Hair! How I Grew It

On today's show, I interview Michele Joseph. I met Michele years ago at a networking event in the Washington, D.C. metro area. As the organizer, this striking sistah commandedthe room. Not surprising since she was a high fashion model during the 1980s supermodel era. You'll want to stick around until the end of the show to hear her spill the tea on her encounter with a young Naomi Campbell and others who graced the pages of some of your favorite magazines. Born in Trinidad and raised just outside of the nation's capital, Michele also competed in pageants. Today the two-time cancer survivor is the president of Next Generation, Inc., a business she started while fighting the big “C.” She is also the CEO of SGAP Leaders. More on her current jobs and triumph over cancer later in the show. After we met, I didn't see Michele again. We've stayed connected on social media. When the former model recently praised my work on Hair! How I Grew It I thought maybe she'd like to be a guest, so I messaged her an interview request. She said yes, and I was thrilled. Hair and fashion go hand in hand, so I was dying to find out how she managed her Black crown in a white fashion industry. Turns out Michele didn't just manage; she thrived with ingenuity. More on that later in the show. We started our hair talk talking about why she embraced her natural in two stages.  

On today's show, I interview Endia Henry. Endia, pronounced India, is a principal consultant in the healthcare technology industry. She is also an entrepreneur, who started selling bamboo wig caps out of necessity. More on that later in the show. Endia describes her hair texture as soft like cotton, airy and fluffy. She embraced her natural four years ago, and typically wears it in a twisted style pulled away from her face. Let's go back to Endia's hair beginnings in Decatur, Georgia.

On today's show, I interview my Delta Soror Shannon Beasley Taitt. Shannon used to work with my Delta line sister Erin and past Hair! How I Grew It guest Sharron Fletcher at the U.S. Department of Justice. Listen to episode 30 to hear Sharron share her journey to her best natural hair life. Shannon currently works at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Washington, DC metro area. She is the Director of the Office of Program Analysis and Coordination in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The New England native is also a speaker, life coach and philanthropist. More on her work outside her nine-to-five later in the show. Shannon describes her hair texture as fluffy and bouncy. She's been rocking her loose natural since 2001. Then about a year and a half ago, Shannon started sporting Microlocs. Before we jump into that journey, here's a 101 Microlocs vs. Sisterlocks education courtesy of our Delta Soror Lurie Daniel Favors. I always get the styles mixed up, so Lurie, whose mom was a talented hair stylist, explained the difference when I interviewed her last year. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview Heather Dolland Tamam. She is an author, lifestyle content creator and model based in New York City. Heather typically wears her soft, coily and pillowy Afro in a wash and go. She prefers the easy style because it's not a lot of fuss. Also, this queen is still getting to know her crown. You see, she's a natural hair newbie. The author did the big chop on December 15, 2020. She remembers the exact date because not only was it a big deal, her big chop was during the height of COVID when salons were closed. More on that later in the show. Let's start with Heather's hair beginnings in Saint George's Grenada in the West Indies. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview Tanya Turner. Talking to Tanya really did seem like old times because back when we were broadcast journalism students at Ohio University, we often talked for hours. Ready to conquer the world. Tanya is currently a human resources director based in the Atlanta, Georgia area.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show I interview Dominique Kizer. She is a linkage coordinator at her alma mater Shaw High School. My cousin and other folks that I know graduated from there. The Shaw High School marching band is legendary. What does a Linkage Coordinator do? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show I interview Lori Danley. Lori is a project manager in Washington, D.C. She is also the cousin of past Hair! How I Grew It guest Sylvia Danley-Smith. When one of my podcast guests fell through, Sylvia immediately recommended her cousin because Lori makes luxury shampoo bars. Luxury because they're made with all natural ingredients. No chemicals or detergents that are typically found in commercial brands. More on that later in the show. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, the project manager left the Sunshine State when she was about 8 years old and moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. She finished school there at 13 and was thrust into adulthood. More on that later in the show. Lori first embraced her natural in 1997. The only child went back to the creamy crack six years later and kept her straight hair until 2012 when she embraced her natural again. She's been natural ever since. I asked Lori to describe her fine hair texture. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview Kamarah Green. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Kamarah now lives in Washington, D.C. She is a multimedia artist. I asked her to explain what that means. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview attorney, author, activist and radio host Lurie Daniel Favors. Lurie is the Executive Director at the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College. In January 2013, she self-published Afro State of Mind: Memories of a Nappy Headed Black Girl to rave reviews. The classic is currently out of print. Lurie plans to release it again this year to celebrate the book's 10th anniversary. More on that later in the show. I discovered Lurie years ago when she was a contributor on The Karen Hunter Show, which airs on Sirius XM's Urban View. Now, this multi-talent has her own hosting gig on the same channel. The Lurie Daniel Favors Show airs live every weekday from 10 a.m. to noon Eastern Standard Time. It focuses on the messy intersections of race, gender, culture, identity, politics and the law. I am a big fan, so when I heard that my Delta Soror and past Hair! How I Grew It guest Mercy Chikowore knew Lurie, I immediately asked Mercy to introduce us. She did. Lurie said yes to being on Hair! How I Grew It, and I am so grateful. Lurie is a sisterlocks newbie. She got them last year. Before that, she rocked a loose natural for nearly 25 years. Her thoughts on her hair texture have evolved. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview Sylvia Danley-Smith. Sylvia is living her best natural hair life, and she's showing it off as a content creator and social media influencer. Her target group—women over 40. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Sister Nichelle Smith. Nichelle is the enterprise editor for racism and history at USA TODAY. Saying Nichelle and enterprise in the same sentence makes me think of Star Trek and the actor, who portrayed Lieutenant Uhura in the original series. When I brought that to the Indiana native's attention, she said she was named after actor Nichelle Nichols. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

