JACKSON, Miss.—Hairstylist Tanesha Brown remembers well the day her daughter Sasha declared that she wanted hair like Elsa, a fictional character from the animated film, “Frozen.” Elsa is a white character with long, blonde, straight hair, and Sasha is Black. Feeling like she needed her daughter to understand that her hair was beautiful the way it is, Brown decided to wear her hair naturally alongside Sasha.
As a military family, the Browns move around periodically, and wherever they move, her daughter has attended predominantly white schools. Her daughter gets her hair styled frequently, alternating from braids to twists to coils every week, catching the attention of people at school.
A model poses at the end of the runway wearing clothes from New Orleans designer Red Rose Designs at the Crown and Glory Beauty Expo in Jackson, Miss., on Feb. 17, 2023. The event celebrated natural hair and Black beauty while educating people about the C.R.O.W.N. Act and its potential to protect against hair discrimination. Photo by Lionell Griffin Jr.
“How come your hair is different?” a classmate asked Sasha. “You changed your hair again. Why do you do that? Stop changing your hair.”
Upset, Brown’s daughter replied, “Well, my hair just can’t lay flat like yours.”
The friend made another comment about her daughter’s hair being big, so Brown suggested she tell her next time, “The bigger the hair, the closer to God.”
Rooted in White Supremacy
The smell of fresh, buttered popcorn filled the lobby of the Alamo Theater in the historic Farish Street district in downtown Jackson, Miss., on Feb. 17, 2023, as Black mannequins adorned each corner of the stage with various natural hairstyles on their heads: afros, crowns and ponytails. A runway jutting out from the stage showcased various designers and their fashions throughout the Crown and Glory Beauty Expo.
Lasuntae Lashley planned the event to both raise awareness for the C.R.O.W.N. Act, legislation passed in 20 states so far that has been pitched at the federal level to end hair discrimination. The expo celebrated natural hair and Black beauty through music, fashion, poetry and food.