The New York Times best-selling children’s book turned short film Hair Love has been getting media attention since it’s premier this month. The animated short film—based on a true story—is about a Black American father taking on the seemingly daunting task of doing his young daughter’s thick, curly hair. And, well, it has us completely and utterly in our #feels.

Being black and watching this short film brought upon countless thoughts and perspectives—there’s finally more positive representation of a Black American father in children’s media. With over 20,000 comments on the film, women and girls from all backgrounds are telling their own stories of their fathers attempting to do their hair—and there’s a beautiful commonality that this film has on so many different families. Author Matthew Cherry explains how he wanted to translate who the typical black father is and create normalcy around seeing a black family in animation while rightfully representing little black girls.

Hair Love was created to diminish stereotypes and positively represent black culture—starting with the hair on our head. Cherry says, “One thing I will say is there is authenticity in specificity.” And—specifically—being black means facing constant challenges in our everyday lives. Often we have to compromise our cultural identity for what is deemed “professional” in schools and the workplace—causing the loss of many opportunities. Last week, Senator Cory Booker unveiled The Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act—a bill banning the discrimination of natural and protective hairstyles associated with people of African decent and encouraging us to unapologetically wear our crowns freely. 

Unfortunately—fixing racial discrimination is a work in progress. It takes empathy and understanding the facts (and understanding other humans who may not look like you) to make a wave. We’re still teaching big corporations—like the NBC America’s Got Talent team—to undo their toxic, racially insensitive work culture. But it’s important for us to keep pushing boundaries. It’s important to implement protective laws against systemic racism for black and brown people. It’s important that we continue to stand in our truth. To stand with our allies. To stand for removing the narrative that people of color should show up as anything other than who we are.

To unapologetically wear our crown in all its glory.

Being black and loving your natural hair.

Our Crown and Glory

Regular

10. Hung Up on a Rung: Ladders, Inference, Assumptions and You! (2017)

Nothing serious here. Just the methods through which we shape our perception of the universe and how that impacts our actions. Also, wedding cake.

9. The Mighty Power in Your Tiny Actions (2019)

How does the quote go? “The only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.” We support a similar philosophy when tackling massive global issues. Even if you can’t be on the front lines every day, there are small habits you and your family can form, small steps to take that make change in a meaningful way.

8. When You Give an Old Man an Instagram (2017)

#EldersofInstagram #GRAMpa #SeptuagenarianSunday The story of an aging Englishman who’s discovered Instagram and is quietly putting the rest of us to shame. His posts are insightful, inspiring and authentic in a way even the most social-savvy influencers can’t touch.

7. How to Interview Like a Late Night Talk Show Host (2018)

Getting a bit meta here. A top 10 within a top 10. But we promise it’s worth the read. Everything from tips on preparation to honest self-eval tactics to what shoes you should be wearing. 

6. A Brief History of the Raised Fist (2019)

A contender from our Activism series at the beginning of the year. Do you know the powerful story of this symbol? We put on our research tweed, dug into the history of the fist and learned why it remains so relevant today.

5. How to Build a Movement: The Four Pillars of Community Activation (2018)

Grassroots organizing may start, as implied by the name, from humble roots, but successful movements are highly organized. This look at the axioms of activation offers tips for bringing people together and making yourselves heard.

A love letter to analog, this article reminds us the value of handwritten notes. For the younger among us, these are basically DMs you can touch.

3. Houston, Maybe We Don’t Have a Problem (2010)

This bittersweet investigation of the city we call home had us exploring the further nuance to common H-Town stereotypes. Are we anti-social and artless? Some numbers say yes, but there’s so much more to the story.

2. A Note from a Zennial: Breaking Generation Stereotypes with Activism (2018)

The best (and the perceived worst) of both worlds. The “Zennial” condition is complicated. With one foot alongside the Millennials and another squarely in Gen Z, this divided micro-generation strives to defy assumptions through a mix of marching and meditation.

1. 3 Ways Government Uses Technology to Make an Impact (2015, revisited 2019)

Oh, what a difference a few years make. In 2015, this was a positive look at the way civic and federal entities were engineering technology to gather our data. This year’s reworking had a slightly different tone.

And 0. Kaboom. Cheering. Applause. A video of a mom getting glitter bombed on Christmas. We appreciate you making it through and would love to know what stood out for you. Or what we missed. Or what stories you’re telling that we should hear. Happy 2020, everyone. 

A Decade of Discourse: Our Best Blogs from the First 10 Years

A list of our top 10 best blogs over the last decade.

Everyone loves to count backwards from 10. The growing volume of the crowd. The anticipation. The promise of something unmissable at the end. And whether it’s a rocket launch or the clock ticking its way into a new year, hitting zero is always exhilarating.