John,
It's Tuesday in February, so you know what that means – today is “Tech and Innovation Tuesday” as a part of our Black Futures Month digital series! On Tuesdays, we're reclaiming our power and history as innovators and inventors and why all we've done for our past is critical to our futures.
Let's take a trip down memory lane, tracing all the way back to the history of a staple in Black hair: The hot comb! Tracing the history of the hot comb is complicated, largely due to misinformation and missing documentation. Tracing it has also been difficult because the hot comb was referred to by many names and seems to have had several inventors. But we do know the roles of Annie Malone and Madame CJ Walker.
Annie Malone was born in 1869 in Illinois. From an early age, Malone understood that for African American women, appearance, and grooming represented more than their personal style. It could also indicate a woman's class and social standing. Her early passion for styling her sisters' hair inspired Malone to help other Black women improve their grooming habits.
Malone became a businesswoman in a highly segregated and sexist society. She developed a product line that helped improve scalp health and promote hair growth. After early success in Illinois, she moved to Missouri in 1902 and founded Poro College, founded as a cosmetics school.
Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture, “Sizzle”
Poro College was a place to train and employ people to care for Black hair, and one of the agents hired was Madam CJ Walker, who later started selling her own hair care line.
Fast forward to today – Black communities are not shy of Black hair care products, especially ones that are Black-owned, made for us, and by us! People like
Whitney White and her brand Melanin Hair Care and so many more have an abundance of products accessible to our communities.
We're moving in the right direction, too – from digital platforms to in-person conferences like Afro-Tech and Black is Tech, more and more opportunities for Black innovators are being made.
It is critical to remember and connect our history to our future, especially when it comes to Black business and innovation for our future. It's on us to keep at the forefront of all we do!
Before we go, we want to acknowledge that today, Trayvon Martin should be here. He should be turning 29, celebrating the last year of his 20s with his beloved family and friends. But he is not, due to state-sanctioned vigilante violence fueled by white supremacy and law enforcement entitlement.
Despite their devastating loss, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin have committed their lives to transforming tragedy into change.
The Trayvon Martin Foundation was founded with the goals of enacting social change and supporting families who have lost a loved one to gun violence.
Black Lives Matter is about uplifting our own and keeping each other safe. The Trayvon Martin Foundation is doing exactly that.
In love and solidarity,
Black Lives Matter
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