Anne Bernard

In the summer of 2018, while working at a summer camp, I received a phone call from a friend urging me to reach out to my parents regarding my brother. I reached out; my parents were just as confused as I was. They were at work when they received a phone call from their landlord urging them to go home. I began doing my research to come upon an article *trigger warning* that my brother committed suicide. I was devastated. I've loved; I'll continue to love. As a child, I've always found joy in connecting and expressing myself through beauty and hair. I found delight in the boundless perception that is beauty.

My brother recruited me to retwist his loc's. I found joy in the space that we shared. It became our thing, my thing. I can visualize his warm smile after he was blowdried and unclipped. That smile eventually became the stepping stones that brought me to where I am today. 

Beauty is not limited to how we dress, the styles we choose, our makeup, though it is a catalyst for self-expression. No "standard" will ever define our beauty or diminish our worth. We exhibit beauty simply because we exist. I create an environment that exposes healthy hair care, self-love with an abundance of expression. My journey with my hair has taught me that we are beautiful within each stage of our hair's life. From relaxed hair to natural hair, wigs, and coloring, our hair is fearlessly bold; it can express itself in a multitude of fashions. I'm using my platform to embrace and showcase care, love, health, and boldness to all textures of hair. We radiate light with or without, be free, and allow our hair to do the same. Hair to empower beauties to express. That's how I see myself leaving an impact.