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Halfway through an absolutely jam-packed, sweltering-hot July weekend in New Orleans, I thought to myself, “I really love being a Black woman.” Of course, it wasn’t the first time I’d felt this way. But at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, SheaMoisture gave me the space to have that incredibly important realization again. For three days, I was transported back to the dorm room and enrolled—along with 15 other women—in “Sheaversity,” the brand’s cheeky take on the collegiate experience. “This year, we’re checking into university, and you are both the student and the teacher,” Maureen Kitheka, SheaMoisture’s marketing and engagement lead in Canada, told me. “The student because you’re ready to learn some more, but the teacher because you’re already empowered. We’re meeting you where you are.” In the early aughts, when the natural-hair movement was maybe at its most popular, SheaMoisture did just that—carried forward a legacy that had gained momentum during the 1960s and 1970s. Founded in the early ’90s, it soon established itself as a trusted brand for natural, textured hair. Since then, as Black women have continued to grow and explore their beauty, style and haircare preferences, so, too, has SheaMoisture—expanding its offering to include everything from styling gels to braid sprays and strengthening hair oils to bond-repair products. The full product range was at my disposal for styling my hair during the festival activities.
Photography courtesy of SheaMoisture
From SheaMoisture’s Roll Call welcome party, where New Orleans-native rapper Juvenile got the crowd moving with a surprise performance of his iconic hits “Slow Motion” and “Back That Azz Up,” to a dance class with Southern University’s Fabulous Dancing Dolls and a slate of evening ESSENCE Fest performances from legends like Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott and Patti LaBelle, every part of the weekend was an intentional and beautiful celebration of Black culture. “A Black woman is deeply embedded in her roots,” Kitheka said. “She knows who she is. Yes, today she faces a lot of barriers and societal limitations as she tries to step out and be herself. But she’s not afraid of that. She’s still going, and she’s still empowered.” The Sheaversity festival activation was also reflective of the brand’s recently launched “Yes, And” campaign, which celebrates the versatility of SheaMoisture products and the people who use them. “On one end, we’re talking about the adaptability of textured hair,” said Kitheka. “Yes, it needs care, it needs love, it needs hydration. And it gives you style range, it gives you expression, it gives you creativity and allows you to be who you are. Your hair can be all those things—just like you are.” The ability to be many things at once, to embody different styles and to be multifaceted—as a person and with our hair—is something that Black women have fought to create space for. After the weekend’s cultural curriculum, I was reminded of the power that comes from being exactly who I am. And I left feeling like an A+ student. [content_module id=”1″] Continue Reading
