Black Hair Experience Selfie Museum Explores Black Culture & Beautifies Black Hair
Business partners and friends Alisha Brooks (L) and Elizabeth Austin-Davis (R) created a curated museum that highlights Black culture. (Picture by Mariah Oates)
Friends turned business partners Alisha Brooks and Elizabeth Austin-Davis used their love of Black culture to create an open space for appreciation of Black hair: a popup art studio.
"It is important for Black women to love where they are in their hair journey," Austin-Davis said. "We feel like our hair is an extension of who we are and how we feel in that moment. So it is important to love ourselves and see ourselves represented, and feeling good about our hair plays an important role in our confidence about ourselves and how we take on the world."
The Black Hair Experience celebrates and appreciates the different textures of Black hair. (Picture by Elizabeth Austin-Davis)
Brooks used her creative talent as a visual artist, and Austin-Davis used her skills as a wedding photographer to provide a popup shop in Atlanta, Georgia in November 2020.
"We have been friends for such a long time," Brooks said. "We were both at a conference when Elizabeth shared with me she had a photography passion project she wanted to explore where she wanted to document the stories of Black women and their hair through photography.”
It was then discussed to to take those experiences and turn them into photo-sharing spaces, and that is how they created the Black Hair Experience.
The event space, that was only supposed to last for a month, became a full-grown business that the friends were surprised about. The popup studio has evolved into a selfie museum where guests can partake in various photo backdrops. Each location has messages of self-love built into the space. The experience also invites guests to connect with other women who are visiting the area as well.
The friends expanded the experience of the museum and created a video series to enjoy Black culture through the eyes of Black and Brown communities.
The selfie museum encourages the attendees to show their hair some love. (Picture by Elizabeth Austin-Davis)
"We created the segment, 'Crazy Hair Stories' to share stories and experiences with our hair," Brooks said. "We wanted to find a way to connect to people who may not live close enough to one of our locations to stop in. We have heard quite a few interesting stories, and we would suggest checking them out to see which is the craziest."
Brooks and Austin-Davis want to continue to expound on Black and Brown communities and educate others on Black culture. One of the ways the business partners do this is through the 'We Care' workshop.
"The 'We Care' workshop is a four-hour long programming tailored to youth.
"We wanted to allow them to come together in one of our locations and cultivate a fun, safe space for middle to high school-aged girls to learn about self and others while exploring views of beauty and hair in popular culture,” Austin-Davis said.
The Black Hair Experience uplifts Black and Brown communities to express self-love. (Picture by Elizabeth Austin-Davis)
The women want to uplift Black women, especially for future generations.
"Our activities touch on valuable skills that will support girls in navigating their now as well as their future," Brooks said. "Our 'We Care' workshop promotes self-confidence, positive relationship building, and owning and affirming your magic."
Brooks and Austin-Davis see a bright future for the business.
"Nothing but growth from here," Austin-Davis said. "We are hoping to continue to expand the experience into other markets and introduce new programming and events."
Book a ticket to attend the selfie museum in Atlanta, Dallas, or the DMV area.