Je’Monda Roy, 2019, 24 min.

Getting to the Root is streaming in our #VirtualCinema, for free, from August 20-26.

As part of her MFA thesis project, Je'Monda Roy created Getting to the Root: The Struggles and Resilience of Black Womanhood through Stories of Natural Hairstyles at a Predominantly White Institution which captures black women’s experiences at a flagship institution in the Deep South of Mississippi - Ole Miss. Although the framework of this project is set in one institution, the experiences and methods apply to American society by displaying how the lack of black representation in white spaces affect black lives, specifically black women’s lives. Like creating safe black spaces in predominantly white spaces, black hair is used as a theme in this project thesis to shape the stories of black women’s experiences – whether they are through conformity or rebellion at Ole Miss. Through black women's stories, the nature of white society at this institution is revealed. These stories brilliantly capture each woman interviewed for this project by revealing how their hairstyles reflect and/or determine their livelihood and character. The hairstyles and experiences at this university shape the black identity and womanhood as these women navigate as minorities throughout this predominantly white institution.