On Tuesday, May 25, we commemorated Africa Day to honour and celebrate our African roots.
The theme for this year’s Africa Day was “Arts, Culture And Heritage: Levers for Building the Africa We Want”.
From the food to the fashion, it was wonderful to see Africans take pride in their culture(s).
Many people took to social media to share what Africa Day means to them. Former Miss South Africa Basetsana Kumalo dedicated it to Zulaikha Patel, a natural hair activist who recently launched a kids’ hair book titled My Coily Crowny Hair.
She said: “On Africa Day, I celebrate this young lady @zulaikhapatel_ who challenged the status quo and fought for her cultural identity. In 2016 at the age of 13, she and her classmates held a demonstration against Pretoria Girls High regarding black hair. She was told that her Afro is too big and distracting in class. Teachers had told the students that their Afro hair is “exotic” and needed to be tamed. Implying that girls’ hair needed to be straightened or tied back, not worn as Afros.”
Kumalo added: “She recently launched her children’s book My Coily Crowny Hair, which seeks to empower and encourage young girls to embrace themselves fully, and most importantly to celebrate their identity and not be ashamed of who they are. It’s only when the younger generation takes ownership of their voices that Africa will continue to rise. Shine African child shine!”
Social media was bright in colour, with people sharing pictures of themselves in styling African garb, and these are some of the best looks.
I am BRAVE , FEARLESS ,BOLD , TALENTED ,STRONG and BEAUTIFUL ✊🏾❤ I AM AN AFRICAN. #AfricaDay2021 #AfricaDay pic.twitter.com/WHQxLCdD5B
— Ntombhi Ya Mutsonga 🇿🇦 (@ntombhiyamutson) May 25, 2021