Hair! How I Grew It is number 1. It tops the list of Feedspot's 20 Best Natural Hair Podcasts on the web. On today's show, I interview AJ Watkins. She is the founder and CEO of All Natural Kinks, a natural hair care company based in LA. It's inspired by AJ's struggles to grow her natural. More on that later in the show. Let's start with AJ's hair beginnings. She was born and raised in Gilroy. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview St. Clair Detrick-Jules. She's a photojournalist in Washington, D. C., her hometown. St. Clair's love letter to her younger sister Khloe is called My Beautiful Black Hair: 101 Natural Hair Stories from the Sisterhood. More on that later in the show. First, let's dissect St. Clair's hair journey. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview Mercy Chikowore. Mercy is a publicist in the Washington, D.C. metro area. She is also my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister. I always start my Hair! How I Grew It interviews with, “Where were you born and raised?” While all the answers have been interesting, Mercy's was the first to take my breath away. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview Bernita Cooper. Bernita is the CEO and Founder of Bernita Cooper Communications. She helps her clients alleviate the stress of creating content that informs, educates and tells a story. Bernita was born and raised in Hemingway, South Carolina, which is a small town located about two hours from Columbia. Fun fact, Sylvia Woods, the woman who founded the famous soul food restaurant Sylvia's in Harlem, was from Hemingway. Bernita has sported a natural for about 15 years, but she did take a natural break in college. More on that later in the show. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

Hair! How I Grew It is celebrating 30 episodes. Missed out on the show that's been named one of the top five natural hair podcasts of 2021? Here's a Hair! How I Grew It rewind. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show, I interview Sharron Fletcher. Sharron is a Lead Victim Justice Specialist in the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime. I met her in 1999 shortly after I moved to the Washington D.C. metro area. Her friend, colleague and my Delta Sigma Sorority line sister Erin, introduced us. I recall that meeting clearly because Sharron was nearly bald. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

