Why are There so Few Black Models? The CEO of Collective Casting, Ariona Beninato, Sheds Some Light

Growing up I remember only seeing two main black models over and over again, Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell. They were on the covers of magazines and I would see them in the Victoria Secret catalogs. Beautiful black women! But, I had to ask myself why are there only 2 black models that are household names? Well, I had the chance to sit down and talk to Ariona Beninato and get the real scoop as to why there is such a small presence of black models in the entertainment industry.

Many people are unaware that agencies are the connectors between the models and the companies that need the models. After talking to Ariona I have the impression that black models have been intentionally kept out of the model game due to systematic racism. Ariona goes into detail about her experience as a young model just starting out and making her way in New York City. Ariona shared with me that many of the agencies that she met with did not want to even talk to her because she is black!

She was oftentimes met at the door of these agencies by the receptionist and told, “Oh, we don’t need black models,'“ or “We already have a black model that looks just like you.” Ariona was told many times that she should lose weight and straightened her hair if they did give her the time of day! The thing that I respect about Ariona the most is that she is a fighter. She got knocked down, but she got right back up and started her business Collective Casting. We talk about this exact thing in our film, Natural Hair the Movie!

Collective Casting focuses on casting actors and models of color. Ariona is responsible for placing over 400 people with her agency! The cool part is that she makes sure that her people are respected and that they get paid. She has helped to cast for artists such as Joey Badass, Meagan the Stallion. She also helped to cast for the film Judas and the Black Messiah! This woman is definitely a force to be reckoned with! To learn more about Ariona’s agency visit her on the web at

www.collectivecasting.co and follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/arionabeninato

You can watch the interview below now! :)

-Ashanti Titus, Executive Producer

10 Years of Being Natural

Ashanti Titus at 23 in 2010 (right after the big chop)

When I decided to go natural in the summer of 2010 it was because of vanity. Bottom line I went natural because my hair was a mess. It was damaged, broken and shedding like crazy. My husband Reginald and I had just had our first child. I was reading online that postpartum hair loss was a real issue for thousands of women. Essentially, I learned that I was contributing the demise of my hair by chemically processing it. I had no idea that chemical relaxer broke down the protein bonds in our hair. I was floored.

Fear is an illusion

Fear set in. I knew that I could not continue to live my life the way that I was living it. I could not continue to harm myself and be okay with it. Then I went into panic mode. What was I going to look like? What if I do not look right? What if people don’t accept me anymore? What if I do not feel beautiful? It is crazy how the things that we fear the most can be the most freeing decisions that we make.

Educate Yourself

I must say that my husband was super supportive of me. I started studying and researching like crazy. I started to devour any articles and videos that I could find about natural hair. I found some amazing Youtubers. Some of the youtubers were Longhairdontcare2011, TarenGuy, and Naptural85. They all were documenting their natural hair journey. They all inspired me to take the leap to return to natural.

Transitioning

When I decided to return to natural I chose to grow it out and slowly transition. I was blending the two textures with flatirons, flexi rods, and braids. Then I hit month 7. I got tired of blending the textures. My sister came over to do my hair and I told her to just cut off all the perm. She looked at me and she said, “ARE YOU SURE?” I looked at her dead in the eyes and told her I was beyond sure. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “Okay!” She took out the scissors and began to cut. She cut my hair until nothing was left but the three inches of new growth that I had. Just like that I was now a part of the big chop family.

It was an interesting experience. I felt free, I felt clarity, and I felt just a little bit of uncertainty as to how I was going to style my short twa. In my adult and teenage life my hair had never been that short! During this short hair stage my hair routine consisted of wash and gos and deep conditioning treatments.

I was working a temporary accounting position. I returned to work the following Monday and I was met with a mixed bag of responses. Some people just stared at me blankly. Other people commented, “Oh so you changed your hair.” I remember that I had one black woman to congratulate me for going natural. She hid her natural hair under her wig.

Little did I know that would be my last day there. They did not even give me a reason as to why they ended my contract so abruptly. I met all of the goals and tasks that they gave me. The contract was not supposed to end for 6 months. I had so many questions in my mind. I found myself sad and slightly depressed because of this new predicament I found myself in. Then a fire started to burn inside of me!

