Hair is undoubtedly incredible. You can color it to any shade of the rainbow you want. You can curl it or straighten it. You can wrap it up in a scarf or let it down. It is a form of expression that makes a person special. The Second Annual HAIRitage Conference, beautifully run by Kaelin Conover and Modinat Sanni, celebrated this unique form of expression, specifically for Black and Afro-Latino cultures. The conference was amazing, and here are some of the reasons why:
1. The Question and Answer Session with Chris-Tia Donaldson
The conference began with the Q&A with Chris-Tia Donaldson, the CEO of TGIN Products. Chris-Tia is the definition of a boss. Not only did she graduate Harvard University with an A.B. in Economics with high honors, she graduated from Harvard Law School and was employed at the prestigious Oracle Corporation. Although it might have seemed like such a reputable life to go to a recognized law school and work at an esteemed law firm, Donaldson stressed the point where her perception of success was skewed based on her role in the company as a Black woman; she said: “I happened to wear a wig…thinking that if this is what I looked like, plus me working hard, then I would be successful. However, I had to tamper down who I was as a Black person, a Black female, to be perceived successful.”
After she realized the flaws in this mentality, she began her own company, selling hair products to promote natural hair. Her goal was to instill the idea that being yourself and embracing your true self is what matters. With the insight of what it is like to be a Black woman in a predominantly white field, she also communicated her struggles as a breast cancer survivor and as a successful entrepreneur. Donaldson is truly a model of how success, and the struggles that come with it, can only be overcome by accepting yourself and not conforming to societal ideals.
2. The Breakout Session
After the session with Donaldson, the guests were encouraged to go to various breakout sessions of their choice, with each session challenging a social idea such gender “norms”, microaggressions, DIY ideas, and contributions to the importance of hair in Afro-Latino culture. One of the most interesting and impactful sessions was held by Chris Bright, a Rutgers graduate and a social media influencer. With over twenty-eight thousand followers on Instagram, she uses her platform to promote discussion about women’s rights, self-love, and various socio-political problems.
The format of the breakout session was called “The Art of Conversation”. So, a box was passed around the room, and people anonymously wrote questions that they wanted to discuss and put it into the box. One of the most popular topics was cultural appropriation of Black and Afro-Latino hair. The controversial uprising popularity of Kim Kardashian’s “boxer braids” was a prevalent example. Cornrows have been a common hairstyle for Black women for a long time, but having the hairstyle become popular after it was “reinvented” by a white celebrity is the cultural appropriation that Bright was trying to shed light on. Another form of cultural appropriation that most people agreed with was other people touching their hair. Bright explained that although there is an interest with Black hair, it is most definitely a form of cultural appropriation for someone to grab a person’s hair because he or she is intrigued. After talking to Bright afterward, she expressed her goal was to:
“Facilitate a conversation…There is so much curiosity, especially when it comes to Black hair and people of color in general, because our hair defies gravity, our hair does really wonderful stuff…We can look like a different person every day.”
Nevertheless, the conversation progressed to talking about hair’s impact on gender roles and societal judgments. The conversation was interesting to listen to, and what made it surpassing was Bright’s ability to facilitate every person’s ability to speak about their experiences and opinions, which added a vital depth to the conversation.
3. The Free Products
Every person as they entered the conference was greeted by a wonderful staff member and a free pouch full of amazing products!
4. The Reception
The day was busy. However, the reception at the end was a pleasant culmination to the day. It consisted of delicious food, an art gala, and vendors to support local Black and Latin vendors. Here are some of the pictures of a few of the beautiful art pieces at the gala.
5. Hair is more than just…hair.
The purpose of HAIRitage was to not only commemorate Black History Month, but to also celebrate those with an underrepresented voice. One way that all these groups of people can come together is through their expression of hair. Hair is more than just what sits on a person’s head. It is a culture. It is history. It is power. The way that the speakers, the discussions, and the conference as a whole represented these ideas was spectacular, and I cannot wait to go next year.