San Diego Illustrator Celebrates Black Civil Rights, Pure Hair With New Design – NBC Boston

A San Diego-based artist celebrates civil rights movements and natural hair with a new design that supports both with one word to describe them: power.

Stephanna Bennett’s latest design features a black woman wearing vibrant red fringed earrings and curly hair in an afro. The word “power” is embedded in red text in her hair – a nod to 1960s movement and aesthetics.

“Definitely from the Black Liberation movement, the Black Power movement,” said Bennett. “The subject is definitely natural hair. So, for the first time in history, we’re talking about black women really starting to embrace their natural hair and their natural afro, and that is what this shirt is about – the power of being.” Stuck back and forth. “

Bennett, an illustrator, told NBC 7 that her design is personal and means something incredibly important to her because of her upbringing.

NBC 7

An image of the San Diego illustrator Stephanna Bennett’s t-shirt.

“That means a lot to me,” she said. “I grew up with absolutely no people to look up to. I had hair like mine or tips from people who looked like me to take care of my hair.”

She shared that black women have been pressured to relax their textured hair for generations.

Before the Black Liberation Movement in the 1960s and late 50s, there wasn’t anyone who wore their hair like that.

Stephanna Bennett, San Diego illustrator

“Before the Black Liberation Movement in the 1960s and late 50s, there wasn’t anyone who wore their hair like that,” Bennett said. “That was due to years of shame, naming, people who had their heads shaved, and this goes back to slave ships that bring people over from West Africa. They’d shave their heads, they didn’t want them to get lice or anything, and it goes so deep. It goes so far, that’s what I’m trying to say. “

Inspired by the story, Bennett said she wanted to honor the 60s because that was when black women began to embrace their natural hair. She added that in recent years she’s seen more black women doing the same thing.

NBC 7

More information on Stephanna Bennett.

“Things are changing,” said the artist. “I think there has been a revival of consciousness, there has been a revival of the people who realized that it was me and I should embrace it while here in this world.”