Introducing The Feminist Stokvel & The Hair Soiree

Last year I was invited to talk as part of a panel at Social Media Week Johannesburg & we talked… you guessed it, hair.

I didn’t write about it afterwards but the discussion was all kinds of amazing. We were rolling in laughter in places and sharing heart aching stories at other times. I got to meet many ladies (both on the panel & in the audience) whom I’d followed online and crushed on for some time & when it was over I really didn’t want to go home.

I exchanged details with a few ladies but you know, you never think that’s going to amount to anything. Well days on we started chatting, met up & The Feminist Stokvel was born.

The Feminist Stokvel is a group of 8 women who have come together with the aim of addressing the many social issues that uniquely face black women in South Africa, especially those that speak to how black women are represented in our public imagination.  We were brought together by the subject of hair, which we believe is the gateway to consciousness, self love, self respect and ultimately – self actualization for women. 

The Hair Soirees will are primarily spaces to learn about how to look after the unique natural hair of Southern Africans. These soirees are about coming together to learn from local and international (we’ll get there) hair consultants, bloggers and informative loud mouths about this subject.  This will also, inevitably, be a purging space for black women to talk about their hair frustrations from all angles including the racialization, sexualization and general politicized nature of black hair.  While the focus won’t be on the politics, we are exblockquoted about nurturing a space where black women can feel safe to speak freely.

The amazing, smart, gorgeous women I’m proud to make up The Feminist Stokvel with are:

• Millisuthando Bongela – Amazing blogger on a range of subjects over at Miss Milli B. She’s also a consultant working on a hair documentary which I really can’t wait to see
• Danielle Bowler (aka my hair crush) – writes an incredibly relevant column on EWN out every Monday and is a professional musician
• Panashe Chigumadzi – founder of Vanguard Magazine where I’ve been spending lost of time reading online recently
• Lebo Mashile – A national treasure when it comes to thinking, writing, speaking, performing poetry & just a special human being. Do yourself a favour & read her biography. This woman has lived.
• Lebogang ”Nova” Masango – Feminist writer, poet and social activist doing her PhD on Pornography. She also blogs over here.
• Kavuli-Nyali Binase – fellow Hair Guru & editor of Good Hair Diaries, one of SA’s 1st hair blogs & also a hair consultant
• Pontsho Pilane – A womanist writer at The Daily Vox completing her Honours in Media Studies at Wits

It’s only really been a short while since I’ve known them but we’ve had some amazing conversations that has made me sit, think & grow. I really hope you’ll join the next one. You can book via Quicket or via email.

Be kind to your hair!

W

xoxo

PS you can also keep up with The Feminist Stokvel on Twitter.