By: Steven Turner-Parker
Ubuntu means “I am because we are.” As black history month comes to a close, Black student organizations had many events on this campus that embodied Ubuntu community elements and showcased what black excellence looks like. With that said, I decided to find some of these fantastic people on this campus to ask them an important question: What does black excellence mean to you?
by Desire’ Jackson-Crosby and Cynthia Ntinunu
What is hair? Is it just a follicle on the top of one’s head? Or is it a piece of you that evokes certain feelings? The natural hair journey is a unique experience for anyone who goes through it. For some it’s a straightforward journey and for others there’s a lot to unpack.
This project allowed 11 people to relive and share their natural hair journeys-from their struggles to their triumphs. Below are the last three people for the natural hair stories series.
Lora-Kenie Deronville
One might suspect that the hair that grows from someone’s scalp is their responsibility. At a certain age, they’re the ones who are to care for it. For Umass student Lora-Kenie Deronville, her independence in this area was only recent. Until the age of 18, her mother was the one to care for and style Deronville’s hair.(Click the image above to read the full story)
Continue reading “Natural Hair Stories-Part Three”
by Desire’ Jackson-Crosby and Cynthia Ntinunu
What is hair? Is it just a follicle on the top of one’s head? Or is it a piece of you that evokes certain feelings? The natural hair journey is a unique experience for anyone who goes through it. For some it’s a straightforward journey and for others there’s a lot to unpack.
This project allowed 11 people to relive and share their natural hair journeys-from their struggles to their triumphs. Below are the next three people for the natural hair stories series.
Yanni Cabrera
For senior Yanni Cabrera, natural hair is more than just a phase. It’s a part of her that has been straightened, cut, and growing alongside her while expanding her understanding of self. She refuses to change it to fit others’ standards of beauty. (Click the image above to read the full story)
by Cynthia Ntinunu
On Tuesday Mar. 20, the Stonewall Center of the University of Massachusetts Amherst hosted a LGBTQIA+ Art Showcase and Open Mic night. Held in Bartlett Hall, the event was broken up into two parts.
The night started off with snacks and a gallery walk. The gallery featured over 15 artists with art pieces ranging from paintings, embroidery, photography, knitting, and more. People were able to walk through and admire the work that artists created as a rotation of chill music, like Solange’s latest album When I Get Home, played in the background.
by Desire’ Jackson-Crosby and Cynthia Ntinunu
What is hair? Is it just a follicle on the top of one’s head? Or is it a piece of you that evokes certain feelings? The natural hair journey is a unique experience for anyone who goes through it. For some it’s a straightforward journey and for others there’s a lot to unpack.
This project allowed 11 people to relive and share their natural hair journeys-from their struggles to their triumphs. Below is four of the 11 for part one of the natural hair stories series.
Uju Onochie
Uju Onochie went to a predominantly white school for part of her childhood and she hated it. Being one of the few black kids in class, she remembered seeing the white girls’ hair and she’d play with it. Thoughts of “why can’t my hair be like this?” would circle her head as her fingers brushed through the girls’ hair. (Click the image above to read her full story)
