Know YOUR Hairitage
Celebrating Beauty Traditions of All People
DEI CONSULTING SERVICES • BOOKS & GOODS • HAIR TIPS & RESOURCES
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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 and informing our future.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
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 DEI work through the lens of BEAUTY.
KNOW YOUR HAIRITAGE:
ZARA’S WASH DAY
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. Zara’s Wash Day is written in poem form which makes it fun for both children and adults. It also includes beautiful illustrations of several traditional African inspired hairstyles and glossary of terms to provide detailed historical context.
Author: Zenda M. Walker
Illustrator: Princess Karibo
Designer: Anthony Foronda, Studio Foronda
Reclaiming Our Time: Embracing Shrinkage
First, I acknowledge that the stretching, reshaping, shingling, twisting-out, braiding-out, recoiling, and fluffing is our way of experimenting and discovering all texture possibilities especially now that there are so many curl-specific products in the market. However, I can’t help but notice the lengths (pun intended) that we are going through to make highly textured hair more palatable for mainstream audiences. I believe that the over-manipulation of our hair is the manifestation of the lingering psychological effects of colonization.
KYH & The C.R.O.W.N. Act
On November 23, 2021 I testified as Founder and Executive Director of Know Your Hairitage, in front of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in support of H.1907-The C.R.O.W.N Act MA. CROWN stands for Create a Respectful and Open World with No Racism. This legislation was spearheaded by CA Senator Holly J. Mitchell and is supported by The DOVE Coalition. To get involved please visit the following link and sign the petition.
KYH Beauty & Wash Day Tips & Tricks
Before we dive into the right products and tools, it’s important to first think about creating an uplifting environment and experience during a child’s developmental years. This will also help build the child’s self-esteem as it relates to their hair.
EVENTS
Texture Class Series
I Love Braids Day 2023Expired
Meet The AuthorsExpired
Author Zenda Walker spills the tea on how Zara’s Wash DayExpired
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This newsletter is distributed quarterly and highlights diversity topics around hair and fashion that helps individuals and organizations foster more inclusive environments and understand more about the cultural norms of the communities they design for.
