The Ho Science Center was converted into a space fostering social justice advocacy and connecting people from diverse backgrounds on Saturday, Jan. 31. The Africana, Latin, Asian, and Native American (ALANA) Cultural Center hosted the Social Justice Summit as part of Colgate University’s week-long celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.
The event aimed to teach attendees about the importance of change and how to persuade others that their values matter. ALANA invited speakers from Ithaca College, St. Lawrence University and Hamilton College to collaborate with the Colgate community and harness their own voices for social activism.
Colgate senior Zemira Meade led a panel about the many dimensions and impact of Black culture. As the driving force behind the panel, Meade presented on the both historical and modern importance of using Black hair and fashion as a form of resistance. Meade’s studies in neuroscience and African and Latin American studies motivated her to continue researching how fashion and hair were transformed into symbols of empowerment and rebellion.
Kicking off her presentation, Meade identified the beginning of the movement during the 16th century slave trade and chronologically outlined its impact up to the present day. In the 16th century, the slave trade enabled the dehumanizing practice of capturing African populations to be enslaved in America. As they arrived in America, the masters shaved enslaved peoples’ heads, stripping their tribal and cultural identities from them.
As people began to regrow their hair, it took on a symbol of resistance, autonomy and hope for freedom. Numerous hairstyles emerged over the years, evolving to become more than an aesthetic feature. According to Meade, hairstyles became maps which detailed escape routes or showed the location of hiding places. The pattern of braids displayed routes to the underground railroad system, and the number of braids quantified the roads to take to escape.
Slaves personalized clothing to highlight their fight to be viewed as people who deserve autonomy and comfort. Enslaved people explored their creative personas by coloring their clothing with indigo dye and creating patchwork patterns with old pieces of cloth. The development of these new and unique techniques for defiance helped enslaved people fight for self-empowerment, freedom and their cultural identities.
Black hair and fashion have become a stronger protest tool from the 1960s to the present day. The Black Power Movement in the 60s was a socio-political movement that prioritized countering discrimination and the empowerment of Black people. During this movement, Black people wore all-black suits, dresses and skirts in hopes of being respected as they peacefully protested. To complement their fashion statements, women embraced their Afrocentric features and valued the beauty of their natural hair. Together, they fought for their freedom and against previous stereotypes to be able to openly express their culture.
In contemporary society, Black people continue to use fashion and hairstyles to make a difference, protest and freely express themselves. Toward the end of her presentation, Meade showed a video from media company “The Local,” which was about current-day, hair-based discrimination. In the video, one woman recounted that she lost her job because she wore her hair naturally to work. The Crown Act, first introduced in California legislature in 2019, is a law now implemented by several states which seeks to end hair-based discrimination.
“It means workers won’t lose jobs, and black students won’t be punished for violating dress codes focused on hair. Creating an open and respectful world for natural hair — that’s the Crown Movement,” the video explained.
Next, Meade encouraged the participants to interact with the subject matter by expressing their own cultural ties to hair and fashion. She supplied brightly colored paper, markers and scrapbooking magazines and helped the audience to design their own perception of hair resistance.
Meade was the first of many to explain her drawing of her natural hair.
“Sometimes it’s hard to wear my natural ’fro, but my goal is to wear my hair naturally,” she said.
Even today, Black people debate freely wearing their hair and revealing their true selves. However, Meade identified how she does not want her hair to be a bystander in resistance.
Sophomore Liz Felipe Robles also shared her drawing.
“It took me a long time to accept my curly hair because I wanted to straighten it. Since my other family members have different backgrounds, it was hard to value my hair. I think this shows how acceptance takes a while to develop,” Robles said.
Meade’s panel analyzed the transformation of Black hair and fashion into a stance against oppression. Using fashion and hair as tools of resistance remains relevant, as students on Colgate’s campus discover how to use their identities as a symbol of empowerment.
