@makeda6530]

*You're welcome~*

[@findingbeautyinthepain8965]

@Ragnhild I highly doubt the dresses needed lengthening or to be reinforced. These moms just wanted their children to wear something a little bit more in line with the fashion of their culture, which is awesome. To think that these moms worked tireless 16 hour days doing manual labor, and instead of just saying, “Okay, great,” when they saw their daughters were gifted dresses, they said, “Girls bring me your dresses so I could make them prettier.” How incredible!

[@llamasugar5478]

This is fantastic! Will incorporate Cheney’s videos into my Stealth History playlist. I scour the ‘net for interesting videos to share with classes when I sub-teach. In the words of the great philosopher Fat Albert, “If you’re not careful, you just might learn something! Hey, hey, hey!” [the originator of this saying is problematic, but I refuse to throw out a very good teaching method]

[@eternallaurum]

I never liked prints within my personal wardrobe but I always admired how African cultures incorporate prints into their garments and how stunningly they pull it off! It's certainly a special skill and I commend all you brave folks out there wearing such vibrant and beautiful prints!

[@neuralmute]

Absolutely! I've studied textile arts, and the vibrancy of West African fabric dye and printing techniques always blows me away! No matter how much I've learned about the history of these fabrics, the techniques used to make them, and the clothes traditionally made from them, the colours alone are still so breathtaking that I need to pause a moment when I walk into a room full of freshly printed bolts to study!

[@jules2291]

Indians love prints too . I actually know this city in Gujarat , India called Patan which is known for it's extremely vibrant and beautifully printed , made with completely natural dyes but also really expensive (hence why I can't do more than window shop them) silks , known as Patola silk . Not just that but there are also other places I've seen , like some of the silks in South India which are made beautifully, often with really excellent gold details . Even my mom and one of my aunts are passionate about sewing and ive learnt quite a lot by seeing how they stitch and cut and dye and embroider fabric . And it's hard work , making and applying those dyes . I have immense respect for anyone making printed and hand decorated clothing , even if the art is dying down because of fast fashion and machine - dyed fabrics .

[@jules2291]

@@neuralmute yes . The colors are absolutely breathtaking . Like , no modern day fast fashion can compare to the rich , vibrant hues found in certain African and Asian historic clothing .

[@neuralmute]

@@jules2291 Absolutely! I adore Indian silks too, though I don't know quite as much about them. My main areas of study have been pretty geographically scattered due to various influences in my life, so I'm most well versed in Japanese silk dying, West African cotton printing, and various embroidery forms from the British Isles, and I'm trying to figure out how a white, Canadian artist can work all these influences together with respect and care, while flipping the bird to fast fashion, and paying tribute to all the world's incredible textile artists who came before, and my own punk-rock roots. It's quite a challenging tightrope to walk, between all these influences, without appropriating or offending anyone whose culture and clothing I've spent years studying, and would like to pay tribute to in my own work. So many beautiful inspirations out there!

[@eyesofthecervino3366]

Same. Honestly it feels like a visual representation of being an introvert watching people go socializing at loud parties -- like, yay person! You do that, you beautiful fireball! (Hides in corner drinking herbal tea and avoiding eye contact.)

[@faizla95]

I paused at 11:05 to like the video and I'm obsessed with your smiles :D so much joy

[@klasandersson7522]

Solid research is gold, I do like it when someone goes all in to find out what was so they can tell us the story! One of the reasons I really appreciate this channel! Nice vlog Bernadette, you spoil us history nerds with your quality content!

[@yupekosi413]

i love how different their styles are, it's like a tropical bird and a magpie hanging out together

[@yeoisa]

it’s like a raven and a parrot to me

[@dinaschulz2961]

I am totally in love with Cheney’s blouse! The colors, the style, and the pattern matching is breath-taking for anyone who ever tried to cut and sew symmetrically!

[@heatherhodges7370]

Fantastic! I welcome seeing many, more of the images from the Northern states featuring African cultural expressions like the head wraps. And love the story about the Black seamstresses adding contrasting hems to the 1850s gowns. (One must have survived!) This practice also extended to quilt-making in the South as Black quilters developed patterns and used fabrics in ways that were quite different than White women. This visual image reclamation work is important for demonstrating the endurance of Black cultural + political resistance throughout our nation's history.

[@ragnkja]

A deliberately contrasting hem is a brilliant way to lengthen a gown and prolong its life, as the hem tends to wear out faster than the rest of the skirt, and when that happens it’s easy to replace! Since it sounds like the dresses were second hand, the mothers probably looked at them, decided that the hems needed reinforcement, and rather than try to find identical fabric (which they probably knew would be basically impossible) they decided to make the hem contrast so boldly with the rest of the dress that it could only be a deliberate choice.

