The Black Hair Experience (TBHE), an interactive art installation that focuses on the love and nostalgia of Black hair as well as Black culture, has arrived in Austin!
Since the first popup installation launched in November 2020, in Atlanta, GA, friends Alisha Brooks and Elizabeth Austin-Davis have seen great success with their brainchild, TBHE They’ve been able to take the experience nationwide in just a year’s span through social media, a loyal following, and of course, amazing setups!
In the selfie museum, you’ll see spaces ranging from a kitchen with hot combs and Marcels on the stove to a bedroom straight from the 90s with music posters, CDs, and of course, a landline phone to call your boo!
TBHE also has a community outreach project called the We Care Initiative, where they put on workshops for girls in elementary through high school, helping to instill self-love, friendship, and self-confidence in the attendants. If your organization is interested in participating in this workshop, email them for more info.
The Austin installation is part of a Texas tour, which started in Dallas and will end in Houston. With that being said, you only have a limited time to visit. So be sure to snag your tickets now before they sell out. Pro-tip: try going earlier in the day.
Before leaving, make sure to check out the gift shop, which is made up completely of Black-owned brands. It has jewelry, sunglasses, hair accessories, shirts, and more! I was able to get a neon beanie that I can’t wait to wear!
THE CROWN ACT
The CROWN Act was created in 2019 by Dove and the CROWN Coalition, in partnership with then State Senator Holly J. Mitchell of California, to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles such as braids, locs, twists, and knots in the workplace and public schools.
Earlier this month, The US House of Representatives passed legislation that would ban race-based hair discrimination in employment and against those participating in federally assisted programs, housing programs, and public accommodations. You can read about local efforts to enact CROWN Act legislation being led by Meme Styles and MESURE.
You can purchase tickets online and follow them on Instagram for all the behind-the-scenes content.