Good news! Hair! How I Grew It is "movin' on up." It's now ranked #5 on Feedspot's Top 25 Natural Hair Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021. That's six spots higher than it was ranked last year. Thanks again for the recognition Feedspot. See the complete list at https://blog.feedspot.com/natural_hair_podcasts/. On today's show, I interview my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister and fellow Cleveland native Linda Dukes-Campbell. Linda is a voice over actor. Her melodious tone is smooth and calming. I'd be entertained just listening to Linda read the yellow pages. While voice over acting is something she's always wanted to do, that's not what she started out doing professionally. Linda spent years in radio and television doing other jobs. She's been a news reporter, talk-show host, news director, public affairs director and producer. Linda was also a Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist at NASA. She stayed there for two decades before retiring eight years ago. I met Linda in the early 1990s when she was an executive at the ABC affiliate in Cleveland, and I was a broadcast journalism student at Ohio University. Linda came to OU to recruit for her station, and when we met, we hit it off right away. She hired me as a station intern and became my mentor. During my reporting days, when I was crazed, unsure or just needed to talk, Linda was always willing to listen and help me if she could. We lost touch for a while, but when I reached out to her for Hair! How I Grew It, we picked up right where we left off, and she said yes to being a guest on the podcast without hesitation. Linda has been natural on and off for years. She embraced the style completely in 2013. Today, she rocks a short salt and pepper Afro. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today’s show, I interview my Divine 9 sister, Ashley Rowe. Ashley is a licensed natural hair care specialist and instructor. She is a SisterlocksTM brand ambassador and an R Certified consultant. R Certified means she’s been trained to teach people how to maintain their own sisterlocks. Ashley is also an entrepreneur. She owns Naturally Rowe LLC and co-owns Twist’d Up and Loc’d Down Boutique. I met Ashley last year when I was looking for a natural hair care specialist to team up with for my COVID-19 Natural Hair 9-1-1 LIVE clinic on Zoom. I wanted to hold the virtual event because I knew sistahs couldn’t get to salons, and many of them desperately needed help maintaining their naturals on their own. Past Hair! How I Grew It Guest, Stefanie Graddic, who is also my stepsister, recommended Ashley for the clinic. Ashley is Stefanie’s Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority line sister. The clinic was a success. Ashley shared a lot of good information. Her mist water bottle suggestion changed my life. She told me to mist my hair with water then detangle it with a comb before I washed it. I was detangling my very dense coily Afro after I applied conditioner, which took forever. I started our conversation with gratitude. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today’s show, I interview Mahkai Dominique. She’s an actor, who is finishing up her studies at Rutgers University. Mahkai graduates with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in May 2021. She’s rocked her natural for eight years. I started our interview with an observation. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today’s show, I interview Gineen Cargo. Gineen is a mompreneur. She takes care of her family while wearing multiple professional hats. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today’s show I interview Helen Maynard. She is an assignment editor for News 5 Cleveland, which is the local ABC television station in Cleveland, my hometown. Helen has worked in TV newsrooms for more than 30 years. I met her in the early 1990s. She was one of my supervisors at News 5 when I was a college intern. Both of us had relaxers back then. Helen has rocked a natural for 12 years. Her crown has multiple textures. Note: Hair! How I Grew It has been named one of the top 25 natural hair podcasts on the web by Feedspot. The complete list is available at https://blog.feedspot.com/natural_hair_podcasts/. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

