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1 Feb. marked the start of Black History Month in the US, and everyone's looking to celebrate the occasion in their own way. Celebrity hairstylist Annagjid "Kee" Taylor [3], for example, is honouring the month ahead with what she calls the #BlackEffectChallenge on Instagram, encouraging users to show off their natural textures. In a short video shared to her page, Taylor showed off a series of hairstyles that emphasise her natural texture. In the video, set to Beyoncé and JAY-Z's "Black Effect," she's seen wearing her hair in an Afro, Fulani braids, a braided crown, Havana twists, and several others.
Taylor's main message behind the challenge was to celebrate the versatility of Black hair and the fact that Black culture has had an impact on so many different cultures. "I'm known for both doing challenges and for doing hair, so this seemed like a good opportunity to put those together," she told POPSUGAR. "I chose 'Black Effect' given the message of the song [and] how Black culture has inspired others."
She chose each hairstyle based on just how significant each one is to Black culture. Her goal in the end is to encourage more Black people to play with their natural textures and get creative with the ways in which they wear their hair.
"I want to motivate women to try more styles on their natural hair," she said. "To be honest, natural hair is harder to manage than relaxed, straight hair, so it can be easy to get frustrated. But I really hope I motivate women to push through to try new styles and see what works best for you. It's all about loving on ourselves and celebrating our natural hair textures."