There were plenty of curls, twists, locs and braids in attendance for the Fro’s and Beau’s panel discussion hosted by the Florida A&M University’s chapter of Curly In College on March 1 at 6 p.m. in Florida A&M’s Senate Chambers.
All eyes were on special guest speakers and their trendy, natural hairstyles. The panelists consisted of both alumni and students such as, Christopher Bryant, Eugene Jacobs, Kalen Johnson, Naama Johnson, Janee McGilvery and Jason Moody.
The six panelists answered questions about natural hair and discussed some juicy details about love and relationships among other students.
In the beginning of their discussion, Te’Ambria Clark, President of FAMU’s chapter of Curly In College, asked the panelist different questions about their hair and natural journey. She asked questions such as, “Have any of you had to change your hair regimens in order to color your hair?” and “Should a woman consult with her man before doing the big chop?”
Throughout the discussion, as the speakers answered Clark’s questions about natural hair, the audience chimed in and held their own discussions with the panelists.
Janee McGilvery, an undergraduate student at Florida A&M University, explained her mission as a panelist and what she wanted the audience to take away from the event.
“I wanted the audience to feel comfortable embracing their natural hair. I also wanted them to learn how to maintain their hair,” said McGilvery. “I was very happy to see that the audience wanted to interact with us (on the panel).”
FAMU Alumna, Naama Johnson, was another one of the panelists that engaged with the audience and discussed being natural.
“I believe (a naturalist) is someone who embodies all things that are natural. It is not limited to loving the hair that grows from your head, but also includes an appreciation of your body, mind, and spirit!” said Johnson.
Genevieve Myers, a pre-physical therapy student was in the audience and expressed her interest in natural hair.
“The natural hair segment in the beginning was very informative!” said Myers. “I am interested in getting locs, so Naama and Eugene gave me some very good tips on where I should start!”
Mid-way through the panel discussion, Clark began to open up the love and relationships segment of the seminar. She started the segment by asking the panelists “What are some of your biggest turn-offs, relationship-wise?”
“Attendees thought it would be a good idea to hold a love and relationships segment of this seminar considering Valentine’s Day has just passed,” said Clark. “The topic of love is also a great way to spark a discussion among the rest of the students.”
Audience members made their presence in the room known during this segment of the discussion as they shared testimonials. They continued to raise their hands, ask questions and voice their opinions about the panelist responses.
At the end of the session, Eugene Jacobs, an undergraduate student at FAMU who has been growing out his hair since high school, thanked the audience for sharing their views and being a part of the discussion.
According to Clark, the FAMU chapter of Curly In College will be hosting upcoming events this semester.
“For the month of March, we’ll have a Curly Before College, where we will reach out to high school students and invite them to spend a day on FAMU’s campus with our organization,” said Clark. “There will also be a special event to look forward to in April, so stay tuned for details on that!”
To get updates about the CurlyInCollege organization’s upcoming events, follow them on Instagram @famucurlyincollege.