[@Susanfuzz]

I found Cheyney’s channel awhile back. She has re-invented lately and made it even better! I am really enjoying the new (old) stories she is telling 💖

[@barbara_LL]

I love the enthusiasm in Bernadette's face haha, and rightfully so, I love Cheney's work, especially as a half black person, studying fashion history can fell overwhelmingly white, elitist and colonized, I love the decolonization Cheney does with these historical styles that I love so much.

[@nathaniel3102]

Jingle Jangle was beautifully done, and the costuming department was genius. I would love to see more of it and other Victorian-era-esque styles come into modern fashion. If anyone can bring back classiness with sassiness, these women can!

[@daniela_k_]

Thank you for introducing me to Cheyney! History is so important and a lot of it is not taught or has been forgotten. I had no idea about her channel and I am so excited to go watch her videos!

[@volvacations2186]

Cheney's got a new subscriber!! What an articulate and well researched presenter.

[@Katecatable]

Omg the gowns and dresses! Gorgeous idea to educate us about unseen realities!🥰😃 I am thrilled to look into a new historical fashion channel.

[@piccalillipit9211]

*50 SECONDS IN AND IM ALREADY SUBSCRIBED* her channel sounds FANTASTIC...!!! I saw her on a documentary a while back - but she did not have a channel at that point.

[@rosejustice]

Bernadette - Thank you so much for introducing Cheyney and all of her fabulous knowledge to us! I am running over to her channel as soon as I finish this comment. I am in love with her yellow & purple blouse and want to learn more. ❤️❤️❤️

[@ivybrandyn]

THANK YOU for featuring Cheyney. She is such a sweet heart and lovely to watch. When I'm anxious, I watch her videos and she calms me right down.

[@crystalwright1504]

This was fantastic! Thankyou to both of you. I think it 's wonderful that the stories of distinctly unique cultures are finally being told. I'm Metis-a period term that meant half-breed, descended from mixed blood children of indigenous people and Europeans who created a distinct culture in Canada from aspects of both of their parents' cultures. The women also dressed in the European style with added items and decoration that reflected their indigenous styles(beaded moccassins and leggings, their own version of a pocket, floral beadwork, ribbon and lace on their skirts, etc). I have begun plans to create an outfit that would have been worn in the "Confederation Era" in Canada and possibly a little earlier. It's a daunting task. My hat's off to you wonderful ladies! Thankyou for being so inspiring!

[@Dreymasmith]

Cheney is amazing, so knowledgeable and a great communicator. People have to go subscribe and watch everything.

[@canucknancy4257]

So amazing. Cheney is a storyteller of the highest calibre, telling tales that need to be heard. Thanks for sharing her on your channel, Bernadette.

[@BridieTurtle]

Yessss! I love Cheney's channel and it has been super educational for someone who does not know much about Black American history. So important!

[@valentinaivorciuc8319]

see you two together is a blessing. i love Cheney's warm vibe and with you by her side being so cute and fangirly aww

[@mothman2898]

i’m so happy for you two to finally be able to collaborate on topics as important as these. Have a good day both of you!

[@lord_m0th]

I just love how Bernadette looks at Cheyney, she just looks at her in awe!

[@suzannesmith266]

Omg Cheney's wax print blouse is so stunning. 🤩

[@michaelplunkett8059]

Colors are gorgeous and the way the pinstripes contrast and purple patches "speak to each other" are mesmerizing.

[@xoxomaniiraelle]

Absolutely stunning. We’d call it Ankara in West Africa! I adore just how it fits her 🥰

[@thcusandsunny]

The collab I didn't know I needed but yessssss!

[@wanderly9950]

This is magnificent! Thank you for partnering - this brings me awareness that I was lacking. Absolutely will subscribe to Mz. Chaney's page. Love - Love - LOVE - that dress! OMG! So fabulous!

[@Jannah1]

First, the mothers did fix those dresses. Cheyney is a blessing, and has been helpful in my own work. It's amazing to see two scholarly creators I admire work together!

[@VictoriaClutton]

Love Cheney! Love Bernadette using her platform to give so many other fabulous people and concerns the mic!

[@irenecoermann2439]

I had found Cheney's channel a while ago and was just thrilled to realize that you guys are connected thru your work. Both of your work is so important!

[@lajoyous1568]

Loved this ❤ Cheyney is such a treasure to the community. Her videos are always informative and entertaining. I'm so glad to see more collaborations with her.

