Know YOUR Hairitage
Celebrating Beauty Traditions of All People
INCLUSION CONSULTING SERVICES • K-12 CURRICULUM SUPPORT •
BOOKS & GOODS • HAIR TIPS & RESOURCES
SUPPORTING K-12 / BOCES & VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS
CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE • STRENGTHS-BASED EDUCATION
Learn ways that our HAIRITAGE curriculum, teacher training, and hands-on workshops can add value.
Click on the buttons below to download our K-12 Education Brochure and Capability Statement or to Schedule a Meeting
New! Zara’s
Wash Day
The new and expanded edition of the Writer’s Digest award winner includes a tutorial on creating Fulani-Inspired Afro Puffs, a foreward by Academy Award winning actor and New York Times best-selling author Lupita Nyong’o, and an expanded glossary of hairitage terms..
New! Zion’s Crown
The second book in the Know Your Hairitage series, “Zion’s Crown” features a boy protagonist who learns about how his cultural hairstyles connect his ancestry and the stories of influential leaders of the past and present. “Zion’s Crown” includes a cover blurb from Award-Winning author and anti-racist activist Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, a how-to tutorial on the cover Ethiopian-Inspired Crossover Cornrows, and Glossary of hairitage terms that empowers adults to dive deeper into the history.
AS SEEN IN
Everyone Has a Hairitage
Let us celebrate the greatness in each other through our hair and beauty traditions.
No matter what part of the world we are from, EVERYONE HAS A HAIRITAGE. In fact, examining the hair, skin, music, art, literature and political practices of our ancestors, can help us to better understand the state of the world at any given moment in time. Many of these practices are passed on through the generations and is our way of honoring our past, celebrating the present, and informing our future.
Culturally Responsive & Strengths-based Approach
IN EDUCATION & BUSINESS
Diversity is the presence of differences in any given setting. This can include differences in race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic class and age. Equity ensures that a situation or process is impartial and fair. Everyone involved should have an opportunity for equal possible outcomes. Inclusion happens when people feel supported, included, a sense of belonging and the ability to be their authentic selves in any space. All three work together and are vital to a successful professional and personal environment. Know Your Hairitage ™ leads our inclusion work through the lens of BEAUTY.
KNOW YOUR HAIRITAGE BOOK SERIES:
“Zara’s Wash Day” is the first in a series of Know Your Hairitage ™ books, written to educate children, ages five through nine, about the the cultural significance of hairstyles of African descent. “Zion’s Crown” is the follow up story that centers a boy protagonist who discovers the story his hair tells. Both books are written in rhythmic prose which makes the stories fun for both children and adults. These books include beautiful illustrations of African inspired hairstyles and a glossary of HAIRITAGE terms to provide historical context.
Author: Zenda M. Walker
Illustrator: Princess Karibo
Original Designer: Anthony Foronda
New Releases: Running Press Kids
Toxic Braids: The Consumer Reports Shockwave & What Black Hair Needs Now (Op-Ed)
The recent Consumer Reports study on synthetic hair has delivered unsettling results. Confirming long-held concerns, the study, detailed in Leigh-Ann Jackson’s article, reveals that 100% of the top ten braiding hair brands tested contain harmful VOCs, lead, and carcinogens.
This isn’t just a news flash; it’s a wake-up call. We’ve been here before. The recent natural hair renaissance was driven, in part, by the desire for healthier alternatives after hair relaxers were linked to an increased risk of certain cancers. This new revelation about synthetic braiding hair feels like a betrayal of the hard-won progress we’ve made in embracing our natural hair and cultural styles.
So, where do we go from here?
Hairitage at The Mission Grammer School for Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, a Boston elementary school is getting a lesson in embracing cultural differences.
Children’s book author Zenda Walker is visiting the young scholars at the Mission Grammar School in Roxbury as part of Black History Month.
She reads to them from her books, “Zara’s Wash Day” and “Zion’s Crown,” books she said are written to educate and inspire young people of color.
“I hope they see themselves in the characters of these books, and I hope that something resonated with them where now they look at their wash day, their days at the barbershops a little differently, and really see that the styles that they wear every day is inspired and has some connection to history that we can all be proud of,” Walker said.
Beyond the Beats: Doechii & The Power of Storytelling
Okay, let’s be real: Doechii isn’t just a rapper, she’s a cultural phenomenon. This Tampa-born artist is absolutely killing it in the hip hop scene right now. When you watch and listen to Doechii, prepare for an experience. Her sound is fluid. It’s like the best of hip hop, spoken word, jazz, and R&B converging into a single, brilliant mind.
EVENTS
Story TimeExpired
Literacy As Liberation with Zenda WalkerExpired
LOCnificent Fest!Expired
Storytime & Book Signing of “Zion’s Crown”Expired
Storytime & Book Signing at Barnes & NobleExpired
Storytime Book SigningExpired
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This newsletter is distributed quarterly and highlights diversity topics around hair and fashion. It helps supports individuals and organizations committed to fostering more inclusive environments. If you seek to understand more about the cultural norms of the communities you serve and/or design for, you’ve come to the right place!
