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RIVERSIDE, CA—- The much-anticipated 11th annual My Hair, My Health Festival will be back in-person on Sunday, August 28, 2022, from 2pm-6pm at Fairmount Park after being virtual for the last two years. The event, located at 2601 Fairmount Blvd., Riverside, CA 92501 will feature music, dancing, hair demos, dynamic guest speakers, historical reflections, interactive activities, a kids’ corner, contests, raffles, food, and more.
This powerful festival is a celebration of beauty from the inside out and aims to raise awareness about hair and health as well as empower African American girls, teens, and women to be proud and confident in their crowns. The goal of the event is to remove the stigmas impacting mental health, as it relates to women’s hair within the black community.
“There’s a lot of healing that needs to be done with how black women across several generations have cared and felt about their hair than most even realize,” My Hair, My Health Committee Member, Reverend Bronica Martindale emphasized. “We want to create a safe space that encourages one another to look at the beauty within ourselves and each other and leave this event feeling empowered inside and out.”
The event is open to the entire community, as this sponsored event is free to attend and open to all ages. To reserve your tickets, visit www.MyHairMyHealthCali.com.
The festival will feature a Royal Welcoming by vocalist Mirraje and dynamic keynote presentations by two leading mental health and wellness educators, Dr. Sayida Peprah-Wilson, Psy.D and Dr. Janiel L. Henry, Psy.D. The conversation will touch on how women can take care of their hair in active settings, inform them on the harmful ingredients to avoid in black hair products, and share resources and apps like DeTox Me, Environmental Work Group, Think Dirty, and ClearYa that help women make healthier decisions when buying products and caring for their hair.
Hair demos will be provided by two My Hair, My Health Champions, Linita Hawkins, M.E.A. CEO of Lovely Locs, and Shor Denny, MS Founder & CEO of Community Now with her presentation entitled “Breaking Down the Lie”.
Committee Member Terri Akens shared, “My Hair, My Health is a breath of fresh air, in a society that pushes a standard of beauty that denies the natural beauty we were born with. This event was created to remind us of our greatness allowing us to tap into what is really important, positive self-image, living a healthy lifestyle, sisterhood, and love for one another.”
Entertainment will be provided by DJ Mystique and the Unspeakable Praise, who will delight attendees with a Circle of Life praise dance. The Kids’ Corner will include coloring, drawing, and storytelling. The coloring pages will depict African American girls rocking their natural hair with positive affirmations displayed. Storytelling will include a reading of “Timmy Tut and the Pyramid Adventures”, read by Davil Jackson. This book is co-authored by James Woods, aka “Dat Yoga Dude” and Davil Jackson.
This event is sponsored by the Riverside Community Health Foundation and IEHP, and made possible by the My Hair, My Health committee members including founding members Phyllis Y. Clark, Founder & CEO of Healthy Heritage Movement, Terri Akens, Director of Community Health Programs at Riverside Community Health Foundation, Eryn Young, MPH, Program Director for Just Muv Consulting, Rev. Bronica Martindale, and Teslyn Henry-King, MPH, MPA, RD, Program Coordinator for San Bernardino County Department of Public Health Nutrition along with, April Gillis, Project Coordinator at Healthy Heritage Movement, and the new 2022 committee members Carla Towns and Shavon Johnson, both from Delta Sigma Theta San Bernardino Riverside Area Alumnae Chapter.
My Hair, My Health is a celebration of beauty and wellness from the inside out. It is a movement encouraging African American women to define and promote a standard of beauty that is uniquely theirs. If you need mental health services or for more information about My Hair, My Health please contact Healthy Heritage at (951) 293-4240 or visit them on their Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Myhairmyhealth.
