Every girl with an Afro knows the rollercoaster relationship you can have with your hair. How you wear it has been complicated by a number of personal and social factors. Questions about these interests, and who they really serve, are quite rightly falling into the spotlight. Endorsed by the likes of Solange, Zendaya Coleman, Erykah Badu and Thandie Newton, this new crusade celebrates locks in all their glory.
Learning to love our Afros may have taken a while, yet one author wants it to be commonplace for the next generation. Written by Casey Elisha, a 24-year-old from south London, and illustrated by Aliecee Cummings, Love Thy Fro is a children’s book that celebrates young girls with “non-typical” hair. The aim is to encourage the next generation of those with Afro hair to feel comfortable and proud of what they’ve got.
The book is already proving to be a huge it. After its initial launch in London, the first batch of books printed sold out within two days. Its overnight success demonstrated how much we as a community are seeking to uplift and encourage self-love and positive representation to a younger generation.
Speaking of its success Casey said: “I thought the book would take a little while for people to learn about. I believed in the book, but I didn’t realise that everyone would believe in it so much as well. Especially not instantly.”
The book may be simple but its message is powerful. Afro hair is beautiful and the sooner kinks and curls become the norm, the better.
