Hair! How I Grew It

Hair! How I Grew It

By Drakeel BurnsArtsFashion & Beauty
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Hair! How I Grew It episodes

  • Ep. 15: Adrian Lane
    On today's show, I interview my fellow Clevelander, Artist and Preschool Teacher Adrian Lane. Adrian is designing the cover of Cleveland’s Crown Angels, my first fiction book, that’s coming soon. During the podcast, I’ll share a few excerpts from this over-the-top supernatural, natural hair adventure.
    Thank you, Hair! Hair How I Grew It guest Keturah Bobo for recommending Adrian. Listen to episode five to hear Keturah share how her artwork often embodies young black girls’ natural hair struggles.
    Adrian has worn a natural for nearly 10 years.
    I asked her to describe her hair texture. She compared it to an art tool she’s used, which made me smile.
    38 min
  • Ep. 14: Victoria Davis
    On today's show, I interview Digital Content Creator Victoria Davis. Victoria and I have a lot in common. We were born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. We attended predominantly white colleges with little to offer in black haircare. We’re Greek. I’m a Delta, and she’s an AKA. We worked in television newsrooms, and Victoria’s ClassyCurlies.com includes my mom’s first name, which is Curlie, spelled C-U-R-L-I-E.
    Speaking of ClassyCurlies.com, it’s the reason why I wanted to interview Victoria. She is the creator and CEO of the website that started as a diary and is now a thriving natural hair online community for sistahs.
    I asked her how she came up with the domain name.
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    Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message
    42 min
  • Ep. 13: Tonya Brewington
    On today's show, I interview Technology Consultant and Life Coach Tonya Brewington. Tonya is the CEO and founder of TBrewing Consulting and Courageously Alive. The latter helps people learn how to live and love again and create a life filled with courage, forgiveness and growth, particularly after experiencing trauma or tragedy. A Fayetteville, North Carolina native, Tonya has worn a natural for nearly 25 years.
    Shout out again to my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister and Hair! How I Grew It guest Tamika Felder. As I said in the beginning of the show, Tonya is the third person Tamika has put on my radar for this podcast. Listen to Hair! How I Grew It episode seven to hear Tamika share her journey back to natural hair.
    During our conversation, I learned Tonya did the big chop twice, which really impressed me because I haven’t had the courage to do it once. She did it both times to help her reboot her life. More on that later in the show. First, we talk texture.
    31 min
  • Ep. 12: Kimberly Turner
    On today's show, I interview Fitness Entrepreneur Kimberly Turner. Everyone calls her Kim. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana, Kim has rocked her natural for nearly 25 years. She likes the look because it’s versatile, healthy and fits her fitness lifestyle. At 51, her sculpted body and flat abs put most twentysomethings to shame. When I saw her wearing workout gear in a photo she emailed to me for this program, I thought, I need to sign up for a gym membership ASAP.
    Kim is the owner of Fitness Snob Studio in Washington, D.C. She describes her business as a high-end boutique fitness studio for independent instructors and concepts, like Vixen and other workouts. Kim provides the space and gym amenities, and the instructors book her location by the hour and run their own classes there. She works with some of the best in the business. For example, Michelle Obama’s trainer, the one who helped the former first lady get those amazing toned arms, taped an on-demand series at the studio.
    I didn’t know Kim until Hair! How I Grew It guest Tamika Felder said the fitness entrepreneur would be a great guest for the show. Thank you, Soror, for another awesome recommendation. Check out Hair! How I Grew It episode seven to hear Tamika’s laugh out loud and sobering journey back to natural hair.
    Tamika is my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister. Kim is Greek too but a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. I had to mention that at the beginning of our conversation.
    35 min
  • Ep. 11: A'Lelia Bundles
    On today’s show, I interview A’Lelia Bundles. She is African American haircare royalty. I spoke to A’Lelia just days before the 152nd birthday of her great-great-grandmother, Madam C. J. Walker. I’d heard of Madam Walker, the first documented, self-made black millionaire, who built a haircare empire in the early 1900s. What self-respecting black person hasn’t? But, I didn’t know about A’Lelia until my Delta Sigma Theta Sorority sister and Hair! How I Grew It guest, Tamika Felder, suggested I reach out to her.  Thank you, Soror!
    Listen to Hair! How I Grew It episode seven to hear Tamika share her journey back to natural hair, which includes lots of laughs, some lowcountry history and sobering cancer and hair talk.  
    Born in Chicago and raised in Indianapolis, A’Lelia has been natural for most of her life.  She is a journalist, historian and Madam C. J. Walker biographer. 
    Even though we’d never met before I contacted her, she didn’t hesitate to say yes to sharing her hair journey, and I am so grateful. 
    So far, Hair! How I Grew It has featured sistahs typically talking about traumatic childhood hair experiences, like hot comb and chemical relaxer burns. A’Lelia didn’t go through any of that. Early on in our conversation, she fondly recalled her mom’s gentle touch.
    Photo credit: Que Duong
    43 min
  • Ep. 10: DaNotta Jackson
    On today’s show, I interview my cousin, DaNotta Jackson. She’s a retired United States Marine Corps Company First Sergeant. A Beaufort, South Caroline native, DaNotta’s been sporting her natural for more than 20 years.
    When I asked her to be a guest on Hair! How I Grew It, she, of course, said yes. I mean, saying no to family, her blood – not really an option. Love you cousin! But, DaNotta didn’t think anyone would care about what she had to say because she’s been natural for a while. I explained why she was wrong.
    41 min
  • Ep. 9: Doreen Hodge
    On today’s show, I interview Doreen Hodge. I met Doreen more than a decade ago, when her husband, who has worked with me on media productions, introduced us, and we hit it off right away. A Queens, New York native, Doreen worked in media for years and did a stint as a fifth-grade elementary school teacher. Now, a stay-at-home mom, who refers to herself as a Domestic Engineer – love, love, LOVE that title -- Doreen has worn a natural for 12 years.
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    Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hairhowigrewit/message
    35 min
  • Ep. 8: Christian
    On today’s show, I interview Christian. She is the daughter of my friend and Hair! How I Grew It guest, Caroline Brewer. Caroline, as Christian mentioned in the beginning of the show, is a pioneer. She was one of just a few black women, who wore a natural in her native home of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the early 1990s. Listen to episode four of Hair! How I Grew It to hear Caroline share her hair journey, which is filled with courage, some mean girls, hate mail, love and deep natural hair wisdom.
    Christian, who was born in Fort Wayne, and spent her primary years there, has been sporting locs for about 20 years. I wanted to interview her because natural hair became her side gig.
    41 min
  • Ep. 7: Tamika Felder

