COMBING THROUGH HISTORY
Our first exhibition at 502 West State Street, the All Voices Group Show ‘VILLAGE HAIR’ explored the ways our hair braids together the strands of identity, pride, and power.
Because protective hairstyles and upkeep demand time and resources, our access and choices are tangled up with factors like race, gender, social class, and economic power.
Hairstyles originated by marginalized communities have long been targeted for discrimination at work and school, then appropriated as a fashion statement.
The CROWN Act prohibits race-based hair discrimination in New York and 26 other states, while the other 23 states still tacitly enforce Eurocentric beauty standards.