[@rebeccaude4412]

I adore Cheney, but most importantly I have LEARNED SO MUCH from Cheney! Esp. from the video she did with Abby re: having a wedding on a slave owning southern plantation. The plantations are 100% idealized by authors, movies & sadly even tour guides of remaining properties. I’m so happy to know they are continuing the "Day In the Life" series. Congratulations Cheney! Sending everyone 🤗, 💜 & 🙏🏻 for a healthy, happy & Blessed week!

[@emilyflowers1105]

I've been following Cheyney on Instagram but did not realize about her KZbin channel and series. So excited to watch!

[@akiyamada2306]

I really appreciate how much you let her talk. Many interviews on YT i see the host talks too much and the guest has so much left to offer. Very knowledgeable, well done.

[@andrianikoupolisweliky7856]

Seriously starting ugly face crying immediately watching this BEAUTIFUL presentation!!! Love!!! Thank you for this!!! 😭❤️❤️❤️🥰

[@sometimessnarky1642]

Why?

[@wynnewhitten-holmes5090]

God, y'all are so cool. It's an honour and delight to follow Cheyney's work and learn from her. I'm really looking forward to more hair videos! Let all who have tried to make themselves smaller, quieter and more acceptable go forth and take up space in your own uniquely wonderful way.

[@Becky_Theroux_Gockel]

I absolutely love cheyney!!! She is a Treasure to the education of our history. I always look forward to seeing what her next video is going to be about.

[@lakelili]

Cheyney is such an awesome resource. I have shared her videos before on our homeschooling page. Thanks for colabing with her. Can't wait to learn more and share with the kiddos.

[@MissDLinx]

Cheyney has THE BEST smile! When she smiles her whole face glows and everything around her lights up!

[@melissacompton8707]

I love this! I am so excited to watch Cheney's channel. So vibrant and full of life. And a true historical perspective. Thank you Bernadette for introducing us!

[@brunaazevedo996]

I could listen to Cheyney for hours! I loved the knowledge she shared with us in such a clear way :)

[@MyMerryMessyGermanLife]

I so love that you’re using your platform to share this!

[@stephaniecameron2594]

Thank you for doing this collab. I feel ashamed to say that every year when African heritage month came around in my school days, that I dreaded it as it was presented in a very mundane and uninteresting form. But after this video, I can't wait to jump to her channel and watch all of her videos and learn as much as I can. Thank you

[@RebekahHaasCrochet]

I grew up in an immigrant community in Italy with a lot of people from West Africa (specifically, Ghana). Every Sunday, the women would dress so beautifully in their cultural dresses and head wraps. The colors were so vibrant. Even though our community was quite poor, I believed those women had to be royalty, because they were so stunning. Thank you for sharing Cheney's beautiful work with us!

[@janaekelis]

i love Cheney's videos, theyre a great tool for my historical research when im designing characters. also it makes me feel seen, black people have always existed and done things outside of racism. also hair care is such a big deal for us, so many methods being revived by natural hair youtube is what our ancestors did already

[@erntefreude]

Yes, I love such videos, and never realised how West Africa influenced black America with it's rich culture. The blouse that Cheney is wearing is stunning. She is a treasure and I am subscribing. Thank you so much for this great information.

[@ashleyday766]

I thought it was interesting when Cheney mentioned how each culture would dress differently even in America based on where they were from and you could kind of visually see that; it made me think about whether that’s true at times today. and sometimes it is but sometimes it’s not unless someone is from a culture that has still kept dress (or hair!) as a part of their cultural identity; and then that made me realize that the dominant type of dress in the world seems to be more westernized now as in western style has kind of taken over. which makes me feel a little sad actually that western style is the “standard”. i do see it shifting though, for example i’ve loved looking at the afro-futurism movement and seeing how creative that is and idk, the progress is slow but i do love seeing us move towards at least trying to include more diverse expression.

[@comradewindowsill4253]

oh yeah, anyone with immigrant parents can absolutely relate to that 'I fixed your dress' moment. Each culture has different ideas about what is acceptable, what is fashionable, etc; and unless you're living in a very insular immigrant community, as child of immigrants you end up having to mediate between your parent's culture and the local one. It can inspire the oddest mix of pride and embarrassment in one.

[@ashleyday766]

@@comradewindowsill4253 yeah i can imagine that being confusing and i even remember, unfortunately, kids being bullied when i was in middle school or high school for signifying their culture in their dress or expression. i think a lot of kids don’t want to stand out too much for that reason and so feel embarrassed by what their parents encourage them to be proud of.

[@humanhybridspecimen1031]

This is the costube collab I didn't know I needed. Y'all are amazing, keep doing what you're doing