Black women embracing their natural hair can be a difficult process to come to terms with. That was the case for ABC 11 news reporter, Akilah Davis. For Juneteenth, she officially took off the wig she regularly wore while reporting on-air and shared her locs for her channel’s audience and the entire world to see.

Embracing The Locs

In a special that aired on Juneteenth, Davis says that her relationship with her hair started when she was a young girl. Her hair texture was different than her mother’s therefore she was oftentimes unsure of the best ways to style it. When speaking with 21Ninety, Davis shared how her mother’s views on hair had lasting impacts on the way she saw her tresses.

“She now recognizes that the messages she indirectly sent to me as a child were harmful,” she explained. “But she came from a generation of women who had fine hair. Their belief was straight hair is ‘good hair.’  I don’t fault her for that.  She simply didn’t know better,” Davis explained. “My hair truly was a challenge for her to manage as I have my father’s hair texture.”

Davis says that her discomfort with her hair continued to grow because of the way Black hair was portrayed in media. However, seeing a change in inclusivity and visibility helped her embrace strands more.

“It seems like big box stores like Target followed suit creating an ‘Ethnic Hair Products’ aisle. There are also many social media channels that show Black hair, haircare products and offer tips,” she recalled.

Davis says that there was no official day that she decided to start accepting her hair, but seeing her family grow was a wake-up call for her.

“My nephews were born and it suddenly hit me that one day I’d be a mom,” she said. “How was I going to break this cycle of covering up my hair with weaves and wigs? I didn’t want my daughters feeling the deep exhaustion I’ve felt over the years.  I certainly knew that I wanted to be an example by showing them that I embrace my hair and they should too.”

After many years of denying her natural hair, Davis took it upon herself to establish sister locs in her hair in December of 2021. Although she has had the locs in for over a year, she just recently shared them with on-air with her station’s widespread audience.

“It’s hair freedom I have wanted for a long time,” she said on air as she revealed her natural style.

“So moving forward, this is how you will see me on TV, and I’m hoping to inspire women and little girls struggling to embrace their roots,” she said in her sign-off. “I see you, sis. I’m with you.”