MCNP: Vanessa Williams talks ‘Bad Hair’, identity politics & navigating high school

This piece is published in partnership with the My Colorful Nana Project as part of By & For: A Podcast Community, a series of podcast partnerships to uplift the lived experiences and liberation dreams of girls and gender non-conforming youth of color

“Vanessa Williams & Identity Politics”

American actress and singer Vanessa Williams joins fellow Horace Greeley High alum and host Lauren Stockmon Brown to discuss the complexity of identity politics. Williams dives into her phenomenal career in the entertainment industry and the ways in which music, theatre and the arts grounded her adolescent and adult life. Williams stars in the 2020 film, Bad Hair, and touches on her role in this feature while tackling topics on education reform, socioeconomic racism and Black hair.

Music, Sound Design & Editor: Jacob Lowy
Social Media Designer: Christina Marie Schuler
Website Curator: Kayla Patterson
General Events & Content Producer: Sofia Ko
Film & Directing: Riley Wurtz
Film & Directing: Tomas Greer
Host & Founder: Lauren Stockmon Brown

The My Colorful Nana Project is a collected group of Generous Thinkers. We invite all people to consider and celebrate their definitions of the words “beauty,” “femininity”, and Blackness through a discussion of hair. This is a project that allows individuals to define identity on their own terms. Find out more about our Generous Thinkers and multimedia content by checking out their website!