what? welcome to blackqueen:press, black queen’s website, blog, and information headquarters. here you’ll find any and all updates on the site/forum, along with new member features, product reviews, hair care recipes, and much more. i also post a lot of randoms, involving today’s politics, pop culture, art and anything else i find interesting.

who? bq:press is run by shiraz, the group’s owner and founder.

what is black queen? founded in 2004, black queen is a site devoted to promoting naturality in women of african descent. as a community of over 2,000+ mothers, daughters, and sisters, we strive to join forces in treating our hair like the true royalty it is, as opposed to constantly damaging it through chemical and thermal treatments. what’s wrong with altering one’s hair texture? well, not that much. many women, regardless of their skin color, choose to get a perm, or flat iron their hair. however, there is a distinct difference within the african american community. it’s almost an unwritten law that our hair is too ugly to be worn naturally and hence must be permed and/or pressed when we are old enough to handle the chemical processing and heat. this is a problem. it’s a problem for our physical health, because relaxers contain the most toxic chemicals and should not be slathered on anyone’s scalp. it’s a problem for our mental health, because too many of us have been conditioned to believe that our hair is unacceptable. the issue is both psychologically and physically damaging.

black queen’s aim is to therefore reverse such a destructive mentality. this blog is meant to provide black queen members with new information on the site’s features, along with news about products, hair styles, and treatments. you will also find things pertaining to the arts, politics, and fashion in bQ:press.

bq:press contains my thoughts, updates, and rants, but black queen is first and foremost a community. please visit our BQ message board, and join us in treating our hair like royalty.