Yene Damtew and Njeri Radway reflect on The Look and how a First Lady’s hair can shift culture, change the conversation, and reshape how we see ourselves.

Guest: Yene Damtew, Hairstylist

Njeri Radway, Hairstylist and Braider

Get your copy of The Look -- out now!

Read: Michelle Obama's 2018 Essence Cover Story

Watch: Becoming on Netflix

See: The Nashville Look, Becoming Tour, 2019

See: The Boho Look for Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival 2022

Read: The Chignon Look for the White House Portrait, 2022

Watch: The Ponytail Braid Look for the Democratic National Convention, 2024

Join the list for fresh Reflections, delivered every other week.

© 2025 Reflections with Baze Mpinja

Beauty brands can now use AI to generate photo shoots without cameras—or people. This week, we dissect the potential impact on the modeling industry, beauty, and culture. Why have models mattered so deeply to us, and what do we lose if they disappear?

Guest: Sophia Panych, Beauty Journalist and Backstage Beauty Expert

Read: Does This Look Like A Real Woman? AI Model in Vogue Raises Concerns About Beauty Standards

Watch: Cindy's Iconic Pepsi Commercial, Inside the Supermodel Cafe, and MTV's House of Style

Watch: Supreme Models on Netflix

Watch: The Super Models on Apple TV

Watch: Donyale Luna: Supermodel on Apple TV

Join the list for fresh Reflections, delivered every other week.

© 2025 Reflections with Baze Mpinja

Baze talks with Antonia Opiah, founder of Unruly, about the complicated legacy of relaxers: from kitchen perms and beauty ads that equated straight hair with success, to the growing awareness of what that pursuit has cost.

See: "Was it her rèsumè... or Raveen?"

Read: Hair Relaxer Lawsuits Surpass 10,000 as Major Brands Face Growing Cancer Claims — RetailBoss

Read: What is The CROWN Act?

Watch: You Can Touch My Hair Part 1 and Part 2 — Unruly

Watch: The Wig Scene — How To Get Away with Murder

Join the list for fresh Reflections, delivered every other week.

© 2025 Reflections with Baze Mpinja