A single strand of hair is fragile, but when braided together with other strands, the interwoven collective creates a protective, sturdy hairstyle. Like the links of a chain, each individual strand plays a vital role in bonding with the others to form a robust whole.

While chains often symbolize enslavement or incarceration, they can also represent freedom from oppression. In braiding my hair, I have found new meaning in the cumulative power of these metaphorical chains.

​

As an African American, I have frequently grappled with the bondage of my ancestors through mundane objects like chains, water hoses, and certain signs, which seem to trigger an inherited trauma response. It is as if my ancestors' sufferings caution me through these everyday items. So I challenged myself to engage an object commonly associated with imprisonment but to transform it as an expression of liberation.