Advertising Comes under Scrutiny during Black History Month

In an ever-increasingly image-driven world, where advertising is king, an eye-opening film commissioned by The Open University’s Department of Criminology feels very prescient this Black History Month.

Leika Lee wanted her daughter to be confident:  “When she was three or four all the women that she complimented had straight hair.”  Heartbreakingly Leika realised “if she doesn’t have hair like that, she’s not going to feel enough.”

Leika realised she had to do something and Project Embrace was born. “We want to show young black girls that their hair is beautiful. That they should never feel the need to give in to pressure about changing their hair or feel anxious about its texture.”

Five years and hundreds of billboards across the country later, we take this opportunity to salute Leika’s accomplishments. Advertising may be king, but the importance of keeping the conversation alive feels awe-inspiring.