With love for our history and endless stories to tell, we are pleased that you are celebrating Black History Month with us!
Starting with Bad Hair Uprooted, the Untold History of Black Follicles, I like to present to you my photo book.
Illustrated with pictures of amazing natural hairstyles and locs, it is a coffee table book that reveals what we all should know about our roots. Take a peek.
Bad Hair Uprooted
Black women are disproportionally suffering from hair loss because Black people are the only people on planet earth who don't have the basic human right to wear their God-given tresses natural.
Laws based on stereotypical ideas prohibit us from wearing styles like locs, Afros and braids in the workplace and even schools these days. All of these stereotyped hairstyles are perfectly natural for African coils but the general etiquette forces us to wear styles based on a genetically different texture which causes incredible damage.
How, when and why I started taking pictures
Mireille Liong shooting for justice
Amazed by the breath-takingly beautiful hairstyles that I saw at BAM, Dance Africa in New York, I started taking pictures right there and then.
Like most Black girls, I grew up in a society where straight hair was the norm. Apart from the occasional Rastaman with dreadlocks, I wasn't really exposed to natural hairstyles.
So, when I entered BAM where natural hairstyles were prevalent, I was overwhelmed by the beauty and the versatility of natural hair. It was an unforgettable experience that I had to share.
I knew for a fact that had I known about all of these styling possibilities, I might still have relaxed my natural hair but I would certainly not have obsessively compulsively straightened my hair to the point where it was just broken and damaged.
By sharing my captured experience, I was hoping to expose more Black girls and women to the true beauty of natural hairstyles.
Shooting for Justice
When I learned about the statistic that 73% of Black women are suffering from relaxer induced alopecia, that is hair loss related to chemicals and now weaves, my purpose for shooting shifted.
My camera became my weapon. I started shooting for justice, aiming for equal hair rights, one head shot at the time.
I would love to have your support. If you like what you see or read, please like, share, leave a comment and click the button below to become a subscriber.
Of course you can also click to buy Bad Hair Uprooted, the Untold History of Black Follicles. It makes a wonderful gift.
Happy Black History Month!
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1 comment
Hello. It’s me again. I’m crying. Why ? Because this book is long overdue. As the Dr. Stated in the synopsis, many of us have damaged our hair over the years striving for an aesthetic that’s not ours. The result ? Is irreparable hair damage in most cases. I can’t wait to purchase this book. It’ll be like breathing again.
Thank you.