Meeting Charlotte Mensah Transformed My Natural Hair Journey                                            

In this moving piece by photographer and visual reporter, Malin Fezehai, we learn how cultural sensitivity can turn strangers into family. For a young, mixed-race girl in Sweden, a chance encounter with a British-Ghanaian hairstylist introduced her to a whole new world and sense of self. “Meeting Charlotte was transformative. Although she came from the opposite side of Africa from my father, her presence instilled a sense of pride in me about my African heritage and made me feel I belonged. What struck me most about her, however, was her nonjudgmental attitude toward my mother and me. When someone is of mixed heritage, it’s easy to feel scrutinized and uncertain about one’s identity. Charlotte never made me feel I wasn’t Black enough or white enough.”

THE NEW YORK TIMES