Melanie ‘Mel B’ Brown, a former Spice Girls member, is advocating for the introduction of Afro-hair emojis on digital devices worldwide. The call comes from a campaign led by Rise 365, a youth-driven organization, which complains that out of nearly 4,000 existing emojis, none depict hairstyles commonly worn by black or mixed-race individuals. The group is urging the Unicode Consortium, the entity responsible for deciding emoji distribution globally, to expand its range of symbols.
On social media, Bown is encouraging the public to search for “Afro Hair” online to raise awareness for the campaign. “The proposed emojis we’re hoping to get on our phones soon: Afro, Locs, Waves & Braids,” she explained, adding: “You can help by searching ‘Afro Hair’ on Google as manyyyyyy times as possible before [the] end of the month so we can bring change to our phones.”
The initiative coincides with Black History Month in the United Kingdom.
Joyclen Brodie-Mends Buffong, founder of Rise 365, claims Afro-hair emojis are required to address so-called “texturism,” which refers to prejudice against kinkier, tightly curled hair. The campaign seeks to initiate broader discussions about alleged Afro-hair discrimination and catalyze change, starting with emojis.
The Unicode Consortium had recently announced the addition of new emojis, such as a tired face and a leafless tree, but none included Afro hair. Designs for four new Afro hair emojis, created by Rise 365, are set to be submitted for consideration in April.