Hair! How I Grew It has been named one of the top 25 natural hair podcasts on the web by Feedspot. Check out the rankings at https://blog.feedspot.com/natural_hair_podcasts/. On today’s show I interview Dr. Eddith Dashiell. In May, she became the Director of the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. Dr. Dashiell is the first woman and the first African American to hold the position. I met her in the early 1990s when I was a journalism student at OU. She was one of my favorite professors. About a decade after I graduated, she embraced her natural because OU, a predominantly white campus in rural Athens, Ohio, has never had much black hair care support. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today's show I interview my beautiful and talented cousin, Tanikka Charraé. I wanted Tanikka to be a part of Hair! How I Grew It’s first season, but she couldn’t because before COVID, she was traveling around the world singing backup for Lauryn Hill. She’s been doing that for nearly 11 years. I’m so proud of Tanikka. The first time I saw her on one of the late-night shows with Ms. Hill, I cheesed so hard, my cheeks hurt. Now, grounded like most us, Tanikka made time to share her journey to natural hair. She’s been rocking hers for about 12 years. I know I’ve mentioned Ms. Hill a few times already, but I assure you, this is not a show about her. This is about Tanikka Charraé, but I started the interview talking about the Grammy-award winning artist because of her natural vibe. I still remember Ms. Hill’s glorious locs from back in the day, and those iconic lyrics from her song Doo Woop. "Look at where you be in, hair weaves like Europeans." She’s calling sistahs out. So, I asked Tanikka what impact has being around that energy had on her natural hair life. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today’s show I interview my family doctor, Sabine Paul-Yee. She’s a CentraState physician, who embraced her natural six years ago. Dr. Paul-Yee is the best doctor I’ve ever had. Her bedside manner is impeccable, and she always makes me feel like my health really matters, so of course I had to interview her because on this show, black hair matters. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hairhowigrewit/message

On today’s show I interview LaWanda Toney. LaWanda is a Communications Director for a nonprofit based in the Washington, D.C. metro area. A South Carolina native, she is also a graduate of Howard University. We spoke less than 24-hours after former Vice President Joe Biden announced he picked Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. Harris is also a Bison, so of course, I had to get LaWanda’s thoughts on her HU sister making history. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show I interview Comedienne and Musician Rita Brent. Rita embraced her natural five years ago. Her viral videos are the humor we need during this unprecedented time. The Mississippi native’s Quarantine Shuffle features Rita dancing with her family while she sings about washing hands, staying indoors and other precautions we should take to protect ourselves from COVID-19. Rita’s A Prayer for Trump, which has more than one million views on Facebook, is laugh out loud political commentary. Here’s an excerpt. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show I interview Karla Redditte. Karla is a TV anchor and reporter at NBC 12 in Richmond, Virginia. The Memphis, Tennessee, native is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. See, told y’all, this Delta is all about spreading Greek love. Karla embraced her natural 12 years ago, and five years ago this month she debuted it on air. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