    Normally, I introduce my guest, but today, I’m letting my guest introduce herself because quite frankly, she does it a hell of a lot better than I would.

    37 min
  • Ep. 6: Kamara Douglas

    On today’s show, I interview Kamara Douglas. The natural hair discrimination she experienced on a job helped change the law in Cincinnati, Ohio. Now, Cincy is the second U.S. city to ban natural hair discrimination at work. New York is the first. Even though I’d never met Kamara, I knew in my gut after reading about her, she would be a great guest, so I called her and asked for this interview. She didn’t hesitate to say yes despite a busy schedule. Kamara is a full-time student at Northern Kentucky University where she’s pursuing her master’s degree in Public Administration. She also works full time as the Administrative and Community Affairs Director for Councilmember Chris Seelbach. And it’s while working for him that her hair story helped make history. Councilman Seelbach hired Kamara in April 2019. After hearing about Kamara’s and other black women’s natural hair struggles, he proposed adding natural hair and hairstyles to the city's discrimination policy. On October 9th, council approved the addition by a vote of seven-to-one. Now, Cincinnati employers can’t ask a person to change their hair at work for any reason. Kamara was born in Bermuda, her dad’s native home, and raised in Columbia, Maryland, which is about an hour outside of Washington, D.C. Her mom is from Trinidad. A few days before our interview, Kamara lost her voice. It improved enough for her to talk to me, but she still had a bit of a frog in her throat.

    23 min

About Hair! How I Grew It

From the publisher's feed

The first #naturalhair podcast uplifting Black women sharing raw firsthand stories of acceptance and how to embrace your authentic crown and self.