15 years ago I started kroeshaar.com (the Dutch version of going-natural.com/) just before I was about to debut with ‘Kroeshaar, wat je moet weten en meer’, the very first book about natural hair in Dutch. Natural hair was way more controversial back then. I think it was even considered a taboo so I didn’t really know how people would respond to my natural hair care book.

The fast majority of Black women were also wearing their hair straight. As an IT graduate from the University of Amsterdam, who started building professional websites in 1996 (see ToBeFollowed), I thought a website would be helpful to get a bit of a sense as well as to connect with people who were interested. That’s how kroeshaar.com was born. Out of curiosity what people thought of natural hair but mainly to teach and spread information for those who were interested.

To my delightful surprise my debut as a writer was not only fun, it was a pretty big success. Several newspapers and radio stations called for interviews and I had the privilege to walk the red carpet on Boekenweek 2003. Just that was quite an experience and a lot of fun. The very first book signing though, topped it all.

More than exited, I was overwhelmed by the crowd that showed up. I had no idea so many people would be interested in hearing about natural hair let alone reading about it and I was delighted by the fact. With my dad Daisy Liong In the picture below.

The book Signing. Above with my dad. 

Friends and family: Amanda Sheombar, Renate Wirht, Clifford Cederboom, Arlien Malmberg. For the complete gallery visit Publicatie Kroeshaar Wat je moet weten en meer.

Next stop was Suriname. Instead of a book signing, I came up with the idea to do a conference with a hair show. I called it the Sabi Wiri Dei which means “Get to know your hair day”. The video of that day that I just watched after 15 years made me write this piece.

Thank you Gillian Scott-Ward for letting me make the videos public. I never realized we made history that day but we did. It’s a delight to watch the models Cherice Grep, Tyra Vigelandzoon who are my grown nieces now, showing their hairstyles.

Nicole Fung A Loi-Simson who is still one of the baddest hairstylists in Suriname. Johanna from the Hairbox Dreadlocksshop and her son Scheineman Delceggio who is now a handsome student still rocking his well maintained locs. You won’t understand a word but if you want to you can  watch the Video at the Going Natural Hair Show Videos Page