How was I going to allow a job to dictate my feelings, my mindset, and my economics? I knew that I had to do something. I went online and I started researching. I saw that other black millennial women were dealing with the exact same issues that I was dealing with. Receiving disparaging comments about their hair from family members and co-workers! Some women even lost their jobs because they decided to wear their natural hair! I could not just sit on this. So, I went to my husband (who is a filmmaker) to pitch him the idea of a documentary about natural hair! I showed him all the women who were dealing with these issues online. He agreed. We then started the production of the film. Met some amazing people along the way. This journey sent me through the “natural hair portal” as my cousin JLeshaé called. It is now July 3, 2020. I am 10 years and 2 months natural, and I have absolutely no plans to ever return to damaging my health, hair, mind, and spirit with sulfur hydroxide.

I am going to celebrate my natuversary by giving away some goodies to our followers on Instagram! Thank you for everyone who has supported me along the way!! :)

Cheers!

Ashanti Titus

Milestone Completed 1,000,000 Minutes Viewed

Producing a film has been by far the second most difficult experience that I have had to do in my entire life. The first was the childbirth of four children. Giving birth to a human can be mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially taxing. Then the worries creep in. Do I have the tools to make sure this person is a productive, informed, honest, and capable human who cares about others? Being a parent is a hard job. It is 24/7! Nonstop! No holidays, no time off. You are responsible for the well being and progression of someone’s life. And the kicker is that you will not know how well of a job you have done until they fly out on their own.

It is terrifying, rewarding, challenging, and the most life-altering job that you can have. There is no instruction manual, there is no syllabus, and you have to figure it out on your own. And, each kid will have a different spirit! On this weird parallel creating a film has some similarities. You will be pushed to the limit. You despite being emotionally drained at times. Financially, you will be stretched. You will get knocked down. Then you will have to figure out how to get back up. You will have to learn how to push forward despite all of the turmoil and chaos that is going on around you!

If you dare to set out to produce and distribute a film INDEPENDENTLY…. strap in for the ride. I will tell you one thing, moments like this when you hit 1,000,000 minutes viewed of your film it is a magical moment. Then when you start to see dozens of amazing reviews and comments saying how much they could relate to the film or how it changed their perception…….There is nothing like it!

If you decide to get on this chaotic, crazy, rewarding, fulfilling ride I recommend that you go ahead and jump all in! Because not only will you be a part of changing the world, you will be a part of changing the trajectory of your future. You will then start to see the changes in yourself. You will be stronger. You will be quicker. You will be tougher. All of those things will come to you if you do not quit.

There was a moment where I was scared, I was complaining, and I did not know how we were going to make it. The best piece of advice that I was given was by my cousin Jack Jenkins, he said, “There will be times where you just have to go through.” Essentially, there are battles that I had to fight alongside our team and some that I had to stand alone and fight. With prayer and going through I got to push to the other side. I then found out that I had more power in me than I realized. 1,000,000 minutes streamed for an Indie Producer is an amazing milestone. We are blessed. We are honored and we thank you! We will keep pushing!!!

Ashanti Titus, Executive Producer

Isis Brantley Arrested for Braiding and Dallas, Then Fights to Change the Texas Law- Causes Deregulation for Braiders

Conditioning Your Hair During the Covid Quarantine

This COVID-19 Quarantine has many of us in disbelief and uncertain about many things. An attitude of gratitude is what is helping me to get through this tough and challenging time. Yes, the hair salons are closed and many beauty supplies are closed at the moment. But, this does not mean that your hair has to suffer or you have to suffer. I want to challenge you to pull yourself up during this time and look around to take a moment to see what is going right. Do you have your health? Do you have your family? Do you have something to eat? Then that should be celebrated. You will be surprised at how you feel afterward by doing this exercise.

Now is the time to get creative with what you have and spend more time taking care of yourself and looking more from within. If you have to take a moment to pray for strength, protection, and abundance. Now as for conditioning your hair. If you run out of deep conditioner no need fret. Your solution could be sitting right in your pantry. Below I have listed 2 amazing DIY hair recipes for you to try at home.

