T.A.N.G.L.E.S., an organization at Howard University, is showing natural hair connoisseurs just how easy and fun caring for natural hair can be. T.A.N.G.L.E.S, which stands for Transitioners and Natural Growing Learners and Educating Students, offers a communal space to learn about natural hair and build a positive self image.
From braiding and product-to-style ratio, to self-love and building confidence, T.A.N.G.L.E.S. was founded with the purpose of not only educating, but creating a community. “Tangles was founded at Howard University in November 2010…by Jessica Williams and Alexis Guy, who saw a need for promoting confidence and inspiring discussion for students with natural hair,” a T.A.N.G.L.E.S. representative said.
Beyond inspiring discussions around natural hair, T.A.N.G.L.E.S was established with the mission to change the often negative stigma surrounding natural hair.
“Having conversations about natural hair [is] imperative, especially within the Howard community. With a student body hailing from all over the world, not everyone was encouraged to embrace their hair in their community. We feel the responsibility to ensure that the narrative is changed,” the representative shared.
Throughout the years, the T.A.N.G.L.E.S organization has hosted a slew of natural hair care events. These events include “Wave Watching,” which offered tips on how to care for and style short hair, “Braidz and Thangz,” which taught onlookers about protective styling through braiding workshops. These events have provided a communal space for natural hair enthusiasts to gather, celebrate their crowns together, and deepen their sense of self love.
Through hair, the T.A.N.G.L.E.S organization remains committed to inspiring confidence, not only in the physical but in all aspects of self.
“Self-love involves tending to your physical and emotional well-being. Taking proper care of your hair is an important step towards managing this. It’s important to look good AND feel good!” T.A.N.G.L.E.S. said.
Learning about natural hair goes far beyond understanding one’s curls– it means understanding how to wear a crown with pride. It’s not only about nourishing one’s kinks and coils, but also nourishing one’s entire being.
Here are three tips from T.A.N.G.L.E.S to make sure crowns are nourished and cared for:
- Trim split ends! Your hair is always growing, but it may not be getting longer because it breaks at the same rate it grows. The best way to retain length is to make sure that your ends are tended to at least every three months.
- Moisturize hair often. Curly and coily hair is naturally drier due to the spiral shape, but it doesn’t have to stay that way! Use moisturizing deep conditioners to combat this.
- Protective styling can be one of the best ways to stay stylish while protecting your ends and giving yourself a break from weekly styling.
Copy edited by: N’dia Webb
