EA

Age: 30-64 years

Occupation: Brand Marketing Strategist

EA connects her hairstyle as part of her identity and her being as an African-American woman. She enthusiastically loves her hair, and she grew up among several influences that nurtured that love.

As a little girl in the 1960s, she saw movements of Black power and Black pride, and she saw Angela Davis wear her big afro, “her crown.” This context influenced her view of hair. She saw it as “spectacular.”

An even greater influence, her mother made sure that she and her three sisters (all of whom had different textures of hair) all saw themselves as beautiful. For example, she gave them Black dolls, and EA still has hers — one of the first Black dolls — reinforcing Black beauty.

Her mother’s impact remains today.

“When I look at my hair, I see my mom, I see my grandmother, because my hair is very similar to theirs,” EA said. “As my hair has begun to turn gray, when I look in the mirror, I see my mom — and it makes me happy. It makes me smile!”

Despite having so many positive external factors encouraging her to love her hair, EA is also aware of the many negative factors. For example, as the afro was seen as a sign of rebellion, she observed that natural Black hair was neither recognized nor welcomed in corporate environments. Additionally, in place of today’s abundance of hair braiding salons, EA grew up surrounded by “traditional” hair salons, limiting the options and opportunities for natural hairstyles.

Today, things are different.

“People are wearing braids and locs and all kinds of styles,” EA said. “We’re pushing the boundaries, creating that acceptance for ourselves, saying, we have the right to decide whether we want to wear our hair straightened or braided, and we’re still bringing our whole self to work.”

EA is happy that the widespread perception of and influences about Black hair have changed, because more young Black girls can have confidence in their hair and themselves.

“Girls today are growing up in an environment where you don’t have to worry about is this [hairstyle] okay, is this not okay,” she said. “It’s okay, and you feel okay!”