Ten years ago, I put together a photo exhibit that featured African American natural hairstyles while posing questions of race, beauty, and culture. The exhibit was called “Skillets.” Folks like Rena Church at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center, Karen McConnaughay, Kane County Board; Amy Roth, Aurora Public Library; and Angie Richardson, Illinois Math and Science Academy, were all supportive in providing a platform and/or wall space for the exhibit. So, I thought it would be fun to track down some of the participants and see what they are up to now.
Sajela Harlow, a graduate of Oswego East High School where she starred both in the classroom and on the tennis courts for the Wolves. Sajela went on to graduate from Howard University in 2018 with a degree in Elementary Education. She is now a Kindergarten teacher at a bilingual public charter school in Washington, D.C., where she lives with her nineteen-month-old daughter, Miia.