Bananas

Bananas are great at aiding the hair with elasticity. Bananas are potassium-rich so they help with preventing dandruff and keeping hair strong.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is great for softening the hair and adding shine. You can use it alone as hot oil treatment or add it with other ingredients. 

Honey 

Honey is a natural humectant that helps to smooth hair follicles and moisturizes the hair.

Simple Banana Mask**

• 1 ripe banana 

• 1 Tbl of olive oil

Blend ingredients well. Separate hair in sections. Apply to each section of hair. Use a conditioning cap, shower cap, or plastic bag to cover your hair only. Leave on for 30 minutes.

Creamy Avocado Deep Conditioning Mask**

• 1 large, ripe avocado

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1 Tbsp. honey

• 1 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk 

Blend ingredients well. Separate hair in sections. Apply to each section of hair. Use a conditioning cap, shower cap, or plastic bag to cover your hair only. Leave on for 30 minutes.

Remember make the most of what you have during this time.

-Stay Beautiful and Stay Great!!

**(If you are allergic to any ingredients do not use, results will vary depending on hair texture and a variety of other things)

Natural Hair Documentary

Natural Hair Documentary

One thing that the Coronavirus has taught me is to get things done and do not wait. Do everything that you can to push your dreams. This is because you never know what could happen or even if you will be here tomorrow. This is because tomorrow is not promised. We are all here for a purpose, it is important for us to make sure that we listen to that still small voice inside. Because that voice is often times the seed of a grand tree that will produce fruit for the masses that could nourish their minds and spirits.

We do not know what the future holds. No one does. But, the reason that I married my partner (who is also the director) is that he challenged me to challenge the norm and to ask plenty of questions. If something does not seem right it is because it probably isn’t. Why do we do what we do? Why do we use chemicals that harm us and the environment when there are natural alternatives? Why do we subscribe to a system that suppresses creativity and celebrates staying inside the lines? This virus for me has been a wake-up call. But, it has also made me realize that the rules that are currently in place are not necessarily for our benefit. 

As an executive producer, wife, and mother in quarantine it has been a surreal experience. It seems as if work is never done. I have had to remember to celebrate each and every win and embrace the perceived losses. The marathon of this project has taught me endurance. It has taught me to fight harder, to push harder, and then be grateful. The outpour of support from unexpected people has been amazing. This journey has made me stronger and tougher. Natural Hair the Movie is now on Amazon Prime and it is free for Prime Members. We are happy beyond measure. We now have a contest going on, we are asking for people to leave a review on Amazon and they will be placed in a drawing to win a free T-shirt. Click here now

You were put on this earth to do more than to work and die. I challenge you now to start living life on your own terms and to redefine the rules.

Until next time y’all stay beautiful and stay great!

Ashanti Titus, Executive Producer

Natural Hair Care Products Not Working on Your Natural Texture?

Have you ever wondered why one product may work for your sister’s hair but when you use that same product the results are horrendous for you? My simple answer is that knowledge is power.

When a woman decides to return to natural she will find that there is a slight learning curve. I know I did. The more you know the more you will flourish on your natural hair journey. I found some great information that was a game changer for me. I learned about hair porosity.

I became aware of hair porosity right after I learned about my hair type on the hair chart which is a blend of 3c/4a. Learning about my hair porosity helped me to better identify the best product ingredients for my hair. After I found out this information shopping for hair products became a less stressful!!!

To deepen your knowledge about hair porosity click on the links below.

Diane Bailey - Hair Discrimination is Racial Discrimination

Diane Bailey is with Emerge: Natural Beauty Industry Alliance. She partnered with Susan Peterkin of The Natural Hair Industry Convention to speak more about the crown act. Check out a recent interview discussing discrimination about children and natural hair.

Emerge Founder Diane Bailey

This past weekend the American Hotel in Downtown Atlanta hosted the Natural Hair Industry
Convention with Diane Bailey. The convention had a legal session informing people on their rights in regards to natural hair. New York and California are the only 2 states that have adopted the Crown Act. This act protects women who wear their natural hair. Children younger than 10 years old have been sent home because they had braids or an afro. This type of discrimination happens to children around the country.

