A Loc Storie: Recent Episodes
Karlyn Sykes
Welcome, you’ve made it to season 2!
A Loc Storie is a digital anthology collecting the stories behind growing our locs and the lessons that lie within them. Join me as I have conversations with strangers, friends, and strangers who have become friends to learn about their beautifully honest stories and catch glimpses of my own. Dropping every Monday at 12:01 AM.
I am a fond believer in divine timing. I love a serendipitous moment where all the stars align and what may have felt like a delay was just a bit of re-rerouting, making the end goal even more worth it. For the final episode of Season Two it's a special honor to have my good sis, Nicole, in my home to discuss the transition I have born witness to over the past two years. From talking s**t about IG salons to gassing each others growth, she is the perfect person to reflect on the loc journey with a j in hand. The juxtaposition of us as two queer loc'd women smoking freely while in conversation is an important contrast the more serious subject matter we have also gathered here to discuss: her role in producing one of the first TV interviews with Brittany Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner. I'm grateful to Nicole for sharing and shedding light on the interview as well as allowing me to use this space to continue to elevate this issue. Black women are always going to show up for black women, and I am immensely proud to be apart of the nuanced community who will not stay silent.
More information on how you too can show up on WeAreBG.org. #WeAreBG
As a Real Housewives of Atlanta die-hard, I LIVE for a good read. I takes talent to deliver a shady, truth-bearing drag of caliber to my queens Phaedra and Nene. But my new friend Justin, the self-proclaimed King of Reads, has proven worthy. On what should have been my Pride episode, I sit down with the King to detail his experience as a Black Voice on Youtube with over 180k followers, unabashedly wearing his blackness + queerness on his sleeve. Justin's hair colors are about his bold as his opinions as we dig into what it means be unapologetic in his storytelling on the platform, especially as an HIV-positive gay man.
Any conversation where I have to pause to laugh and let the word sink in is a good one, once again grateful to be at all intersections of our community <3.
Alignment is truly at play for our seminal 25th episode. Today I welcome creative powerhouse Sade Mims to the show who is undoubtedly the future of fashion that feels good for the soul. As someone with a deep appreciation for a quality bag and a statement earring, it’s an honor to converse with the Brooklyn-based accessories designer who is moving through the first five months of her loc journey with complete and utter grace. I’m so grateful for her ability to reflect on her journey with intentionality and share in her tenacity to cultivate a similar ethos within her line and now studio. Oh the joys of being a bad, brilliant black woman! Brooklyn watch-out, Sade and her brand Edas are nothing to sleep on.
I challenge you to close your eyes and visualize for a second an archetype of the quintessential professional woman: What does she have on? What does she smell like? Where is she headed, to court? An office maybe? A production set or doctor's office?
Now tell me what her hair looks like?
Most of us probably imagined a slick back ponytail, an expertly laid silk-press, a gel'd up bun...locs and natural styles rarely come to mind first because black women have been told for centuries that their natural state of being is uncouth. I'm especially grateful for this conversation with LaCrai, because it reminds me that those tides are changing. An Emmy-award winning producer and former on-air reporter for CBSN, LaCrai knows a thing or two about the importance of not only delivering the soundbite, but looking the part while doing it. Today we unpack what it means to redefine professionalism for ourselves and our industries as loc'd women of color in media. Her bravery in starting her transition at the height of a public-facing career is essential to creating the representation necessary to keep pushing the narrative. We're pushing the limits of professionalism, either get with it or get lost.
In 2022 we are welcoming in the New Year by first finishing what we started in the old. Today with my friend Aaron we revisit the conversation around what it means to be a black tattoo artist redefining an entire generation of artwork that has completely excluded black faces. I had the honor of stumbling across his very first residency in Brooklyn in 2020 and finally experienced what it should feel like to be welcomed into the a tattoo shop: safe, seen, and actually aligned with the artwork + artist. The atmosphere black and brown tattoo artists create for their black and brown customers is viewed as a sacred exchange and makes it even more imperative that we protect and uplift these tattooers where we can. You can likely hear in my voice how honored and excited I am by his commitment to representation and authenticity in his craft –– I mean a skull and crossbones with a retwist, I die! To follow or learn more about the Atlanta-based artist visit is IG handle @aarondavistattoo and as always find more from us at @a.loc.storie.
