Zozibini Tunzi
Zozibini Tunzi Slams Popular Beauty Store Over Racist Hair Advert
South Africa's Miss Universe criticised beauty store Clicks' following a controversial advert that labelled Black natural hair as 'damaged'.
Zozibini Tunzi has slammed popular South African health and beauty store, Clicks, for their controversial hair adverts. On Sunday morning Clicks started trending on Twitter for images of the store's online hair campaign. Images of natural Black hair were labelled "damaged" and "dry" while caucasian blonde hair had the descriptor of "natural fine hair". Tunzi, who won Miss Universe in 2019 with her natural short hair, described the hair adverts as "disrespectful to Black lives" in a Tweet to Clicks.
Not only is this disrespectful to black lives, it is also evidence of an absence of representation and diversity wi… https://t.co/nyd52vlpof— Zozibini Tunzi (@Zozibini Tunzi)1599217917.0
The politics of Black hair in South Africa have left a crimson stain on the nation. Twenty-five years after Apartheid ended, politics that police Black hair are still prevalent. In 2017, Pretoria Girls High students protested hair policies that barred natural Black hair in all forms and styles including combed-out Afros and dreadlocks. #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh fired up social media platforms and ultimately got picked up by international publications. The national Department of Education had to eventually intervene and a;though it supported the protesting learners, it did not recommend an amendment to the private school's racist hair policies. Zulaikha Patel, then a grade-eight learner, became the face of the natural hair protest movement. Patel's feisty nature and big afro captured civil activist Angela Davis who later invited her as a guest at UNISA's 17th annual Steve Biko Lecture. The 73-year-old Davis and 13-year-old Patel stood side by side sporting their big natural Afros.
Racist perceptions of Black hair abound beyond South Africa. Malawi earlier in the year lifted a government ban on dreadlocks in schools following the rejection of a female Rastafarian student into an all girls' school. In the African diaspora, the Black hair battles are the same. Marianela Pinales who served as Dominican Ministry of Education Director was dismissed from her position after the release of a government campaign that encouraged Black girls to wear their natural hair. Pinales signed off on the campaign titled No Bad Hair, No Good Hair but the message was not supported by the multi-ethnic Latina government. The Dominican government went on to deny that Pinales' dismissal was linked to the campaign even though it had come mere hours after it aired.
Clicks has issued a public apology and removed the images from their website but a majority of Black South Africans have decided to boycott the store. Political party, EFF, endorsed the boycott and further instigated nationwide riots at Clicks stores under #ClicksMustFall.
Clicks Trading Monday 07 September 2020 https://t.co/XA453poHU6— Clicks (@Clicks)1599419907.0
Treasurer-General @omphilemaotwe is at the Clicks at Menlyn Mall, Tshwane. #clicksmustfall #ClicksShutdown https://t.co/k6S3pgBQlI— Economic Freedom Fighters (@Economic Freedom Fighters)1599559376.0
Some South Africans expressed confusion
@zozitunzi @Clicks_SA Also Zozi I find out so weird for them to do this while they sell hair products for the black… https://t.co/QU6AvxAdwt— Xhosa Hun 🇿🇦 (@Xhosa Hun 🇿🇦)1599218552.0
Others expressed defiance and supported the boycotting of Clicks stores.
#clicksadvert. Clicks Westgate is closed. And all the Clicks will remain closed until Friday. We are not going to d… https://t.co/byuAFVcCmM— Patricia (@Patricia)1599571277.0
Some shared pics of their natural hair in defiance.
#clicksadvert My Hair?My Crown❤❤❤😍😍😍😍 https://t.co/jmAMeR18zd— Melicia_Dastile (@Melicia_Dastile)1599499886.0
#Clicks #clicksadvert #eNCA 2020 feels like the season finale. We fighting: - A Race war - Femicide - A pandem… https://t.co/yRHWdVGjmq— Kamogelo kazmoo Mkhontoana (@Kamogelo kazmoo Mkhontoana)1599513192.0
#Clicks #clicksadvert #eNCA 2020 feels like the season finale. We fighting: - A Race war - Femicide - A pandem… https://t.co/yRHWdVGjmq— Kamogelo kazmoo Mkhontoana (@Kamogelo kazmoo Mkhontoana)1599513192.0
#Clicks #clicksadvert #eNCA 2020 feels like the season finale. We fighting: - A Race war - Femicide - A pandem… https://t.co/yRHWdVGjmq— Kamogelo kazmoo Mkhontoana (@Kamogelo kazmoo Mkhontoana)1599513192.0
- This Black Hairstyle Collective Is Embracing the Beauty of Natural ... ›
- 'The Hair Appointment' Is a Gorgeous Photo Series Showing the ... ›
- The Root of the Issue: The Politics of Black Women's Hair - OkayAfrica ›
- Reclaiming Tradition: How Hair Beads Connect Us to Our History ... ›
- Malawian High Court Rules Dreadlocks Permitted in Schools ... ›
- South Africa's New Miss SA Has Renewed Conversation Around the ... ›
- Newly Crowned Miss South Africa Shudufhadzo Musida is South Africa's Reigning Bold Beauty - OkayAfrica ›