Good morning, everyone!
I thought about this title; the context is about the the erasure of Black women, their accomplishments, and why supporting Black women is important.
I hope to introduce you to these pioneering Black women who deserve their flowers.
Ciara Imani May has made a name for herself by making synthetic hair from banana fibers for the purpose of braiding hair. Her answer to using synthetic hair, such as Kanekalon and Toyokalon, will be sustainable, biodegradable, and good for the planet as well as solve some issues like itching in the scalp due to synthetic hair used in braids.
Here's an excerpt from the St. Louis American explaining why this answers the need for sustainable and biodegradable extensions.
She went in search of answers and looked for alternative materials. According to May, one in three wearers of plastic hair extensions she spoke with experienced some form of discomfort. She says the primary plastic in use is PDC, “a low-grade acrylic that is mostly found at industrial sites.”
“I find it odd that this type of plastic is being used in hair extensions,” said May.
Rebundle’s hair care line is called Braid Better, and May says it meets the needs for safe hair care and is environmentally friendly. The hair extensions are made from banana fibers and biodegradable materials that are free of toxic ingredients.
This would be a game changer with natural hair, especially how toxic synthetic hair is despite costing less than a bundle of human hair.
This impressive 17 year old named Dasia Taylor has made surgical sutures thread from beets, which change from red to purple to indicate an infection.
Here's an excerpt from the Smithsonian Magazine article about about what makes this a game changer as well.
Infections after Cesarean sections particularly caught Taylor’s attention. In some African nations, up to 20 percent of women who give birth by C-section then develop surgical site infections. Research has also shown that health centers in Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi have similar or lower rates of infection, at between 2 and 10 percent, following C-sections than the U.S., where rates range from 8 to 10 percent.
But smartphone access is markedly different. A BBC survey published in 2016 found that in Sierra Leone, about 53 percent of people own mobile phones, and about three-quarters of those owned basic cell phones, not smartphones.
“I've done a lot of racial equity work in my community, I've been a guest speaker at several conferences,” says Taylor. “So when I was presented with this opportunity to do research, I couldn't help but go at it with an equity lens.”
I hope you enjoyed this short read and recognize some trail blazing Black women.
I also hope these women get the overdue funding to get over obstacles,like intellectual properties, space, and employees.
These women deserve their recognition, respect, and overdue credit for their contribution!