At The Natural Hair Industry Convention they had a Hair Symposium with  hair stylist, barbers, manufacturers, and influencers to talk about hair care, mental and physical healing, and legal protections . They had 30 other classes around hair care and the industry. For more information go to www.thenaturalhairindustryconvention.com

Co-Founders SUSAN L. PETERKIN AND ANGELA WALKER of The Natural Hair industry Convention

Tracee Ellis Ross: “The Standard of Beauty is Steeped in Patriarchy, Racism, and Sexism”

Tracee Ellis Ross: “The Standard of Beauty is Steeped in Patriarchy, Racism, Sexism, ....”

Tracee Ellis Ross shares what it means to be biracial and her new show “Mixed-ish” on the show The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.  Ross stated that her journey of self-acceptance coincides with her journey with her natural hair.

In the documentary film Natural Hair the Movie we have an entire section about the struggles that biracial women go through with their identity and the battle that comes with having their natural hair.

What is also awesome is that Ross has created a hair product line specifically for curly, coily, and tight textured hair called Pattern Beauty. I myself cannot wait to try out this product to see how it works on my high porosity dense hair!

Great job and congrats Tracee! Thank you for your hard work and representation of natural hair! Check out the full interview with Tracee

https://youtu.be/dFa44x0JZCs (interview)

#naturalhair #patternhairproducts #standardofbeauty #girlfriends #traceeellisross #blackish #mixedish #dianasdaughter

-Ashanti Titus

 Executive Producer

Lawsuit Filed Against the Louisiana Board of Cosmetology

Lawsuit Filed Against the Louisiana Board of Cosmetology

Across the country people are standing up for their right to wear their natural hair and to provide natural hair care services as a business. In the most recent news the Louisiana Board of Cosmetology is being sued by the Institute for Justice.

The state of Louisiana requires that a person who wants to braid hair must finish 500 hours of course curriculum as a prerequisite to braid for a living. The problem with this is that this course curriculum has absolutely nothing to do with braiding. The classes required for cosmetology requires students to be well versed in chemicals and techniques that fall outside of what it means to braid or do natural hair.

Braiding Hair

The Institute for Justice an organization that protects the citizen’s rights to go into business free from unnecessary and unreasonable government restrictions. The Louisiana Board of Cosmetology put in a motion to dismiss this suit, however, this motion was denied. As of now Louisiana requires that braiders take a braider course. The issue is that it is only offered in Monroe, LA. This is a problem for women who live hours away. Braiders have to pay thousands of dollars for this license and payments have to be paid to the state for the upkeep of this license. This unnecessary governmental involvement is a huge problem for women who just need to earn a living with the skills in which they already have.

In 1997 Texas native and ancestral braider Isis Brantley was arrested for braiding hair without a cosmetology license even though she did not use chemicals or harsh processes. She had a long battle with the state of Texas and the Institute for Justice was in her corner and helped her to win the fight. Isis Brantley speaks in detail about being arrested in her own shop and the grueling battle that she had with the state in our documentary film Natural Hair the Movie, which you can check out here (www.naturalhairthemovie.com/trailer)

https://www.ksla.com/2019/06/23/lawsuit-challenges-louisianas-training-mandate-hair-braiding/

Flotus

This year the Illinois Institute of Chicago hosted the 2019 Obama Foundation Summit. Michelle Obama turned heads and ignited Twitter. Michelle talked about what it was like to grow up on the South Side of Chicago and which she speaks quite a bit about in her book Becoming. Everyone on Black twitter was talking about how amazing it was to see FLOTUS rocking her natural hair. People raved about how awesome it was to see Michelle wearing her hair in its natural state.

In an interview with the podcast 2 Dope Queens, Michelle opened up about what she went through with her hair during her husband’s administration. Michelle literally had to structure her days around hair and makeup. To the people who are unaware of what it means to be a  black woman with natural hair structuring one’s day around hair and makeup may seem like a bit much. However, the fact is that a black woman cannot just put our hair in a pony tail the take it down and just lightly brush over it for many of us it will not magically fall into place.