Growing up in the midwest, when I told people I wanted to move to go to New York for college they always replied back inquisitively,"You look like you would live in New York." I took it as a compliment then and happily take it as one now having made Brooklyn my home the last three or so years. What I didn't get is what was meant by that until recently: I'm a lifelong member of the Alt. Black (Gay) Agenda. Living in proximity to this community in Brooklyn feels like an honor, which is why meeting fellow members of my tribe–brown, queer, multi-talented, intellectual, adventurous, rooted friends like KiKi–is so damn special to me. It's the thing that makes you never want to leave. After a year of communing in my living room weekly, today I finally get to interview my friend about the things we've been conversing about for over a year: Chloe + Halle's immaculate loc-do's, locally-sourced rolling papers and her one-of-a-kind job as the Admin for several extremely talented black, femme tattoo artists in the city. I could probably talk about tattoos and equity all day, but I broke it up into two episodes where I'll be interviewing a queer black artist I had the privilege of being yatted by earlier this year.
BUT we'll save that exciting conversation for next week! In the meantime, please enjoy my lifted chat with Kiki ;)
Sometimes you just meet people who you know are going to set your soul back on track, Lateef is one of those people. In his presence you feel seen, nurtured, attuned to your...highest self? A fitness and wellness coach by trade, spirituality bleeds into all of his teachings. His practice encourages adornment and indulging in the aesthetics the serve your best self. As someone who often indulges in their appearance (more often than she probably should) it was comforting to hear that outward appearance is critical to divine self-expression. Here's to learning to wear our hearts and souls on our literal sleeves.
Who here has seen Uncorked on Netflix?
For those who know the reference, today I welcome a real life protagonist, Demi, who is devising a plan to make the wine industry blacker–and thereby cooler. While I was watching Niecy Nash support her black sheep of a son's dreams of becoming a Master Sommelier on my laptop, Demi was doing the real thing last year beginning a wine certification course with inclusive programs to pipeline women and POC's to get into the white, male dominated industry. I can honestly say that before this conversation I never understood the challenge black people face of bringing their authentic selves to work in the restaurant industry. Blatant sexism and racism are rampant and passed off as, "aesthetic codes" and "customer preference." I appreciate Demi for not only opening my eyes to the issues in the world of wine but also illustrating the resources for disruption.
You know me, just simping over black people constructing new spaces where we were once excluded :')
Welcome back to another installment of a series dedicated to the first 12 months of your loc journey, yes the Growin' Pains. Melissa couldn't have been a more perfect candidate for this conversation. She came with the wisdom, the facts and the candor when it came to discussing starting locs a later in life– a very vibrant 37 to be exact. There's this red thread I've noticed among black women that locs are your final resort. Once you've reached a certain milestone or exhausted all your other salon options that then and only then is the time to loc it up. In our conversation Melissa reflects on fully and finally embracing her texture as her locs grew through quarantine–the nappy, soft and in between.
Nothing makes me happier than celebrating a black man for his art. This week I almost feel honored to speak with Detroit-based photographer + youtuber Vuh who captures black joy through his dream-like images. At the center of our conversation is the veneration of stories his hair now carries. His transition to becoming the man behind the camera and starting his locs timed out almost perfectly 8 years ago, since then both his following and tresses have done nothing but grow. Is this what it feels like to speak to an one the rise artist? I kid, but do check out his work @vuhlandes on Instagram and Youtube. Stay connected y'all.
Consider the this the Not-Pride 'Pride' episode you actually needed to hear after sifting through all the cringe rainbow campaigns and DEI BS this month. As I said on my Instagram, I'm gay 365 so y'all were going to get this conversation regardless; it just so happened that this 360 conversation about, hair, race, gender identify and allyship was already packaged up and ready to go to send you all back into the world with a little more compassion. My gracious guest Shan and I learned A LOT from each other in this hour. It just goes to show that there are real professionals who have the words for the traumas we collectively struggle to name and equitable solutions to overcome them, together. I love this episode and everything it stands for, happy pride one and all!! Share this with someone who may need to hear it today <3
Also there may have been a special merch announcement in there but you have to listen to find out.....
