Participating in Honor’s Program Leadership Roles: Hosting the Black Hair Forum (4 points), February 17, 2026 – (Jaina McKoy, Class of 2028)

    One of the first events that I hosted as interim co-social chair for this semester was the Black Hair Forum for Black History Month. It was interesting to explore the backside planning that is put into the execution of events on campus. Running around, finding spaces where you can host, and asking for the availability of potential speakers can be daunting, but it is so worth it when the event you imagined comes to life. Hosting this event meant so much to me, way beyond the scope of my responsibilities as an e-board member. As a black woman with thick, dense 4c hair, the struggle is real, and attending an all-women’s HBCU is the perfect environment to celebrate hair successes or frustrations, and I had not quite done that yet in my time here.

               Dr. Michelle Gaines was invited to provide insight into her research on hair, as well as the way that her personal opinions have changed as she continued studying hair. Having her there also allowed me to tap into my passion for science while in the honors environment, which does not happen as often, given the humanity-based nature of the program. The conversations throughout the event were fulfilling, and it was nice to share intimate details about our hair, opinions on its maintenance, and so on with fellow classmates. In a world where the mainstream media and even real-life experience tend to enforce standards of wearing wigs, quick weaves, braids, or other hairstyles, it can be difficult to come to terms with wearing your natural hair out. Especially if it is shorter, thinner, or kinkier than most hair types. I know personally, coming to college, whenever I wore my natural hair in cornrows, as I have my entire life, I felt childish or not woman enough in this new environment. However, with time, I have learned that I do not need to force myself to conform to the ideas of what my hair should look like when I loved how it actually looked in the past. I have aimed to learn how to do more hairstyles on myself to help reinforce my appreciation, and while it is hard and frustrating at times. The feeling that I have after completing a hairstyle is rewarding for all the strife I went through to get there. With all this being said, I hope that we can incorporate more hair-focused events or conversations into the honors program, as attendees provided positive feedback. 

By: Jaina McKoy