As part of Black History Month, we celebrate Afro hair. It’s hard to imagine now, but even our beautiful, natural curls were used against people of African descent – mocked by Whites to such an extent that many in our community felt compelled to imitate their styles, using straighteners (along with skin lighteners) to conform to an imposed ideal. One of those who did her utmost to raise our consciousness and self-image about Afro hair was the Black Power movement that was led by the Black Panthers and included revolutionary sisters like Kathleen Cleaver. She saw every coil, kink and curl as a testament to resilience and authenticity. Watch her here express her pride in her brothers’ and sisters’ hair and looks, and extol the fact that Black is beautiful. Decades on, do we need a resurgence of this movement? Leave your thoughts below.
Reshaping The Narrative
