LISTEN: Zulaikha Patel chats about new book, 'My Coily Crowny Hair'
Carol Ofori speaks to the homegrown and iconic Zulaikha Patel, anti-racism and social-justice activist, and now author of 'My Coily Crowny Hair'.
Zulaikha Patel, the name that was introduced to us in 2016 when she was just a young teenager, has now grown up and become an elegant and strong icon for women all over. She has changed the way the world looks at curly hair in a positive and empowering way that allows women to celebrate their natural hair and embrace it.
She recently released her book, 'My Coily Crowny Hair,' which was inspired by her personal story and is aimed at sharing pride about your natural hair.
“...I want parents to have a conversation with their children about how they feel going to work with natural hair,” she shared in an interview about her book and on her Instagram page.
We remember clearly her stance during the silent protest she organised after her teachers continuously berated her about her 'untidy' hair. She was described by her sister, Amila Patel, as a gentle and quiet young girl who had had enough of the humiliation over her appearance by her teachers.
Her eloquence and vision for the future not only excites us, but also fills us up with pride and love for this young, passionate, influential, and inspiring woman who is leading females and the world into a place of empowerment.
Years ago, when she stood against authoritative adults who tried to break her by attacking her appearance, we saw people compare her to Winnie Mandela and stand up in unity beside her for the cause she was raising awareness about, and today she stands so calmly, so elegantly, so poised in her coily, crowny hair, teaching young girls and women that they too should embrace their naturalness.
During that time, she was quoted as saying: "In my mind, I was prepared for this. I was fighting for every black child in this country. It’s time our cries are heard (Daily Mail)."
Carol Ofori got to speak to Zulaikha Patel today on the show, listen to the full podcast below:
Image Courtesy of Instagram