Student and Rise 365 young designer Jayzik Duckoo creates Afro hair emoji at the Concorde Youth Club in Hackney, east London, Britain, on October 21, 2024. — Reuters
In a bid to dismantle beauty stereotypes and enhance digital inclusivity, a cohort of London-based students and professionals has conceptualized what they aspire to be the inaugural emojis showcasing Black and mixed-race hairstyles. This initiative, a collaborative effort between the youth-driven organization RISE.365 and the PR firm Good Relations, seeks to address texturism—a form of bias where Afro hair is frequently deemed 'unprofessional', 'unattractive', or 'unclean'.
Despite the nearly 4,000 emojis available—symbols representing human emotions or objects online—none depict Black or mixed-race hairstyles. RISE.365 and Good Relations decided to take proactive steps to rectify this.
An emoji featuring Afro hair, sketched by Rise 365 member Jayzik at the Rise 365 Youth Club in Hackney and digitized by Good Relations Junior Designer, Vanita Brown in London, Britain. — Reuters
A group of young individuals initially sketched the emojis, after which designers finalized the creations. 'These emojis would challenge societal norms that dictate straight hair as the only desirable form,' commented Jayzik Duckoo, a 17-year-old contributor to the project. 'I hope people will wear their hair with pride.'
Four emojis were crafted, featuring Afros, braids, cornrows, and locs. These will be submitted to Unicode, the California-based entity responsible for emojis, in April 2025 for review. RISE.365 noted that frequent Google searches for 'Afro hair' could bolster the emojis' acceptance, as Unicode considers the frequency of associated terms.
Unicode did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Olivia Mushigo, the senior creative driving the project, expressed hope that the emojis would empower and make people 'feel truly seen.'
The 28-year-old, who has never faced hair-related discrimination, mentioned her younger brother has. 'My little brother will have an emoji resembling him, hopefully boosting his confidence and affirming his hair's beauty,' she said. 'On a personal level, I finally have an emoji that mirrors me, one I can relate to.'
A survey among RISE.365 members—with 104 participants—revealed that 61% had encountered hair-based discrimination or bullying. A 2023 study by the CROWN Research Studies indicated that 66% of Black women alter their hair for job interviews.
Vanita Brown, the designer of the emojis, attributed the absence of such emojis to Eurocentric beauty standards being perceived as the norm. The lack of representation in stock imagery was also noted, with Mushigo emphasizing the diversity gap in tech firms, where Black individuals are underrepresented.
'Hopefully, with increased diversity and inclusivity within tech teams, we will witness more emojis that truly reflect the diversity of our world,' she said.
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