The Curl Revolution Tour Makes a Stop in Atlanta!

On Sunday November 5th I had the chance to attend “The Curl Revolution” book signing at Southern Curl Salon here in Atlanta. During the event not only did I get to meet Michelle Breyer, cofounder of naturallycurl.com and author of “The Curl Revolution”, but I also got to mingle with other local curly girls.  It was an afternoon brunch full of curls, love, and life hosted by Robin Sjoblom and her team of curly hair stylists.  Be sure to check out my Youtube video of the event and hear stories from Michelle, Robin, and Ceata Lash (founder of The Puff Cuff).

The Curl Revolution is a book I highly suggest every curly girl (and guy) be sure they grab a copy of! This book is PACKED with not only stories from all curly walks of life, but includes tips and tricks that speak to every wavy, curly, kinky, coily reader across the world.  My favorite line from Michelle is “Our curly hair is not a campaign!” I’ve said many times, this journey is not a phase for me, but a way of life. The book includes great stories from other curly girls including salon owners, editors, students, teachers, entrepreneurs, product line owners, and more. In one story Michelle quoted Jamlya Benu, founder of Oyin Handmade hair care line.  Jamlya stated “The biggest change is people have access to information and affirmation. Women can be aspirational with each other. It’s such a huge change – you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. There’s a whole community that’s figuring it out with you”.  You won’t just find similar stories, you can also learn anything from figuring out your curl pattern, creating your regime, how to properly cut curls, curl challenges and solutions, and I think my favorite chapter of all….curly kids!  The Curl Revolution is a must have on every bookshelf and I plan to purchase additional copies to give to my friends and family who are also on this “curl is life” journey!

During the event I made sure to grab my own copy of “The Curl Revolution” so that I could get it signed by Michelle. In my signed copy, Michelle writes “Tabitha & Ayva, may this book inspire you to embrace your amazing natural texture and appreciate your uniqueness!”  It meant a lot to me for her to address this to me and Ayva.  I realized early on in my journey that my daughter plays a huge role in all of this.  There came a point in the brunch where Michelle asked us to go around the room and tell our stories, because if you’re a curly girl you know we all have a story that unites us.  One by one, many of us shared stories of how we got started on our journey, some of the setbacks experienced, successes and failures, and the moment we decided to just embrace all that it meant to “be natural”.  When it was my turn to tell my story, I shared how growing up I was always considered the girl with the “Good Hair” because I didn’t have a relaxer, yet my long strands were bone straight and silky.  I shared how it wasn’t until I moved to Atlanta, did I discover that there was this world that existed of curly girls and products. I always knew I had naturally curly hair, however I didn’t begin to even attempt to rock it until 2011/2012 on a consistent basis.  I’ve had my moments, like many other naturals can attest to, where I have stumbled and wanted to give into the “norm” of straight hair.  What I realized and what has kept me moving forward to embracing me for who I am is that this isn’t just about me.  I have this amazingly outgoing full of energy little person in my life that watches my every move.  I don’t want her to learn years later how important it is to accept yourself for who you truly are. So, if for nothing or no one else, I do this for Ayva.