Hair as history, health and law: an afternoon at the Stadsschouwburg Utrecht

At It's all about hair in the Hekman Foyer, four speakers talked about hair routines, braiding as heritage, equal hair rights and hairdressing education. Omroep AfroNet followed the afternoon in a live broadcast.

On Saturday 24 October 2026, the Hekman Foyer of the Stadsschouwburg Utrecht was devoted to natural hair for a whole afternoon. At It's all about hair, from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm, a keynote and three talks followed one another, with a hair bingo in between. Omroep AfroNet turned it into a live broadcast. The livestream was produced by @muviews.

The programme came from Tori Oso Utrecht, which announced the afternoon. Migaisa Poeketi spoke in Dutch about hair health and Omara Luna in English about braiding and identity. The closing session was a conversation with the founder of CurlZnFro, led by host Larisa Da Veiga. In addition, a keynote speaker gave a talk in English.

Equal hair rights as a goal

The keynote speaker said she wants to share her story in as many talks as possible, including in academia. She had already been invited by the University of Amsterdam for a psychology session, but that room was international. Now she wants to tell the story in a more local way. According to her, her platform wants to bring historians, psychologists and economists to the table, alongside a photo exhibition and a hair and fashion show.

She called equal hair rights her main goal. She also said there is too little research into the hair health of Black women and that she is preparing a documentary about it. A visitor remarked that it is strange you need a law to be allowed to be yourself. The speaker replied that hair is not something you choose, unlike a tattoo. Without a law, she said, any employer or school can of course reject natural hair.

A routine that suits your hair

Migaisa Poeketi said she has run an afro and curly hair salon in Zuilen, Utrecht, for three years. In the chair she keeps seeing the same patterns. People don't name their problem precisely, look for the solution only in products and ignore the signals their hair gives. In her view, a hair type label like 4C says little. Far more important is whether your hair absorbs moisture and how quickly it dries.

Her advice was to write down your routine and not keep switching products. That way, when something goes wrong, you know what caused it. As a guideline she suggested washing every seven to ten days, with a clarifying shampoo about once a month. She stressed that hair and scalp belong together and that with complaints such as hair loss you should go sooner to the GP, a dermatologist or a hairdresser you trust. She is working on an app to track your hair journey. It isn't live yet, but visitors could sign up for a test group with a code.

After that talk came the hair bingo. Five visitors won a goodie bag.

Braiding as a story of identity and survival

Omara Luna took the audience through her own hair history. As a child she sat on a cushion between her mother's and father's legs, and later she got a relaxer. After that, in her own words, she was no longer sure about her hair. She asked aloud whether this really runs so deep. Her answer was yes, because the way you look at your hair is connected to self-confidence.

Then she went back to precolonial Africa. According to her, a hairstyle then told which tribe you belonged to, whether you were married or of royal descent. During slavery, she said, braiding became a way to survive. She mentioned braiding rice and seeds into the hair and using patterns to communicate an escape. She also showed how YouTube and television later made room for natural hair again.

Asked why hair in particular was used as a means of communication, she said there is no definitive answer. Much of history has been handed down orally. She gives masterclasses where men are also welcome, and a ten-week course, mainly in Rotterdam. She closed with an exercise: think back to your younger self and tell her that her hair is beautiful and free.

A conversation about education and collaboration

In the final talk, Larisa Da Veiga spoke with the founder of CurlZnFro. Da Veiga said the afternoon was not only about hair. In her words: "It's not all about hair." According to her, it is also about identity, self-image and acceptance. Her guest said she has worked in the industry for more than thirty years and completed part of her training in the United Kingdom, because Afro hair was barely taught in the Netherlands.

According to her, in the Netherlands you still cannot learn to cut afro hair in the core of the hairdressing programme. It is an elective, she said, while she believes the core should be the same for everyone. She also said that collaboration between Black hairdressers is lacking and that without training, no recognised training companies can emerge. She also finds it problematic that hairdressers act as educators after a short curl training. A response from the schools is not part of the conversation. A visitor offered to start a petition.

Background

The CROWN Act is an American law that prohibits discrimination based on hair texture and protective hairstyles. According to the Economic Policy Institute, thirty states have passed a version of this law. Counts differ, writes firsthr.app: the NAACP Legal Defense Fund lists twenty-seven states for 2026. No federal CROWN Act is in force. The National Law Review reports that California was the first state, in 2019.

In the Netherlands, vocational colleges (mbo) offer Black and Mixed Hair as an elective. Zadkine in Rotterdam lists Black & Mixed Hair on its Junior Hairstylist page. mbostart.nl also lists Black en Mixed hair basis as a possible elective in the level 2 hairdressing programme. ROC Midden Nederland lists other electives on its programme page for Utrecht, such as nail styling and make-up artistry.

You can watch the full broadcast of It's all about hair in the video on this page.

Bronnen

• Omroep AfroNet op YouTube: de volledige live-uitzending
• Economic Policy Institute: Thirty states have passed a version of the CROWN Act
• firsthr.app: The CROWN Act
• National Law Review: CROWN Laws Expand Hair-Based Discrimination Protections
• Zadkine: Junior Hairstylist (Kapper)
• MBO Start: Opleiding MBO Kapper
• ROC Midden Nederland: Kapper bol