Today we’d like to introduce you to Brouke Brookins.
Hi Brouke, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m the Founder and CEO of Crowning the Culture, a youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advancing Black hair education through science, advocacy, representation, and cultural empowerment. What started as a personal journey eventually evolved into a mission much bigger than myself.
Growing up, I often noticed how limited accessible and culturally relevant education surrounding Black hair was, especially for Black youth. A lot of conversations around textured hair focused only on appearance or styling, but I always felt there was something much deeper connected to it. That curiosity led me to spend years independently researching natural hair care, Black hair history, hair science, and the psychological relationship between hair and identity. Through that process, I began to understand that Black hair is not simply about appearance — it is connected to confidence, culture, health, history, self-expression, and legacy.
My passion for education has shaped nearly every part of my journey. I’m currently an Education major at Hampton University, and my academic background heavily influences how I approach community learning and advocacy work. I also had a unique upbringing academically — I attended Chinese immersion programs for thirteen years and became fluent in Mandarin, which gave me an early understanding of how language, culture, identity, and representation all intersect. That experience deeply shaped how I think about equity, education, and building spaces where people feel seen and understood.
While in college, I’ve served in student government and several leadership positions that strengthened my ability to organize, advocate, and build systems that genuinely serve people. I also worked as a Servant Leader Intern with the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools Program, where I supported youth-centered education rooted in literacy, empowerment, and social justice. Those experiences continue to influence the work I do through Crowning the Culture today.
Crowning the Culture was born from both personal experience and community need. What started as a response to the lack of credible and affirming Black hair education has now grown into a national organization that provides workshops, educational panels, publications, showcases, service initiatives, and partnerships across multiple states. Under my leadership, the organization achieved 501(c)(3) status in under four months, which was a huge milestone for us.
One of the things I’m most proud of is that our work approaches Black hair from multiple perspectives — historical, scientific, cultural, and psychological. Through initiatives like our “Roots & Crowns” educational course, the “Crown Care Booklet,” and our creative representation collective “CTC Poses,” we’re helping people better understand not only how to care for textured hair, but also the deeper meaning connected to it.
The journey definitely hasn’t been perfect. Building a nonprofit while balancing college, leadership responsibilities, and personal growth has required a lot of resilience and adaptability. During one particularly stressful season, I even experienced telogen effluvium (TE), a form of stress-related hair loss. That experience became deeply personal for me because it reinforced something I had already believed: conversations about Black hair are never just about hair. They are often tied to identity, confidence, mental health, and healing.
Today, I’m grateful to see Crowning the Culture continuing to grow into a space that empowers, educates, and affirms people through both advocacy and representation. Beyond nonprofit leadership, I also see myself as a creative and storyteller, using fashion, media, education, and representation as tools to challenge narratives and build community. More than anything, my goal is to continue creating spaces where Black identity is honored and where the next generation feels empowered to lead confidently and unapologetically.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but I think that’s part of what has made both me and Crowning the Culture stronger.
One of the biggest challenges has been building a nonprofit as a young Black college student while still trying to navigate school, leadership, finances, and personal life all at once. A lot of people see the events, social media, and accomplishments, but they don’t always see the behind-the-scenes reality of trying to build something meaningful with limited resources and learning everything in real time.
There were moments where I questioned whether I was capable of leading an organization at this scale, especially when dealing with administrative setbacks, communication challenges, or trying to balance academics with community work. Building something from the ground up requires a level of resilience that people often underestimate.
Ironically, one of the most personal struggles I faced was related to hair itself. During a particularly stressful season of my life, I experienced telogen effluvium (TE), a form of stress-related hair loss. As someone whose work centers around Black hair, identity, and confidence, that experience affected me deeply emotionally and mentally. Hair carries so much meaning in Black culture, and going through hair loss forced me to confront many of the same insecurities and emotional conversations that so many people silently experience.
