“Hair”. The word alone evokes emotions for women the world over, and more particularly, black women who have now, more than ever, started embracing their natural hair. This evolution did not come without a revolution and any black woman will tell you that the shift away from westernised policing of hair has been a long, hard fight. As a young girl grows into a woman, as fashion trends change, as seasons change, one thing remains true throughout – hair is more than aesthetics and more importantly, there are no rules to our hair.
Halo Heritage, along with Boity Thulo, put together a panel of African queens to capture The Halo Diaries, a 3 episode series that tackles the intimate topic of the relationship between a black woman and her hair. In addition to Boity Thulo, the group, led by Anele Mdoda, included Naledi Radebe (lifestyle content creator), Lerato Seuoe (ex cosmo beauty editor and expert), ThickLeeyonce (content creator), Moozlie (musician) and Adera Kachienga (model & Halo Heritage ambassador). The group discussed their hair (halo) journeys, sharing real, intimate stories about African hair.
These dynamic women opened up about their own natural hair journeys, the impact of the media and the way we feel as women – a conversation that will resonate with all black women, no matter where they are in the world.
Radebe, who has floor-length locks, said that one of her first memories of her hair being politicized was in high school, where teachers told her she couldn’t wear her natural hair because it was too ‘excitable’. Thickleeyonce disclosed that Rihanna was her first hair inspiration, but because her hair wasn’t growing fast enough, she found pieces of weave and used superglue to stick them to her hair, really highlighting what women had to go through in order to feel accepted by society.
“Your hair is actually a journey and people go through various turns to get to a place where they feel like they can enjoy their hair,” shared Seuoe, while Moozlie shared that after chopping off her hair she had to label herself as ‘your favourite bald chick’ because she was cognisant of the fact that there were thousands of people [in this line of work] and she had to be remembered somehow.
Thulo said that the three words she would use to describe her hair journey would be “royal, enough and beautiful” while Kachienga said her three words are, “diverse, exciting and vivacious” adding, “when you have THAT hairstyle, it gives you the oomph and confidence to take on any environment you’re in”.
As the discussion progressed, it became evident that hair is not one absolute thing for every black woman. Hair is unique, personal, and ever-changing and the women showed this through their honesty and willingness to discuss their intimate hair journeys.
Episode 2 will be live on the Halo Heritage Youtube page on the 1st of October, while Episode 3 will be live on the 8th of October.
