black hair politics
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Great Lengths: Do You Know Where Your Bundles Come From?
Remy. Virgin. These are words familiar to anyone who has even mildly experimented with wigs, weaves or extensions. But how many of us really know where the hair we’re wearing actually comes from? When Chris Rock visited India to investigate the source of the American hair trade for his 2009 documentary Good Hair, he only…
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A Breakthrough for New Jersey Braiders: New Legislation Won't Require a License to Practice
Big news for braiding entrepreneurs in New Jersey: Legislation that would exempt hair braiders from the state’s current licensing requirements has received legislative approval and will now be submitted to the governor. The bill, sponsored by Assemblywomen Angela McKnight (D-Hudson) and Shanique Speight (D-Essex), would not only remove the stringent and expensive licensing regulations currently…
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Is the Mainstream Ready for 4c? Mane Traces the Evolution of Natural Hair On-Screen
Online media company NowThis turned heads at the top of 2018 with the launch of Mane, a web series focusing on the intersection between hair and culture. On Tuesday, Mane kicked off its second season with a closer look at how the presentation of naturally textured black hair has evolved on-screen, tracing the current impact…
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The Shrunken Place: Why I Can’t Laugh at This Viral Video
I had been sent the link by multiple friends, who just knew it would be right up my “awww” alley. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a little girl telling her daddy, in the politest way possible, that he did not do her hair right. The clip has since gone full-on viral, as this mini…
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(Do) Touch My Hair? 2 White Brits Specialize in Celebrating the Artistic Potential of Black Hair
A funny thing happened on our way to the royal wedding this weekend: We got waylaid by something else exciting on the other side of the pond. Namely, some of the most striking black-hair portraiture we’ve ever seen, courtesy of British photographer Luke Nugent and award-winning hairstylist Lisa Farrall. But there’s a twist: Nugent and…
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Meet the Dooplex: A New Destination for Your ’Do
Looking for an entirely for-us, by-us, one-stop shop for hair and beauty products? Welcome to the Dooplex, a new online marketplace hoping to elevate the black beauty industry to the next level. Launched on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2018, the Dooplex is the brainchild of CEO Kevin Lyles, who left a corporate career in…
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Putting Their Heads Together: How Facebook’s Natural Hair Group Became Over 250,000 Strong (and Growing)
There are groups, and there are “supergroups.” At over 253,000 members—and growing daily—the Natural Hair Facebook group definitely qualifies as the latter. Started in 2013, Natural Hair began as a local Facebook group started by then-Birmingham, Ala., resident Jessica Latten. Having relied on online resources and communities to begin her own natural-hair journey, Latten created…
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How Does Your Garden Grow? My Hair Is a Garden Helps Black Girls Celebrate Their Hair
Though it may not yet feel like it (especially if you’re experiencing an April snowstorm at present), it is actually spring. Slowly but surely, the world will soon be coming into bloom. So, what better time to debut a new children’s book called My Hair Is a Garden? Written by textile artist, clothing designer, children’s-book…
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Leave Tamar Alone! People, Can We Stop Equating Hair With Femininity?
Grammy-nominated singer, reality-television regular and Braxton-family baby sister Tamar turned heads this week when she took to Instagram to post footage of her having her head shaved with the chorus of Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative” playing in the background. The diva—as well-known for her array of hairstyles as for her multioctave voice—has notably been estranged…