Roots & Rituals
Wellness and beauty stories rooted in culture, care, and lived experience—exploring hair, self-care rituals, healing practices, and the traditions that shape how we show up in the world.
Madam C.J. Walker’s Empire of Empowerment
Explore 10 America 250 stories of African-American & minority contributors – inventors, leaders & more. Perfect for semiquincentennial pride.
Was “Going Natural” a Phase or a Permanent Reset?
By Astoria Stubbs | Licensed Cosmetologist, Barber, and Educator The early 2000s marked a reckoning in the beauty industry. Going natural was not a trend as much as it was a correction, a collective refusal to continue damaging hair, scalps, and identities in the name of assimilation. Clients did not just want new styles. They…
The Women Who Quietly Shaped Black Hair History
By Astoria Stubbs When we talk about Black hair care history, one name almost always leads the conversation: Madam C.J. Walker, the first Black woman millionaire in America. And while her impact is undeniable, she is not the only woman who shaped the way we care for, style, and understand Black hair. This Women’s History…
Roots and Rituals
By Astoria Stubbs Crowned in Culture: The Living Archive of Black Hair More Than Aesthetic Black hair is innovative. It is architecture. It is survival. It is softness. It is resistance. It is joy. By its very nature, Black hair defies simplicity. It has never been just hair; it has always been identity, language, survival,…