The Afro: Personal Reflections

"The Afro: Personal reflections" documents the Afro hairstyle as a cultural and political phenomenon, tracing its history from the early 1960s to the present. It includes commentary from notables including author Ayana Byrd, comedian and activist Dick Gregory, soul singer Mavis Staples, Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Alvin Poussaint, and singer and actress Abbey Lincoln, one of the first persons in the United States to become well known for her Afro. "The Afro" also tells the story of former New York news anchor Melba Tolliver, who almost lost her job in the 1970s for changing her hairstyle from a straightened perm to a natural Afro. The day she debuted her new look, Tolliver was supposed to be covering the White House wedding of Tricia Nixon, daughter of former President Richard Nixon. Music by James Brown, Parliament, Sly and the Family Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Fiona Apple, Rachelle Ferrelle, Ben Harper, Jill Scott and N'Dambi help provide context, along with comedy from Richard Pryor and spoken word from Abbey Lincoln and Emotion Brown. Originally distributed to PRI affiliates around the country in 2005, the version of "The Afro" has been re-edited and contains new material.

"The Afro: Personal reflections" documents the Afro hairstyle as a cultural and political phenomenon, tracing its history from the early 1960s to the present. It includes commentary from notables including author Ayana Byrd, comedian and activist Dick Gregory, soul singer Mavis Staples, Harvard University psychiatrist Dr. Alvin Poussaint, and singer and actress Abbey Lincoln, one of the first persons in the United States to become well known for her Afro. "The Afro" also tells the story of former New York news anchor Melba Tolliver, who almost lost her job in the 1970s for changing her hairstyle from a straightened perm to a natural Afro. The day she debuted her new look, Tolliver was supposed to be covering the White House wedding of Tricia Nixon, daughter of former President Richard Nixon. Music by James Brown, Parliament, Sly and the Family Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Fiona Apple, Rachelle Ferrelle, Ben Harper, Jill Scott and N'Dambi help provide context, along with comedy from Richard Pryor and spoken word from Abbey Lincoln and Emotion Brown. Originally distributed to PRI affiliates around the country in 2005, the version of "The Afro" has been re-edited and contains new material.