Watch: Braids and Appropriation in America Documentary

Lupita Nyong’o, Young M.A, Karrueche Tran, Ayana Bird, Lacy Redway, Vernon François and more talk about braids and black hair culture in America. The short film looks into the cultural, economic, and political importance of braiding black hair.

Another aspect of braiding that’s explored in the documentary is how it has been a form of entrepreneurship for black women, including those who immigrate to the U.S. from Africa and other parts of the world. Many of them learned to braid hair at an early age and turned their passion for braiding hair into a career.

The documentary also discusses Braids suddenly being hip and acceptable once white women wear them when black women who rocked braids all their lives were looked down upon. Check it out below.