We're back with a new NEW series created in aim to capture probably the most intense time of ones loc journey: the first twelve months. For those of you who may be in this phase, it's a critical time for the foundation of your locs to develop and ripe with emotional conflict over whether or not you made the right decision. Which is precisely why I wanted to dedicate this space to getting those questions about the early years answered and speaking our truths about the insecure stages along the way, in a series I'm calling Growin' Pains. What I love most about my first guest for this feature, Alise, is that she's bold enough to speak up about the "ugly" stages and how some days she just flat out felt "uncute." And yet, as she talks we can see the inklings of her tapping further into her inner glow when the outside just isn't doing it. If you can relate friend, this is your sign to keep going!!
How ride or die are you and your bff? Enough to start a transcendent loc journey in your 20s and commit to reflecting one another's unique beauty through your shared understanding? Well you really must not be gang then.
Grateful for 30 minutes with two beauties, Monet and Ebony, who began their friendship in 6th grade and their locs only six months apart in college. I admittedly stan their energy, bold ways of styling their locs and the sum of their black girl bond. A toast to all the hotties, the summer is ours!
She's back!! And more imprecise than ever :)
We start off season two with some grounding, a reality check you might say, from my new friend and fellow podcaster Ugo who specializes in Hope and front line medicine. As a Nurse Practitioner working with cancer patients during the pandemic, Ugo opens up a vulnerable dialogue for us about journeying through pain as we dig into some of the hardships 2020 bore. This is the conversation about grace for oneself, the world and others as told through his evolving freeform locs. Because at the end of the day, we are all In Search of Hope.
Spooky episode 13 took a few extra weeks to cook up but, as promised, the best is always for last. Mother daughter duo Shaquora and Fajr join me for an extremely important conversation about what it means to have the unique honor of protecting black hair in it’s most natural state. They opened their natural hair shop Sophisticated Loc Salon in Bed-Stuy,Brooklyn seven years ago, but Shaquora has been creating loc magic with her children by her side for the likes of Essence and Stevie Wonder long before I was even alive to stan. As I say more than once in this episode, I feel so honored to share this space with true loc royalty. It makes this close that much more sweet than bitter. Bypassing the sappy, in this conversation all and I mean all of your burning questions are finally answered about maintain our locs by our two trusted locticians (and I asked, the answer is no, you should not start real locs under faux ones.)
If you are in the NY area, support a black -owned business or refer a friend to Sophisticated Loc Salon for all your natural hair care needs at 328 Lewis Ave #1, Brooklyn NY 11221 or @sophisticatedlocsalon on Instagram.
https://square.site/book/3AABM14R5D8PP/sophisticated-loc-salon-brooklyn-ny
I love you guys be back for season 2, I promise. We have much more to discuss ;)
Black Women's Health Matters. In this episode I feel so very fortunate to sit down with another young women who I believe will help mobilize the equity of care women of color deserve from modern medicine. Bernadette is a doula based in North Carolina with big dreams to evolve the helathcare space and a even bigger spirit––which her hair has played an important role in shaping. Defiantly starting her locs at only 6 years old, her commitment to herself and the community of mothers she serves shines through in our chat. I learned A LOT in 30 minutes and I imagine you will too. But if you have more questions than I got answered, follow her personal and professional doula pages at @dreadlock_barbie and @bernieandthebabies.
We're live in Brooklyn baby! I'm finally getting back to the place where I really started reckoning with my loc journey and had the unique pleasure of doing so with a new friend who–-similarly to me–-started their journey HOT off a one way flight to JFK. Together, Malique and I start to unpack the question of what it means to be black, loc'd and bursting with creativity in Brooklyn. Likewise, she tackles similar topics in her work as film editor on the web series Adultin' which you can check at the link below. Follow for more @m.muse_ or @adultinseries. Now back to the show! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZILJJmYhq2P73V1GNzq5aw
More ramblings from your fave loc-obsessed pair, Karl and Zi. Talking what it means to be each other locticians, dedicating your hair to your history and too much more. As always @a.loc.storie for more shenanigans!
It's time for a retwist! On this episode of A Loc Storie I'm getting my grubby little hands in my girlfriend's hair in their second month of their loc journey. This is my best friend y'all so we can and did talk about any and everything from our ex loc'd lovers to what it means to be a true 'dread head'–hence why we had to break it up into two parts smh. Listening to this back made my little lovestruck heart smile and I hope it does something for your soul too. Gon' head on.
One year in the game!! On Sept 3, 2019 I did the unthinkable and loc'd my full head of 4C hair with little baby comb coils. Listen to me ramble about some of the things I've learned since starting my journey a year ago and reflect on the first four months since giving life to A Loc Storie.