Michelle Obama Rocking Natural Hair

In order for our hair to be at it’s best a lot of maintenance, work, and planning is required. And when a black woman decides to have it straight for prolonged periods of time there is quite a bit of damage that will be done. If she chemically straightens it there will be chemical burns and breakage. We talk about the dangers of chemical straightening in our documentary film which you can check out here

If she straightens it daily humidity will cause it to be puffy and there will be plenty of breakage.

 FLOTUS shared that her goal was to still have hair on her head after her husband’s term was over. Michelle talked about how during their time at the White House she had to always be camera ready. The most stressful time was in November and December due to all of the daily holiday events that were hosted at the White House. Michelle had to experiment and find styles that would keep her hair looking great and to remain healthy at the same time. For many naturals it is difficult to have our hair together for an in prompt to date night. Can you imagine what it means to have to be picture perfect daily while under such a critical public eye?!!

Michelle also stated that her family’s time at the White House was also a Black Woman’s professional journey as well. Many professional black women were comforted to know that even the first lady went through the same thing mentally that we go through on a daily basis.

Photo (https://www.aol.com/article/lifestyle/2019/10/29/michelle-obama-applauded-for-rocking-her-natural-curly-hair-while-speaking-at-the-obama-foundation-summit/23849120/)

2 Dope Queens Podcast

 https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dopequeens/episodes/2-dope-queens-podcast-karaoke-michelle-obama

Mahisha Dellinger has her OWN TV Show

It was an honor to interview Mahisha Dellinger for the film Natural Hair the Movie. She is an entrepreneur with her own hair product line called Curls. She believed in us early on in the project. She agreed to be interviewed by us not even knowing who we were, she gave us an opportunity.  She was also one of the first corporate sponsors on the kickstarter page.

Well we are happy to share with you that she has her own TV show on the OWN network! The show is an unscripted series called Mind Your Business with Mahisha, the premiere is Saturday, August 11 at 10 PM. It’s a show in which she is helping female entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level. This is such a fitting show for the Mahisha brand in my opinion and I hope tons of people tune in and support the show.  Check out the video below.

-Reginald

Talented New Artist on the Dallas Scene

It is so refreshing to be amongst talented people who work hard. I had
the pleasure of being introduced to the music of LoSteele in 2015 on a
flight from Santa Monica to Dallas. Our music supervisor AD Johnson
told me he discovered an artist and that I had to hear her voice. I
was reluctant to listen. Honestly,I just wanted a snack and some sleep
on the flight. AD gave me his headphones and he started the track. It
literally was only her voice and the guitar. The song absolutely moved
me. I slowly looked over at him and I said, "Yes! this song has to be
in the movie!" As a tear feel down my cheek. I know that this song
will speak to millions of women around the world. And, it was truly in
line with the vision that I had from the film. So many of us are made
to feel like we are not enough. We are made to feel like our voices
should not be heard. And this song encapsulates that.

I am so excited that an agreement was made and the Lo Steele decided to share her
story and contribute her song to the film. I cannot wait for you all
to also hear the single! It will definately impact you positively for
sure! Stay tuned for more to come....

Purchase Tickets for Private Screening here!

Ashanti Titus
Executive Producer

The Turn Up Was Real

Wow! What an event!

On February 22nd 2018 we held a private screening for our movie in Dallas TX and it sold out!! The event sold out all online, during a rain storm. We had family, friends, and strangers from all over come to support our film and we are so grateful.

I haven’t fully grasped everything yet. As a director, Executive producer, writer, editor etc. I’ve been looking at mistakes, corrections, draft after draft. It’s truly overwhelming at times. As I sat in the theatre in the first row listening to the laughs, grunts, silences, and clapping I began to feel better. I’d been in a metaphorical forest for the past year; and all I could see was trees. I’d grown grey hair, lost hair, gained weight all as a sacrifice for this project.

I got a chance to sit back and observe the team members have a good time, showing their friends and family the wonderful project we’ve been working on for more than two years. It felt like an outer body experience, I mean is this real? Really real? I remember just about a year ago asking friends and family to help donate to this project and now are we really here with a finished feature film!!??My God I have so many stories to share of our triumph and journey.