You know the saying, don’t judge a book by its cover? Well, it applies to today’s guest, Ashley Moore. A Georgia peach, who now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ashley is a Cardiac Clinical Specialist with one of the top medical device companies in the world. Her job is to help electrophysiologists implant cardiac devices. She’s also a natural hair enthusiast, lifestyle blogger and my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister. Looking at Ashley, you’d never guess this beautiful, bubbly and outgoing chocolate sistah, who models part time, lost her mother to domestic violence. Ashley was just 12 at the time. Later in the show, she talks candidly about how that tragedy devastated her hair life. First, we talk hair texture. Hers is soft with wavy curls, and a little kinky in the back. Living in a dry climate, Ashley doesn’t have to worry about hair shrinkage. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today's show I interview my stepsister, Stefanie Graddic. Born and raised in Beaufort, South Carolina, Stefanie is a medical device sales representative based in San Francisco, California. Stefanie wore weaves a lot. So much so, they became a crutch, and she didn’t truly embrace her natural hair until a few years ago. Find out why she finally did later in the show. First, we talk hair texture. Hers is soft, light, dry and a bit schizophrenic. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today's show I interview my fellow Clevelander and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Sister, Janelle Coleman, who is one of the busiest people I know. Janelle is the Executive Vice President, External Affairs for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, one of the top zoos in the country. Her community life includes serving on the board of trustees for Ohio University, YWCA Columbus, and KIPP Foundation. She’s married to the former four-term mayor of Columbus, Ohio, who by the way is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, so her social calendar is always full. And, she is training for a two-day bike race called Pelotonia, which has raised more than 200 million dollars in cancer research. Needless to say, getting Janelle on the phone was not easy, but she made time for the podcast because she’s proud to be a part of the natural hair movement. Janelle hopes the ups and downs of her hair journey, which includes her ongoing struggle with hair loss, will help sistahs, who are dealing with the same issues. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today's show I interview my fellow Clevelander, Artist and Preschool Teacher Adrian Lane. Adrian is designing the cover of Cleveland’s Crown Angels, my first fiction book, that’s coming soon. During the podcast, I’ll share a few excerpts from this over-the-top supernatural, natural hair adventure. Thank you, Hair! Hair How I Grew It guest Keturah Bobo for recommending Adrian. Listen to episode five to hear Keturah share how her artwork often embodies young black girls’ natural hair struggles. Adrian has worn a natural for nearly 10 years. I asked her to describe her hair texture. She compared it to an art tool she’s used, which made me smile. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today's show I interview Digital Content Creator Victoria Davis. Victoria and I have a lot in common. We were born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. We attended predominantly white colleges with little to offer in black haircare. We’re Greek. I’m a Delta, and she’s an AKA. We worked in television newsrooms, and Victoria’s ClassyCurlies.com includes my mom’s first name, which is Curlie, spelled C-U-R-L-I-E. Speaking of ClassyCurlies.com, it’s the reason why I wanted to interview Victoria. She is the creator and CEO of the website that started as a diary and is now a thriving natural hair online community for sistahs. I asked her how she came up with the domain name. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today's show I interview Technology Consultant and Life Coach Tonya Brewington. Tonya is the CEO and founder of TBrewing Consulting and Courageously Alive. The latter helps people learn how to live and love again and create a life filled with courage, forgiveness and growth, particularly after experiencing trauma or tragedy. A Fayetteville, North Carolina native, Tonya has worn a natural for nearly 25 years. Shout out again to my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister and Hair! How I Grew It guest Tamika Felder. As I said in the beginning of the show, Tonya is the third person Tamika has put on my radar for this podcast. Listen to Hair! How I Grew It episode seven to hear Tamika share her journey back to natural hair. During our conversation, I learned Tonya did the big chop twice, which really impressed me because I haven’t had the courage to do it once. She did it both times to help her reboot her life. More on that later in the show. First, we talk texture. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today's show I interview Fitness Entrepreneur Kimberly Turner. Everyone calls her Kim. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Kim has rocked her natural for nearly 25 years. She likes the look because it’s versatile, healthy and fits her fitness lifestyle. At 51, her sculpted body and flat abs put most twentysomethings to shame. When I saw her wearing workout gear in a photo she emailed to me for this program, I thought, I need to sign up for a gym membership ASAP. Kim is the owner of Fitness Snob Studio in Washington, D.C. She describes her business as a high-end boutique fitness studio for independent instructors and concepts, like Vixen and other workouts. Kim provides the space and gym amenities, and the instructors book her location by the hour and run their own classes there. She works with some of the best in the business. For example, Michelle Obama’s trainer, the one who helped the former first lady get those amazing toned arms, taped an on-demand series at the studio. I didn’t know Kim until Hair! How I Grew It guest Tamika Felder said the fitness entrepreneur would be a great guest for the show. Thank you, Soror, for another awesome recommendation. Check out Hair! How I Grew It episode seven to hear Tamika’s laugh out loud and sobering journey back to natural hair. Tamika is my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister. Kim is Greek too but a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. I had to mention that at the beginning of our conversation. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show, I interview A’Lelia Bundles. She is African American haircare royalty. I spoke to A’Lelia just days before the 152nd birthday of her great-great grandmother, Madam C. J. Walker. I’d heard of Madam Walker, the first documented, self-made black millionaire, who built a haircare empire in the early 1900s. What self-respecting black person hasn’t? But, I didn’t know about A’Lelia until my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister and Hair! How I Grew It guest, Tamika Felder, suggested I reach out to her. Thank you, Soror! Listen to Hair! How I Grew It episode seven to hear Tamika share her journey back to natural hair, which includes lots of laughs, some lowcountry history and sobering cancer and hair talk. Born in Chicago and raised in Indianapolis, A’Lelia has been natural for most of her life. She is a journalist, historian and Madam C. J. Walker biographer. Even though we’d never met before I contacted her, she didn’t hesitate to say yes to sharing her hair journey, and I am so grateful. So far, Hair! How I Grew It has featured sistahs typically talking about traumatic childhood hair experiences, like hot comb and chemical relaxer burns. A’Lelia didn’t go through any of that. Early on in our conversation, she fondly recalled her mom’s gentle touch. Photo credit: Que Duong --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show I interview my cousin, DaNotta Jackson. She’s a retired United States Marine Corps Company First Sergeant. A Beaufort, South Caroline native, DaNotta’s been sporting her natural for more than 20 years. When I asked her to be a guest on Hair! How I Grew It, she, of course, said yes. I mean, saying no to family, her blood – not really an option. Love you cousin! But, DaNotta didn’t think anyone would care about what she had to say because she’s been natural for a while. I explained why she was wrong. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show I interview Doreen Hodge. I met Doreen more than a decade ago, when her husband, who has worked with me on media productions, introduced us, and we hit it off right away. A Queens, New York native, Doreen worked in media for years and did a stint as a fifth-grade elementary school teacher. Now, a stay-at-home mom, who refers to herself as a Domestic Engineer – love, love, LOVE that title -- Doreen has worn a natural for 12 years. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show I interview Christian. She is the daughter of my friend and Hair! How I Grew It guest, Caroline Brewer. Caroline, as Christian mentioned in the beginning of the show, is a pioneer. She was one of just a few black women, who wore a natural in her native home of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the early 1990s. Listen to episode four of Hair! How I Grew It to hear Caroline share her hair journey, which is filled with courage, some mean girls, hate mail, love and deep natural hair wisdom. Christian, who was born in Fort Wayne, and spent her primary years there, has been sporting locs for about 20 years. I wanted to interview her because natural hair became her side gig. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

