The inspiration for this video came from a private conversation we had about the difficulties of finding a knowledgeable hairdresser and the journey of getting comfortable with our own hair while growing up in predominantly white environments. We chose a conversation-style approach with simple videoclips to capture and emphasise the reality of friends finding each other in similar struggles.
Black, Indigenous, and people of colour are continuously marginalised in all different spheres of western society. This includes healthcare systems, education, and the labour market, but also hairdressers and hair shops. Although over 2.3 million Dutch citizens have their roots in other parts of the world, the availability of products and accessibility to services they need is not inclusive. Why is this the case? In this creative video, we explored the decolonisation of our own minds and society at large, the impact of growing up in white spaces on our self image and self esteem, and how we got to the point of embracing our heritage as well as our natural hair. We speak about our visits to Afro-Caribbean hair shops located in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the natural hair movement, and the importance of Dutch society becoming more inclusive.