ATLANTA - First lady Dr. Karri Turner was inundated with social media scrutiny over the sanctified flesh-tone gown she wore to the Atlanta Mayor's Masked Ball. While the fundraiser was not a church event, some members of her congregation invoked 1 Timothy 2:9–10, which states, in part, that women should dress modestly and not focus on tithe-taffetas, verse-veils, or other fashion abundances.
Dr. Turner's husband, Pastor Jamal Bryant, defended her attire, stating "we need to focus on what's important, like advocacy for undocumented people, healthcare for all, Black unemployment, and whatever the third deacon's daughter is wearing."
We spoke with the third deacons daughter, Halley, during the event. She described her gown as a bold statement that captured the essence of Proverbs 31:25: "She is clothed with strength and dignity." Halley's floor-length scripture skirt, accented with the golden hue of the aged Bible pages it was made from, revealed New Testament revelations of modesty. Its manuscripts contrasted with the gowns around her, projecting the strength she found in the word itself.
"In a way, this dress has been in my family for generations" Halley said. "The West Indies Bible the pages were taken from was passed down from my great-great-great-grandmother. Unfortunately, Grandma used all the pages of Deuteronomy in her own dress, so I couldn't include the scriptures about mixing silk charmeuse with quilting cotton" she added, casting a side-eye towards First Lady Dr. Karri Turner's mixed fabrics.
Congregation member Halley's heirloom fundraiser gown rips a page from Proverbs 31:25