This year Curly Girl Collective decided to add a new city and bring Curlfest to HOTLANTA!!!!! After being in Brooklyn, NY for 6 years the founders opened up the festival to a new market. The purpose of this festival is to celebrate black beauty and culture while providing that energy of appreciation and celebration.

This year was my first time attending Curlfest! I would hear so many great stories about the Brooklyn festival but every time I hear “Natural Hair” I assumed it wasn’t for me. I rock my pixie cut and along with my short hair, I receive perms to keep that thing slicked in the back. I wish there was a product that was made specifically for straight pixie cuts but its not. I allowed my hair to stop me from being apart of a magical experience that not only celebrate natural hair but black women and girls of different sizes and shapes. After digging a little deeper into the meaning behind Curlfest I decided I was going to attend to not only celebrate my curly friends but to celebrate black beauty. The founders didn't create this space for black women to feel like they didn't belong but to allow women to show up and express themselves. So I showed up embracing every piece of me. When I stepped foot into the festival I was overwhelmed by the beauty of my black sisters and brothers. Parents brought their children along to feel the magic and to help them understand what it means to embrace your beauty and curls. I will be bringing my little sister along next year.

From the long creative braids, thick side ponytails hanging low, short to large fro’s, fro’s filled with flowers, and dread locs swinging left and right. I was in love! The different flavors of melanin were dripping and absorbed by the sunlight. I felt like I walked into black heaven but at a family bbq celebrating with people who I didn't see in years! Immediately I felt the love and energy of being a black woman. No one gave me the side-eye or discriminated against my permed pixie cut instead I received many different compliments. We are all different but one thing we share in common is the love for our culture. This event brought out my self-confidence. I felt so good about myself. I was in a space with different women that didn't judge me but celebrated my different walks of life.