Sis2Sis club helps Black women on campus explore their 'Hairitage'

Walking into Sis2Sis' "Hairitage" workshop on Feb. 7, sophomore Destiny Okonkwo said she was nervous, but was immediately put at ease by inviting people and an interactive space that gave her a rare opportunity to talk about her natural hair.

The workshop was one of the club’s two projects this month that focused on providing hair education and resources, aligning with its mission to build community among Black women on campus. 

Sis2Sis is also hosting a hair care drive throughout the month to relieve the financial burdens caused by buying products.This is the first time the club is collaborating with Carolina Cupboard, an on-campus food pantry that also carries cleaning supplies, household items and hygiene and menstrual products.

Providing free haircare products for naturally curly hair, especially with recent price inflation, allows the cupboard to meet all cultures they are servicing, Kennedy Williams, a UNC junior and the co-manager of donations and volunteers at the cupboard, said.

“I think it's really important to feel good about yourself, whether that is ensuring that you have a well cooked meal, or that you have necessary things to make yourself feel good and smell good and present how you want to present in this world,” Williams said.

The workshop was divided into four sections about natural – loose and lock – styles, applying wigs, knotless braids and cornrows,  and used live demonstrations, a doll tutorial and hands-on activities to introduce participants to new styles.

During their two and a half hour session, Destiny Ndupu, a co-president of the club, said she didn’t expect attendees to gain mastery of these techniques, but instead hoped the event could kick-start personal interest and empower participants to explore outside of the workshop.

Establishing a hair routine can be a daunting task to navigate, Okonkwo said.

Under the The Andre Walker Hair Typing System, created in the 1990s by Oprah Winfrey’s stylist, there are 12 types of hair ranging from type 1A, finer and straight, to 4D, coily and coarse. 

Finding knowledge on the upper range of hair types through online resources can be difficult, Ndupu said. She added that the hair type system isn’t comprehensive as each individuals’ hair texture, curl pattern, coarseness and porosity are still unique.

“There's a lack of representation in different types of hair,” Ndupu said.

Accessibility of hair products on campus can be a challenge, Ndupu said, as the closest product stores that cater to Black women are in Durham. Okonkwo said this problem is amplified because it is often difficult for Black women to talk about these experiences and there isn’t a large platform for them in the haircare world.

Growing up in a predominantly white environment, Okonkwo did not always feel comfortable wearing her natural hair. She said the Sis2Sis community has motivated her to be expressive about hair.

“I've come to really want to focus on my hair and then also be very unashamed about it,” she said. “It is a part of me, it’s a part of my culture and it's part of something that almost every Black girl goes through.”

Supplies for the drive can be picked up by drop-in or by appointment in the cupboard’s normal location in the basement of Avery Residence Hall. Donations will be collected through the end of the month in the first floor of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union.

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