We’ve all dealt with it. Solange made a song about it. And now, we have a game about it. Black women have been irked for decades about the intrusion of personal space that is touching our hair. For whatever reason, folks think they have the right to feel on our tresses! Even with the highly successful theme song “Don’t Touch My Hair”, we are still plagued with the audacity of some white folks (I mean, black folks already know what it feels like… ijs) to invade our space.
Wieden+Kennedy art director, Momo Pixel found a way to express that frustration we all share when this takes place. She created Hair Nah!, am 8-bit video game with a simple task of swatting aggravating hands away from character, Aeva’s hair. All the while she’s enroute to some amazing travel destination. How lit is that?! I played the game this morning while getting my coffee and honey let me tell you, it was hilarious! I was definitely hooked after playing just 5 minutes. Desperately tapping away at my phone screen to keep the pale hands out of my dope bantu knots! Yes! You get to choose your hairstyle and skin tone of the character, Aeva. And is it just me or does Aeva resemble Ms. Don’t Touch My Hair herself, Solange Knowles???
It seems simple enough, but it is actually a great tool to show the perspective of black women who have to literally deal with this issue DAILY! I work from home, so I am not so often accosted when it comes to my hair. Even still, I have experienced it when amongst white associates. Even with some black people!
Pixel, told travel platform, On She Goes, that she hopes the game helps push the conversation forward and helps people understand how offensive it can be to treat someone like they’re on display at a petting zoo. She makes that crystal clear with a note for users after finishing the game (see below). The game will soon have an app version, for now you can enjoy the game by visiting Momo’s website, here.
I love it and I love the message! Let us know what you think about the game in the comments below. Happy gaming!