Normally, I introduce my guest, but today, I’m letting my guest introduce herself because quite frankly, she does it a hell of a lot better than I would. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show, I interview Kamara Douglas. The natural hair discrimination she experienced on a job helped change the law in Cincinnati, Ohio. Now, Cincy is the second U.S. city to ban natural hair discrimination at work. New York is the first. Even though I’d never met Kamara, I knew in my gut after reading about her, she would be a great guest, so I called her and asked for this interview. She didn’t hesitate to say yes despite a busy schedule. Kamara is a full-time student at Northern Kentucky University where she’s pursuing her master’s degree in Public Administration. She also works full time as the Administrative and Community Affairs Director for Councilmember Chris Seelbach. And it’s while working for him that her hair story helped make history. Councilman Seelbach hired Kamara in April 2019. After hearing about Kamara’s and other black women’s natural hair struggles, he proposed adding natural hair and hairstyles to the city's discrimination policy. On October 9th, council approved the addition by a vote of seven-to-one. Now, Cincinnati employers can’t ask a person to change their hair at work for any reason. Later in the show, Councilman Seelbach tells me why he, a white man, who is the first openly gay politician elected to the Cincinnati City Council, felt compelled to act. But first, Kamara shares her natural hair journey. She was born in Bermuda, her dad’s native home, and raised in Columbia, Maryland, which is about an hour outside of Washington, D.C. Her mom is from Trinidad. A few days before our interview, Kamara lost her voice. It improved enough for her to talk to me, but she still had a bit of a frog in her throat. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show, I interview Artist-Entrepreneur Keturah Bobo. Her work often embodies young black girls’ natural hair struggles. The Toledo, Ohio, native has rocked her natural for nearly a decade. Thanks so much, Carla Moore for putting this talent on my radar. If you haven’t already, check out episode three of Hair! How I Grew It to hear Carla share her story, where she talks about the thoughtful hair choices she had to make when she was a judge. When I was looking for an artist to design the cover of my first fiction book, which is rooted in my natural hair journey, (and by the way, is coming soon), Carla asked me, “Have you heard about the woman who did the illustrations for I Am Enough?” Carla said she bought copies of the picture book for her grandkids. I Am Enough, I thought, never heard of it, until I did a Google search. When I saw the New York Times bestseller written by Fox’s Empire star Grace Byers, I instantly recognized the cover I’d seen in stores. It prominently features a beautiful black girl with milk chocolate skin and a curly Afro you cannot turn away from because it’s so big and breathtaking. Unfortunately, Keturah wasn’t available to do my cover, but she did say yes to this interview, and I am so grateful. Early on in our conversation, I asked Keturah about her piece that got Hollywood’s attention. It’s also my personal favorite. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show I interview my friend, Communications Professional and Children’s Book Author Caroline Brewer. Caroline is busy gearing up for the November release of her 12th book called Darius Daniels: Game On!, so I’m grateful, she took some time to talk to me. Years ago, when I asked some sistahs to write their natural hair stories for a collection of essays I wanted to publish, Caroline was the first one to say yes, so I knew I had to interview her for this podcast. We met in the mid-1990s in her hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. She was an editorial columnist for the Journal Gazette, one of the city’s local newspapers, and I was a TV reporter at the CBS station. Caroline wore her very tight curly coils in a high-top fade. I remember thinking, wow, when I saw it. While natural hair wasn’t on my personal radar back then -- in fact, I didn’t see the beauty in it for years -- I did recognize the courage it took to wear it. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show, I interview my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister, Carla Moore. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Carla is the second Delta featured on the program. Don’t worry, this won’t turn into a DST podcast, but a few more of my Sorors will probably stop by. My father introduced me to Carla in the mid-1990s when I was a cub reporter covering crime and courts in Indiana, and she was a judge in the Akron Municipal Court. Aware of my beats, she gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. She let me sit next to her on the bench while she presided over cases, so I could see everything going on in the courtroom from her vantage point. The experience enriched my reporting, and I’ll always be grateful to her for that. Carla’s job as a judge is the reason why I wanted to share her natural hair journey. Before retiring, she sat on the bench for 15 years in the Akron Municipal Court and 13 years on the Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals. She was the first black female judge elected to both positions. Getting reelected required a lot of campaigning, which meant she had to maintain a clean, professional look. And, a big part of that was hair. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show, I interview my sistah from another mistah, Estee Irby. I wanted to talk to Estee because she’s my natural and silver hair twin. Like me, she has course, very tight coily curls. But, unlike me, she’s a natural newbie. After relaxing her hair for nearly 30 years, she stopped chemically straightening it about two years ago, which I did not see coming. But, what surprised me even more was her decision to stop dyeing. She got her first gray strand before she was a teenager, so coloring had been a part of her life for years. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