On today's episode we welcome our first doctor to the show, that is my brilliant college English Professor Dr. Natalie King Pedroso (fun fact: she tried to get me to take on an English minor in my junior year at FAMU which I politely declined because ya girl was just trying to get out, you feel me). I'm thrilled to have such a timely conversation with Dr. Pedroso given that she is someone whose mind and locs–which stretch down her back– I've admired since I first set foot in her classroom. We touch on everything from aesthetics to cultural traditions and this idea of rootedness for Black American which drives the philosophy and curation of her own virtual space called the Cottonboll Collective, learn more https://cottonbollcollective.com/ or @cottonbollcollective on Instagram.
It's 2020, now I KNOW y'all know better than to put your hands in a black persons hair, smh. Locs in the workplace; one of the most common concerns among people of color is how their natural will fair in Corporate America. Today my guest Kareem– a software engineer who has had both freeform and traditional locs–is kind of enough to lend us his story as a lesson in anti-assimilation. In a world that's constantly telling us who we are, it time we handed over our own list of demands and make "them adjust to us." Prepare to be blessed with 30 min of hard-earned wisdom.
Whether you like to acknowledge or not, in some way we are all damaged goods. The trauma we experience in our young lives undoubtedly has an impact on how we navigate our adult ones, unfortunately I have to be the one to tell you your hair is no different. My guest today J'Nai is humble enough to share with us the truths of starting your loc journey on permed hair. We also explore the messages in our young lives that crippled our understanding of beauty within our blackness and specifically how motherhood gave her the agency to teach new values. Oh yes, gems will be dropped.
Check out J'Nai's massage services @loosemassagetherapyplus if you're based in the metro-Detroit area :)
I loc'd my hair out of laziness and I'm proud! Before starting her sisterlocks 7 months ago, Alexus's twists outs were TOP tier. I'm talking Insta-worthy 4C fro goals. But we all know volume comes at a price–-all my ladies fed-up with wash days I'm looking at you. We also get into some of the stuff no one really tells you before starting your journey: the vulnerable underbelly of starting your locs and quickly realizing that your inspiration is not your reality.
I vacillated between titling this episode with its current name and its alternate 'Wise Guy' because I truly think today's guest is smart as hell. Duby, a musician from Cleveland, and I finally get into a highly anticipated discussion about the language of locs vs. dreads and I couldn't be more excited to share. If you want to learn something today, tune in. And if you want to learn something new tomorrow and maybe the next day, follow @dubymusic everywhere. See you inside!
Sweet and to the point, we talk Sisterlocks this week with Yasmire. Affectionately known as Yas, this girl has inspired more people in my circle to start locs than I even realized. Which is why it makes total sense that she's ready to make the ultimate commitment to the loc community. While I've had the joy of watching her hair journey unfold from the sidelines over the past two years, I'm honored to have the EXCLUSIVE on her exciting new chapter. Spoilers ahead!!
On the one month anniversary of starting her locs, I received the great honor of chatting with a special soul named Sharon about how she's making peace with her scalp in quarantine. Thick as thieves, we get into the Nappily Ever After journey that brought her to starting two-strand micro twists and the profound lessons she's reaped about vanity in her first 30 days loc'd. I promise you it's worth all 46 minutes. To follow her journey find her on Instagram @SharonJoyy and Sharing Joy on Youtube.
After nearly four years of hiding behind hats and headbands, Bobby has emerged. My longtime friend–and probably one of my first male friends to grow locs– joins me for a Zoom call to talk more on hair maintenance for men, "I Don't Know What I'm Doing" syndrome and when he plans to cut them.
On our real first episode we meet my amazingly gracious and astoundingly beautiful friend, Ragin (@westindieray to see how fine and gifted my friend really is.) She is one of the first people I can truly say was brought further into the trenches of my life by our parallel journeys of growing out our locs. The first episode and this girl already has me––as promised––teary-eyed. But I'd rather you hear from her mouth than my Twitter fingers, so I digress and you give it a listen.
A Loc Storie is a digital anthology collecting the stories behind growing our locs and the lessons that lie within them. Join me as I have conversations with strangers, friends, and strangers who have become friends to learn about their beautifully honest stories and catch glimpses of my own. Dropping every Monday at 12:01 AM.