Whose Hair Is It? Black Hair, Naming, and Power in the Fashion Industry

NOTE: This course has been rescheduled.

 We're gathering to have the conversation the fashion industry keeps avoiding—about Black hair, the language used to describe it, and what's at stake when that language gets taken away.

The session opens with an expert-led grounding presentation, followed by group discussion guided by readings and prompts. One module. Three hours. Live on Zoom.

Every participant leaves with a one-page subject and resource guide to continue the conversation on their own.

Presented in partnership with The Fashion and Race Database®. Explore books, articles, news headlines, and more at fashionandrace.org.

  • Duration

    3 hours

  • Format

    Guided study group

  • Expert

    Kimberly M. Jenkins, M.A. and The Fashion and Race Database®️

  • Curriculum

    Includes assigned materials and a 1-page subject and resource guide

Inside the Session

We'll cover these topics, and follow the conversation where it leads:

  • Why the language we use to describe Black hair is never just semantic—and what's lost when those words get replaced
  • The pattern behind fashion's most high-profile hair missteps, from runways to editorial spreads, and why they keep happening
  • What accountability actually looks like in the fashion industry, and the tools that exist to build it
Participants will receive a short list of assigned readings, videos, and/or listening materials in advance to help ground our conversation. Full session details—including the Zoom link and how we'll meet—will be sent one week before the course date.
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