Award-winning journalist and author Linda Jones uses the sensitive topic of hair in the African American community as a device to raise awareness about cultural diversity and promote self-appreciation. Through her crusading alter ego "Mosetta" she has delivered entertaining and inspirational performance lectures at conferences, colleges and universities, faith-based organizations and other venues and events in the U.S. and abroad. Linda has even inspired women in a South African shantytown to embrace their natural roots! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGZYz8h-JuI.

Linda is author of "Nappyisms: Affirmations for Nappy-Headed People and Wannabes!" and founder of A Nappy Hair Affair, Inc. (ANHA), which promotes African American culture and identity As a journalist, Linda has written extensively about hair issues in the African American community. Her stories about Texas "big hair," women with hairy legs and the men who love them, the natural hair movement, raids on braiding salons and the stigma attached to having "nappy" hair, have attracted national media attention and sparked lively conversation on talk shows.

A Nappy Hair Affair evolved after Linda began having grass roots natural hair grooming sessions at her home to provide a supportive environment for her friends who wore natural and African-inspired hairstyles and were often criticized and judged harshly for doing so.

A regular at one of the gatherings which came to be known as Hair Days nicknamed Linda "Mosetta," who was like a female Moses on a mission of leading followers to freedom from hair bondage and negative self-perceptions. What started out being a gathering of African American women and children, Linda's Hair Days evolved into gatherings of a multicultural and multi-generational mix.

Linda's efforts have landed her interviews on National Public Radio (The Tavis Smiley Show) and an appearance on CNN to comment about the controversy sparked by the derogatory comments made in by radio personality Don Imus about the Rutgers University women's basketball team in 2007.

Jones will customize her presentations to fit any audience, but a few suggested 'hairepy session' titles are:
• Decolonizing our heads about our hair.
• "Roots Revival" a spritual celebration of hair and hairitage.
• Hairepy session for Adult Survivors of the Hot Comb!

Other lectures:

Covering and witnessing the historic South Africa Election 1994

A particularly exciting lecture Ms. Jones delivers, involving her work as a journalist while traveling in South Africa and covering the historic non-racial elections of 1994 as a reporter for the Dallas Morning News. In an audio/visual presentation, she shows images of victims of bombings on the days leading up to the election and shares sounds of the people rejoicing when Nelson Mandela's, African National Congress party won the vote. This presentation would be particularly suitable for sharing during Black History Month activities.