In this HHIGI bonus clip, my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister, Jennifer Jones, explains why she'll never wear wigs and weaves, but she has considered sporting braids. Braids pic courtesy of Meghan Linehan at https://www.flickr.com/photos/meghanl/. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

On today’s show, I interview my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister, Jennifer Jones. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Jennifer was one of the first people I called for advice when I was thinking about going natural. She’s a Quality Assurance Analyst based in Charlotte, North Carolina. We pledged Delta together in the early 1990’s. If you’re not familiar with black hair care lingo, here’s a brief breakdown of common terms to help get you through the show. Chemical relaxer aka relaxer aka perm is a creamy substance with lye, which is applied to naturally curly hair to make it straight. Hot comb is a metal comb that’s heated on top of a stove and combed through curly hair to make it straight. Touch up is when you apply relaxer to new hair growth that hasn’t been permed. TWA is an acronym for tweeny weeny afro. Locs are short for dreadlocks. Jennifer and I started our conversation talking about her hair texture. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

My Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister, Jennifer Jones, is the first guest on Hair! How I Grew It, which debuts on August 26, 2019.  Here's a bonus clip from Jennifer's  interview.  She explains why she occasionally still blows out her natural.   --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message

Host and producer Drakeel Burns previews Hair! How I Grew It and explains why she created the podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/HairHowIGrewIt/message