The following day we began to receive phone calls, emails, text messages, and reviews on the movie. Check those out here. I’m truly honored to have worked with a team like the one we have. We will continue to distribute this film across the nation as more opportunities have opened up.

DON’T QUIT!!

-Reginald

Natural Hair Super-Heroines! Part II

It is time for part 2 of Natural Hair Super-Heroines!  This group has some non-traditional heroines.  Some might be considered anti-heroines, but all are natural and powerful in their own right.  Let's get to it!

Lightning

Jennifer Pierce is second generation superhero.  Her father is Black Lightning and her sister is code named, "Thunder" ...yeah, I know.  She has complete control over electricity, but can’t interact with electrical items.  While in her human form she wears her hair in braids that become lightning bolts in her electrical form.  Look for her and hopefully her natural hair to make an appearance on the CW’s new Black Lightning show in 2018.

Destiny Ajaye

This next entry veers off the path of your traditional “hero”.  What if the next one-in-a-generation military mind that could rival the likes of Alexander the Great, Hannibal of Carthage, or Genghis Khan was a teenage girl living in South Central, LA?  You can read this very mature story of the girl who lead and organized her community (including the gangs) to wage war against the LAPD and National Guard in the 5-part series Genius. Through it all Destiny’s natural hair and sense of style are as flawless as her master plan.

Michonne

The blade wielding, zombie survival specialist rounds out our list.  No powers needed here; just sheer instinct and skill.  Michonne has overcome some of the worst tragedies a character can face.  If you’ve read the actual Walking Dead comic you’ll find new reasons to hate the Governor.  Michonne she is fighter and is never seen without a katana or her natural locks.

And there you have it.  We've only scratched the surface of the amount of wonderful super heroines that have worn natural hair.  From Storm and Shuri, to Nubia and Crimson Avenger there are plenty of women characters who have worn natural hair and they should be supported and celebrated.  If you find yourself interested I would encourage you to checkout the Comixology App and explore not only some of these characters, but the wonderful creators of the content.  Have these two posts sparked interest in these characters?  Please leave your thoughts and comments below!  

Click here to watch our trailer for Natural Hair the Movie: 

Peace,

Casey G. Smith - Producer

Cartoon Promoting Self Hate

Being a mother of young children I am aware of how susceptible they are to even the most subtle of messages. One of our producers, London Williams, forwarded Reginald this clip of a cartoon that disturbed me. I had never heard of this show nor had I viewed an episode until yesterday.

Number one, this cartoon had a group of young women who were really superficial, which only helps to perpetuate a negative mindset of shallowness to our young girls.

However as I continued to watch...my blood started to boil. There was only one black character that I saw and she was having a dramatic breakdown because her hair puffed up into an afro. She went on about it being straight earlier and now she didn’t know what to do.
What was even more chilling about this episode was the fact that some of the other girls gave her an appalling look like, “What is that on your head?!”
Ultimately, the scene ended with the girl running away crying hysterically.
I can’t really put my emotions into words. I just know that when it comes to our children it is important to know what they are ingesting. It is our responsibility to protect them from all harm including mental harm. This episode has probably reached hundreds of little black boys and girls. Planting the seed of contempt for their own self-image. Every little girl wants to feel beautiful. In order for that to happen we have to work as a community to build up our little girls so strong that messages like this will not affect them.  As much as we would like to, we cannot keep them away from all negative experiences. However, we can equip them by having conversations, instilling more positivity into them, and snatching back control of our image. Creating literature, toys, and media that caters to positivity and promoting self-worth.

The people who create these shows are not going to stop because they think it’s funny. Well let me tell you that it is not funny! It is insulting and we see what the hell you are doing. I challenge parents everywhere to be more involved with your children. Have conversations with them.  Ask them how they feel about their own image and about things going on in the world... you may actually learn something new.

Click the video below to witness this monstrosity that they call a cartoon episode that is fit for kids...

Until next time.

To check out our movie trailer click here

Click the video below to witness this monstrosity that they call a cartoon episode that is fit for kids...

Until next time

-Ashanti Titus