Back to the Root of Things
Photo of Writer, Joi Maree Brown
At some point, we have and will, come to accept our guilt in looking for gold in places that promised us treasures. Having searched for it on beauty aisles and in circles of acceptance, a certain resemblance of beauty out prizing our own. An idea of beauty perfectly hand painted on canvas and wall hung for display that we have come to normalize in strive to become, turning away our eyes from the mirror that shows the truth of who we are.
This easily erased and adjustable fill in of trending beauty convinced our desire to be included by allowing our hands to voluntarily still the waves in our curls, lower the fullness of our volume, blend the boldness of our uniqueness, while renaming the overall authenticity of our right to be, and by our own settlement, to be of. While settlement is a convenient spot to place belonging, eventually, it becomes an uncomfortable placement when a welcome mat is placed before it to home; and complacency is not our home.
It is not in our nature to be other than who we are: bold, unapologetic, deeply rooted, beautifully bloomed, affirming and proud. We were never meant to hide our beauty behind mask or under cloaks. Our hair, our crown, was never meant to bow to conformity; it is where our strength derives from. Our Strong Crown announces whose Kingdom we belong to just like our blood speaks the origin of our land. It speaks freedom in feeling and in being.
– Joi B.
Embrace Your Natural Beauty
Photo by Andrea Steevens
You are beautiful. You are bold. You are royalty!
Affirming yourself along the course of your natural hair journey will prove to be pivotal in magnifying one’s confidence in every phase of uncovering the adopted lies dictated by society and unveiling your beautiful truth regarding your natural hair and beauty. The natural hair movement started as a simple idea but rapidly grew into a snowball effect establishing a community of women, men and children seeking support, tools and knowledge about their naturally beautiful selves. Across social media the natural hair community is taking a stance to rectify the long overdue delusion that natural hair (2b – 4c) isn’t attractive, professional or to be accepted in society.
It seems like a retro movement from the 1960s and 70s when the confidence of the Afro hairstyle beautified the brown toned communities across America while creating boldness in a people that were in desperate need of it. A common unspoken understanding has been realized in the natural hair movement community and that understanding is, “if a person is going to be the best version of themselves then that best version must include a pure and honest version in physical, spiritual and mental presence.” Simply put, if beauty is found in all of its natural state then there’s no need to redefine its essence.
– Felton B.
What is the crown act
Photo by: Ketut Subiyanto
Our hair is our crown. Hair is and always will be a symbol of pride. For many, if not most, the beginning of the day begins with the hair; before a wardrobe is assembled and shoes are carefully selected the hairstyle for women, men and children must be realized and slayed in a way only an artist could envision and bring to life. For many decades the natural crown has been denied its right to be, and those finding comfort and belonging in their natural hair have felt unjust policing in professional environments and educational institutions. An effort to eliminate the injustice of natural hair discrimination has been proposed in legislation across America with successful law adoption in some states and minor setbacks in others. State senator Holly J. Mitchell and California is leading the charge in the legislative battle against natural hair discrimination that has caused brown toned communities to be denied access to economic advancements in our society.
In June of 2019, California slapped a home run out of the ballpark against race based hair discrimination outlawing the injustice with bill SB 188, which passed with an unanimous vote by California’s state assembly on June 27, 2019. On the official CROWN Act website the campaign is led by prominent organizations (the National Urban League, Color of Change, the CROWN Coalition founded by Dove and the Western Center on Law & Poverty.) These organizations have dedicated their focus on the matter of the advancement of anti-discrimination legislation across the United States along with a diversity of supporting organizations in the social justice, business, legal, and education sectors.
The Crown Act stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair and addresses the United States’ history of anti-Black racism and the shortcomings of the previous anti-discrimination legislature. “The history of our nation is riddled with laws and societal norms that equated ‘Blackness,’ and the associated physical traits, for example, dark skin, kinky and curly hair to a badge of inferiority, sometimes subject to separate and unequal treatment,” the bill reads. You the reader can also join the charge against natural hair bias and discrimination by influencing the public narrative on this important issue via social media and by signing the official petition here.
– Felton B.
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“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” – James 1:12
Champ Millz
Healthy hair embodieS strenGth & Good health . Great product !!your definitely on to something great here !!!
Glenn Gilles
Nicely written and very informative. Keep on pressing forward, destiny awaits 🙌🏾
Marion Crabb
Love this article.
Shayla
I Been THINKING On going NATURAL for awhILe something pulls at me whenever I face a Mirror but I haVen’t found The strengTh or encourage to follOw throUgh with my JouRney any suggestions to help a sister out.
Joy
So Proud of you both. Our crown is our pride & our history
Reggie Brown
Amazi Read and AMAZING prodUct. My wife and daughters love it