The spirit of ubuntu. For South African hair artist Nikiwe Dlova (@nix_indamix), it’s what she loves about being part of the Black community.⁣ ⁣ “Even when you don’t have much yourself, but when your neighbor or a stranger is asking for help, we’re always there to assist each other,” says Nikiwe. “It emphasizes social unity and generosity of spirit, which is beautiful to see because you’re not alone and you can’t do everything yourself.”⁣ ⁣ Today on our IGTV, Nikiwe shares what Black joy means to her, along with some stunning hair looks.⁣ ⁣ #ShareBlackStories 🖤⁣ ⁣ Photo of @nix_indamix by @danascruggs

One look at Nikiwe Dlova’s hair art and you know it’s something special.⁣ ⁣ “I celebrate Black joy through my hair art by showcasing how versatile our hair can be in every shape or form, color or texture,” says @nix_indamix, who’s from Soweto, South Africa. “Whenever I think of Black joy, I think of my Xhosa culture, how vibrant it is, how people see beauty in the simplest things.”⁣ ⁣ “It’s so important to celebrate Black joy because it brings us together and we become a force when we’re moving together. We become powerful.”⁣ ⁣ Watch our IGTV and story to see how Nikiwe celebrates Black joy through her art. ✨🖤⁣ ⁣ #ShareBlackStories

Sharmadean Reid (@sharmadeanreid) works to celebrate and support the entrepreneurial spirit of women. Since 2017, her platform Beautystack (@beautystack) has helped independent beauty and wellness professionals visually market their services and connect with new clients.⁣ ⁣ “My motivation was my own experience as a young salon owner who was trying to hack her away around the existing tools to facilitate our clients’ user journey,” says Sharmadean, who founded the East London salon WAH Nails, which re-imagined nail art and shaped the global trend.⁣ ⁣ “Black women have historically always found ways to hack a system that wasn’t designed for them in order to survive. It’s important to support Black-owned businesses because when you move from survival mode to thriving mode, you create mental space for innovation and ideas. Moving from fight or flight tendencies to adapt and create means a more dynamic economy with richer opportunities,” she says.⁣ ⁣ “I hope to inspire achievement and economic empowerment. And I won’t rest until the gender pay gap is closed.”⁣ ⁣ #ThisWeekOnInstagram⁣ ⁣ Photo by @sharmadeanreid