Season 5 Episode 8: Spilling the Black Girl Tea Part 2: Girls and Curls

“Spilling the Black Girl Tea: Unfiltered Stories from the Heart of Appalachia” is a multimedia project built on the fundamental belief that the people who are the least heard have the most important things to say.

The storytellers in the project are Black girls and women who call West Virginia home — part of a vibrant but often overlooked group that comprises less than 2.5% of the entire Mountain State’s population.

Their stories are those of the challenges and joys of Black identity. In the series, seventeen Black girls and women, ranging in ages from 16 to 80, candidly share their experiences in intimate conversations. The participants are students, community leaders, educators, advocates, activists and entrepreneurs who are talking about what matters to them most.

Part 2: Girls and Curls

With a focus on hair, beauty, makeup, and style, four students from 16 to 25 years old explore the experiences of Black women and girls in schools and society. Jennifer Wells facilitates a conversation highlighting the importance of holding space for young black girls and women and acknowledging the impact of comments and judgments on their self-esteem and style choices. They share with one another personal stories about styling Black hair, the influence of societal beauty norms, and the challenges they’ve faced, such as colorism, bullying, and discrimination against natural hair.

 

Participants: Jaidyn Carter, Camryn Pressley, Freda Reaves, Myya Williams

Guest Host: Royce Lyden

 

Episode videos and more: https://wvfaith.org/spilling-the-black-girl-tea/