Local Author to Speak on Hair and Identity at College of Lake County-Grayslake Campus

Rolling Meadows resident and author, Joanna McGee Bradford, will be speaking from 9:15-10:15 a.m. on Monday, February 17 at the College of Lake County-Grayslake Campus, 120 Washington Blvd, Grayslake, IL at the "Wonderful U! Day" sponsored by TRiO Educational Talent Search Scholars Conference, a pre-college program. The conference runs from 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Bradford, author of recently released Hair Stories: 40 Wisdom-Filled Devotionals, will present on hair and identity to young women who are enrolled in TRiO.

"Women often view their hair as an integral part of their whole self," said Dr. Sharon Sanders-Funnye, Director of TRiO, which provides academic and personal development services. "In a global society where equity and inclusion are often mentioned in the conversation, we ought to value the identity of each individual, including the hair on one's head."

Bradford, who now wears dreadlocks, relates hair experiences from women of various races and culture in Hair Stories. "My hair journey helped me appreciate the struggle to accept myself in every way. I am not alone," she said. "Former television host Ricki Lake recently revealed her thirty-year battle with hair loss. Others struggle with wearing a certain hair style and risking negative consequences. The issues and solutions are bigger than hair."

Bradford will discuss ways in which young women can embrace their identity. "Regardless of race or culture, loving yourself is not rooted in what's happening on top of your head."

More information about the author is available at http://ourhairstories.com.