Latin and Caribbean women (and men) of African descent took to the streets of São Paulo for the first Afro Hair Pride March (Marcha do Orgulho Crespo), earlier this summer.
READ: How Teen Rapper MC Soffia Is Using Hip-Hop To Empower Afro-Latinas
“We march with pride of our afros and curls, holding our combing forks in the wrist as a battle symbol against the social whitening process, sexual objectification of women and their silence. We believe in black empowerment and, above all, in its beauty and roots.” said the organizers behind the march (Hot Pente and Blog das Cabeludas) to Afro Punk. “More than being just about aesthetic, the First Afro Hair Pride March is a political act that opens paths in favor of a movement that celebrates afro hair as being part of the black identity, promotes self-esteem and helps people to embrace their ancestry and the free expression of their hair, especially for women as a means of empowerment.”
The inaugural march saw a broad spectrum of black and brown folk sporting vibrant ‘fros, kinks and curls, either wrapped in turbans or locked in various styles. Now, people from all over the South American nation are working with Hot Pente and Blog das Cabeludas to put together their own upcoming “Marcha do Orgulho Crespo” in places like Porto Alegre, Feira de Santana and Brasilia, making the historical event a national crusade.
READ: Photo Essay: Tony Peralta’s “Rolos & Icons” Exhibit
Find the women who told their stories of identity by megaphone in the video below, plus stunning images of the movement in the gallery above.
-
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media -
Image Credit: NINJA Media