What is an afro? In the context of this blog, it is the magical goodness that follows “before.” It’s the delicious discovery of something new about the world, or better yet, about yourself.  An “afro”—be it a new lipstick or a new career—changes your perspective. It makes you think, walk, see and experience life differently.

There’s before. And then there’s afro.

I must mention here, the afro also happens to be an extremely important historical landmark. It’s a hairstyle rooted spiritually deep in black culture, symbolizing a renewed sense of identity after the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the fifties and sixties. The afro became a powerful political symbol for black pride, redefining personal style and making a stand for total integration, all in one. It became a booming pop-culture icon into the seventies thanks to legends like Billy Preston, Angela Davis, Jimi Hendrix and Diana Ross.

The afro is also a hairstyle that I’ve recently rendered part of my personal style repertoire. I originally got my fro for a Studio 54-themed costume party for AHAlife (where I handle the social media), and let’s just say the party has not ended. The afro changed my perspective; it made me think, walk, see and experience life differently. I wear it often. It’s not about feeling black… what I actually feel like is ME, understood more clearly. It’s not an alter ego. It’s an amplified ego.

After a summer racking my soul over what kind of blog to start, the afro was the catalyst. The catalyst to begin sharing this wild life journey of self-discovery. There was before, and now, this blog: the afro.

My ultimate goal here is to help people all over the world look deeper within themselves so they can master their consciousness and fall madly in love with every detail of their lives. I may have a contorted way of getting there—it’s a wacky formula and if I summarized it here that’d be no fun! But if you follow along, I promise to show you the way. My way, at least.

Fro-ever yours,
Xx Michelle Joni
@michellejoni