Get Into Some Black Hair Magic With Cartoon Network's 'My HAIR Story!'
This article is in partnership with Cartoon Network.
It's always a powerful thing to see Black families represented on popular TV shows, especially when they highlight the best of our culture. Throughout generations, we can all to think back to the good memories of watching our favorite cartoons, especially when they featured characters who looked like us and who we could relate to—from how they talked, to how they dressed, and even how they wore their hair. For today's kids, Cartoon Network's Craig of the Creek is one such show.
And since October marks the launch of National Hair Day, what better way to commemorate than to enjoy some entertainment with your children that reflects our hair in all its glory.
Cartoon Network has made the experience of enjoying Craig of the Creek with your kids that much more immersive and fun by partnering up with celebrity stylist Kim Kimble to recreate looks inspired by characters from Craig of the Creek. For the 3-partMy HAIRstory! series, Kimble is hosting online tutorials, which kicked off with lifestyle influencer and entrepreneur Dayna Bolden.
But let's get into a little background first. Craig of the Creek centers around Craig Williams, a boy who lives in a fictional town called Herkleton, Maryland and takes his friends, Kelsey Pokoly and John Paul "J.P." Mercer, on adventures at a nearby wilderness utopia. His family includes Duane, his computer programmer father who loves retro video games and telling dad jokes; his mom, Nicole, a Howard University alumna and school counselor; his younger sister Jessica, a sassy confident girl who always keeps her brother in check; and Bernard, his geeky, snobby older brother who has dreams to attend an Ivy League school.
Craig also lives with his grandparents, Earl, a hilarious storyteller, and JoJo, a city councilwoman who was a 1960s activist. He, his siblings, his parents and his grandmother all wear their hair in natural styles: braided ponytails, faded out coils, and grey-streaked fade cuts. Duane even styles Jessica's hair from time to time.
The Boldens hold some fab and interesting similarities to the Williams family. Dayna slays in her signature tapered coils, and she styles her daughter Aria's hair in chic twist outs, cornrows, and ponytails. Ernest is a proud member of the beard gang and wears his precision cut with Black king swag. Even their son, little toddler Bryce, is killing the style game with his textured fade. More than 100,000 social media followers enjoy watching how the Boldens thrive and grow together as a boldly unified and successful family building generational wealth. And adding Kimble, a self-made hair industry phenom who has blessed the coifs of Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Nicki Minaj, and Angela Bassett is the Black excellence icing on the cake.
Viewers can join in on the fun and parents can learn the basics of how to style their children's natural hair by checking out the tutorials, where Kimble gives details on proper washing and detangling practices, styling techniques, and tips and tricks to keep your children's hair laid.
Follow @cartoonnetworkofficial on IG for more information, and use #CraigOfTheCreek #MyHairStory to join the conversation.
Featured image courtesy of Cartoon Network
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Tyler James Williams Explains Why His And Quinta Brunson 'Abbott Elementary' Characters Should Remain Friends
While Abbott Elementary fans are hoping that Janine and Gregory end up together, the show’s star has another take. Tyler James Williams plays Gregory on the Emmy award-winning sitcom, and he recently stopped by The Jennifer Hudson Show to share his point of view on his storyline with Janine, which Quinta Brunson plays.
“I hate to say it. I know that everybody’s always mad at me for this. I don’t necessarily want to see them together,” he revealed. “It’s partially an actor’s choice, but also somebody who, like, I read a lot of scripts all the time. I watch a lot of TV, a lot of film. I don’t think that we see displays of platonic love between two people often. I think it’s really easy to go right to they have feelings for each other, therefore they should be together. I like this dynamic of exploring withholding that and just actively loving each other where they are. That I like to see more.”
If you recall, they were co-workers who became friends but were secretly crushing on each other. They’ve had many awkward run-ins during and after school, like the unforgettable club scene where they were dancing nervously with each other in season one, and in season two, they finally kiss. However, it only made things even more awkward, and they decided to just be friends. Tyler further explained why he thinks it’s important to showcase that type of relationship on screen.
“I think it’s time for that. I think TV allows people to see things that could be their lives for the first time, and I think seeing a healthy friendship that is deeply caring about one another in a work atmosphere needs to be shown more than the relationship,” he concluded.
Abbott Elementary comes on every Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
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Feature image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
