My name is Brouke Brookins—I’m a youth educator, author, and currently a student at Hampton University. I founded Crowning the Culture to create a space where Black hair and culture are not just seen, but celebrated. My journey to this work started long before CTC. I grew up as the one of the only Black boys in my Mandarin immersion school, where I learned to read and write in Chinese but rarely saw my own culture reflected or affirmed. For most of my life, I wore a simple bald fade—clean cut, lined up, and nothing more. Sophomore year of high school, I made the decision to grow my hair out. What began as a style choice became a turning point in my identity. For the first time, I had to figure out my curls—how to wash, detangle, moisturize, and protect them. Every step felt like trial and error, but along the way, I uncovered something deeper: history, pride, and a truth that Black hair is not just hair. It’s identity, resistance, legacy, and love. As I embraced my curly afro, questions started coming in from classmates, friends, and even adults: What products do you use? How do you keep it moisturized? How do I help my child’s curls thrive? Those conversations revealed a gap—so many of us are navigating our crowns without guidance, without education, and with the weight of stigma in schools, workplaces, and society. That realization sparked the vision for Crowning the Culture: a platform dedicated to empowering people through hair care education and cultural pride. Today, CTC is still growing, but we’ve already hosted educational workshops, built a passionate executive board, and are developing tools and programs to support youth and families. This work is more than hair—it’s about reclaiming who we are. Because when we reclaim the crown, we reclaim the culture.