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How I unlearned the internalised prejudice I had as a Black woman – one braid at a time

I decided to ditch my sleek, neat hair for chemical-free afro styles and noticed how differently I was treated. Changing my hairstyle has never just been about fashion – what it symbolises culturally runs far deeper

Photograph: Yen Duong/ReutersFor me it wasn’t until 2019, when I saw a video of Dabiri in a style known as Fulani braids, a mixture of cornrows and single plaits, which she wore with brown and blond hair extensions, that things changed. The fact that a new crop of hair brands by and for Black women, which includes Cécred by Beyoncé and Pattern Beauty by Tracee Ellis Ross, have made it into the mass market is not insignificant. “What once may have been seen as a necessity for managing afro-textured hair, or adhering to professional standards, has evolved into an empowering form of artistry.” Wigs, she says, “are deeply emotive for many Black women because they represent more than just a styling choice – they’re tools of self-expression, reinvention, and empowerment.”

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