Priscilia Sossah cares a lot about her hair, and that of other Black women. It’s a subject she’s focused on for years, having hosted small group sessions about Black women’s hair since she was in high school.
“We told our story about the care we put into our hair, the pain we experienced from our hair, whether from our own internal struggles with it or hearing things from others,” Sossah said.
Now a student at Moraine Valley Community College, she’s channeled that passion into a photography exhibit called “Naturals in Nature,” on display this month at the college in Palos Hills.
The exhibit is a photo essay from the final photography class project for Sossah, who has been studying digital design and psychology.
Her photograpy on display at the Moraine Valley Student Center includes photos of faculty and staff members’ hair, taken from the back and with their permission. But Sossah’s presentation goes one step further.
“I took pictures of nature on campus that basically matched or reflected their hair,” she said. In one case, a model’s braided hair pattern is likened to the exposed roots of a tree.
Sossah described her own hair as kinky and coily.
“It requires a lot of moisture, patience and care,” she said, adding she grew up using relaxers, which were harsh on her hair. “Brushing was very painful because a lot of the hair would get really knotted, because when it comes to braiding, hair needs to be moist. A lot of it would break my hair, make certain parts of it uneven – one part would be higher than other and kids would poke fun.”
So Sossah learned instead to mist her hair with water then put cream on it, twist it up and sleep with it covered by a bonnet. In the morning, it was moist and longer. Sharing the techniques she developed and learning from others was. at the heart of the discussions she led. The groups also gave her a chance to bond with other women over their “hair journeys,” she said.
“It was really healing,” Sossah said. “We had all known each other and used relaxers and at some point wanted to do a big chop and cut off.”
Tianna Richards, manager of Multicultural Student Affairs at Moraine Valley and adviser to the college’s Black Student Association, is one of Sossah’s biggest fans. She encouraged Sossah’s photography exhibit.
“Black culture has a prominent role in society when it comes to art, performing, visual, literature, film, music and architecture,” Richards said. “I wanted to take an opportunity to showcase a student.”
When Richards sat down to talk to Sossah about her work she knew it was a good fit for the school’s Black History Monty exhibition.
“If we think about Black women, we think about hair,” Richards said. “She took Black women’s natural hair texture and complemented it with nature. It was just a wonderful job.”
That the exhibit focused on women who are part of the Moraine Valley community as well as natural elements found on campus made it stand out even more, she said.
“Personally what I loved about her exhibit was that she utilized women who work here and she also utilized nature that is on campus,” Richards said. “So not only is it exposure to black women’s natural hair textures, but to keep it in the community of Moraine Valley Community College made it even more special.”
Sossah said she enjoyed communicating through art and technology “and discovering my inner voice through that.” She’s always loved psychology and learning about the human mind.
“Just knowing how the brain interprets certain things helps me to know what colors to put together or what kind of contrast would create a feeling of calm or anxiety for the piece,” she said.
Her exhibit was featured during a recent Black Solidarity Day reception.
“One woman even stopped by to tell me about her hair journey, and her daughters’ and just how much she appreciated me bringing awareness to it and how creative it was,” Sossah said. “It was really nice for me because I wasn’t sure how it would be perceived.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
