Keti Koti & The Shackles of Hair Loss
This year I presented my new lecture, The Shackles of Hair Loss for the first time during Keti Koti month, four weeks of commemorating of the emancipation of slavery in the Netherlands. In this new lecture, I go back to the origins of the high percentage of hair loss among Black women as part of BAD Hair Uprooted, my platform for equal hair rights.
Data Analysis, Pattern Recognition & Connecting the Dots
Rooted in my background as a computer scientist, this lecture weaves together Black History, Sociology, Psychology, Cosmetic Toxicology, and Epigenetics with hair stories, photography, and reels from four continents and four countries.
Four continents, four countries
Suriname, where I grew up; the Netherlands, where I studied; New York, my home away from home for 20 years; and Rwanda, where I had the privilege of working as a digital nomad for eight months. Each country has its own character, but our hair roots are inextricably linked to a history that irrevocably connects us and exposes the ongoing impact of the history of slavery.
Giveaway & Demonstration
Alongside the lecture, there was also an informative hair care session, followed by a Keti Koti headwrap demonstration and a giveaway quiz. After correctly answering a question, one lucky participant got to choose a headwrap to take home. Afterward, everyone could shop to their heart's content.
If you missed it or still want to shop, here is the list: Hair Growth Serum, Magic Headwrap, Cowrie Shell Earrings.
Connecting & Networking
The photos, taken by Johnatan, show not only the presentation but also the conversations, encounters, and the special atmosphere of an afternoon where history, identity, and natural hair came together.
This lecture was made possible in part by NinSee and VSBfonds.
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