In Advertising, Black Women Still Have Only One Hairdo

As main exhibitor at the 15th Annual World Natural Hair Health & Beauty Show in Atlanta, I strongly protest the idea that the lazy big afro is the only possible hairstyle. What about the updo? The corn row or other braided variant? The Manassas Hangdown? 

Please, Madison Avenue. Spend more time around- or better yet, employ- black women and you'll get a better sense of the wide variety of hairstyles that we like to wear, other than the obvious 'fro.

Fro Goodness Sake, Part 2

As mentioned before, we've noticed the tendency for advertisers to depict African American women with typically big afros, as if that were the only hairstyle in existence for them. Since then, advertisers have completely changed their ways and show a wide variety of hairdos for black women. Just kidding. Here are more 'fros.




















As owner and head manager of Min's Beauty Supply, I find it personally insulting that advertisers cannot embrace the whole spectrum of beautiful hairdos for Nubian princesses: the doobie, the jerri curl, the Fantasia, the huge ups, the bing bong, the Mackenzie Crook, the autopilot, the manassas hangdown, to name just a few.

Until these simpleminded ad agencies expand their view of what we black women look like, this will be a struggle that all of us will have to bear.