Afros: Bringing it Back and Paying it Forward

In the '70s, the afro was the quintessential statement of rebellion and racial pride for black people in America, a coming out of sorts.

After centuries of trying to assimilate into an America steeped in de jure segregation, by the early 1970s, African Americans finally began to feel free.

That freedom meant the prerogative to embrace the essence of who they truly were, one of the most distinct of that being their natural hair.

The afro, a voluminous, grandiose globe of kinky coif, was born. And it was celebrated.

One native Brooklynite, visual artist and rockstar photographer Michael July, also donned an afro as a young child growing up on Franklin and Willoughby avenues in the '70s, as did his brother and his mother and his father too.

Now, 40 years later, although he has lived all around Brooklyn, July has “returned home,” settling just around the corner from the block where he grew up.

But that’s not all. There’s something else he has returned to: the afro.

“There was something beginning to happen, a renaissance; I started noticing a lot of the young people beginning to wear afros,” said July. “And I wanted to be there to represent it in an honest way and pay the homage to it [that] it deserves.”

July, who collects rare movies, footage and magazines that depict black culture, decided to begin taking photos of people wearing afros today. The 9”x 12”, 450-page coffee table book, entitled, "AFROS - A Celebration Of Natural Hair" is complete and July has launched a Kickstarter Campaign to help pay for the production of the book, which he is self-publishing under his label “Natural Light Press."

“I took the first photo for the book June, 2006, and I shot Renee Neufville (of the 90s R&B group, Zhané),” said July. “Fortunately for me, I saw Renee, sitting and lounging at a Thai spot in Fort Greene, camera-ready. So I approached her, told her about my project, and she loved the idea. So I shot her and she loved it.

“That was encouraging for me, because it gave me the confidence to go forward and keep on shooting people.”

Since then, July has traveled all across the country, from Brooklyn to Oakland, Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago and Miami. What he captured were a lot of strong personalities, an equal amount of fresh, pretty faces, and a little bit of déjà vu.

The photography in the book is stunning. The diversity of women (and men) profiled is equally impressive. The personalities of each subject seem to jump right off the page—a thousand words in each picture offering an historical record of a generation firmly nestled in the past-present-future.

“It was my intention, not just to catch people with funky 'fros, but to also catch people’s personalities,” said July.

Along with each photo, July gave each subject a chance to write about why they chose to wear their hair natural and, more specifically, why they like to rock 'fros.

“I just realized, in doing my research, that a lot of people went through a lot with natural hair because of what it represents for black people, back then and even now,” said July. “When I was shooting the book, I was hoping that I would also come across people with the strong beliefs we had back then. And I did see some of that.

"But also, after a few years of shooting, I could sense people’s rhythm even before approaching them, and started seeing that everyone may have a completely different reason—whether it was a fun type of thing or a serious thing…I could automatically pick that up.”

Since July will be self-publishing, he has to raise the needed $20,000 on his own. So far, he has raised $9,600 from 188 backers.

“Initially, I was looking at a few publishing companies, but I had spoken to some other authors I respected, all of whom had published coffee table books, and they all kept saying it would be better for me to self publish if I didn’t want to lose creative control,” said July.

“I was working with brilliant designers for the book, and plus, I knew that even with a publisher, I was going to have to sell myself anyway.”

He has to reach his fundraising goal by April 20. If not, all the pledge money is returned to its donors. But assuming his goal is met, July can begin the initial printing of 4,000–5,000 copies of "Afros", which will be available this summer through Amazon. 

“I think natural hair represents freedom for people, and feeling empowered. You know? After five years of doing this, I’ve found that a lot of people with natural hair are just the coolest most beautiful folks you’ll ever meet,” said July.

“But anything that’s powerful is like that, and I’m just proud to be involved in it. It’s just a real thing.”

To see a video of some of the stunning photos in "Afros" and to pay it forward by donating to the book's Kickstarter campaign, click here.