At the same time, that experience made my work even more personal and purposeful. It reminded me that conversations surrounding hair are never “just about hair.” They are often connected to confidence, mental health, stress, identity, self-expression, and healing. Going through that journey gave me an even deeper sense of empathy and strengthened my commitment to creating spaces where people feel seen, educated, and empowered.
I’ve learned that growth rarely looks perfect. There have been pauses, setbacks, stressful moments, and times where I had to regroup, but every challenge has reinforced why this work matters. Crowning the Culture was never built just to celebrate aesthetics — it was built to educate, empower, and affirm people, especially Black youth, in a world that too often tells them their natural identities are something to hide.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Crowning the Culture?
Crowning the Culture is a registered 501(c)(3) youth-led nonprofit organization dedicated to Black hair education, cultural advocacy, and empowerment. At our core, we exist to educate, empower, and affirm individuals by exploring Black hair through historical, scientific, cultural, and psychological perspectives.
What truly sets Crowning the Culture apart is that we do not treat Black hair as simply a beauty topic. We approach it as something deeply connected to identity, history, wellness, confidence, community, and self-expression. Our work exists at the intersection of education, culture, advocacy, and wellness, which allows us to create programming that is both impactful and deeply personal.
Our organization specializes in educational workshops, seminars, showcases, keynote speaking engagements, and community-centered initiatives focused on Black hair and identity. One of our signature educational offerings is our “Roots & Crowns” course and workshop series, which explores the historical significance of Black hair, the anatomy and science of textured hair care, and the psychological relationship between Black hair and identity. Through this work, participants gain both practical knowledge and cultural understanding surrounding their crowns.
I’ve had the opportunity to teach Roots & Crowns at spaces such as the Annual St. Paul Youth Health Summit, which was especially meaningful because it allowed us to bring conversations surrounding Black hair, confidence, wellness, and identity into larger youth-centered educational spaces.
Another initiative that is deeply important to our organization is “CTC Poses,” our creative collective and representation-based program dedicated to reshaping how Black hair is seen, understood, and remembered. Through concept-driven photo and video projects, we create visuals that center natural hair as powerful, nuanced, and worthy of reverence.
CTC Poses exists at the intersection of culture, fashion, education, and advocacy while challenging Eurocentric beauty standards and building an archive of representation for future generations. Every project begins with the question: “What story does this hair tell?” From there, we build narratives that honor texture, movement, ancestry, identity, and lived experience. We do not style hair to fit trends — we use it to tell stories. The visuals we create are designed to serve as affirmations for people who see themselves reflected while also encouraging others to view Black hair with greater depth, respect, and understanding.
In addition to our workshops and speaking engagements, I also designed the “Crown Care Booklet,” an educational resource created to help individuals better understand and care for their hair. The booklet walks readers through the fundamentals of beginning a healthy hair journey, including learning hair textures and patterns, creating effective wash day routines, understanding protective styling, maintaining hair health, promoting growth, and developing confidence in caring for textured hair. For many people, especially Black youth, hair care education is not always accessible, so creating a resource that simplifies and personalizes that process was incredibly important to me.
Community service is also a major part of our mission. This past winter, Crowning the Culture organized a cross-state Hair Care Wellness Drive where we collected over 200 hair care products for communities in need. Our Minnesota chapter, which serves as the organization’s mother chapter, in collaboration with Youth Action for Civic Transformation (YACT) raised over 60 hair care items that were donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Being able to provide culturally relevant hair care products while also affirm the importance of representation, dignity, and self-care was something we were incredibly proud of.
Brand-wise, what I’m most proud of is that Crowning the Culture has become more than an organization — it has become a safe and affirming educational space. We are creating conversations that many people have never had access to before while also helping people feel seen, understood, and empowered in their identity.
More than anything, I want readers to know that Crowning the Culture is not “just about hair.” It is about reclaiming narratives, preserving culture, educating communities, and empowering people to embrace every part of who they are unapologetically.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is alignment — specifically the alignment between identity, education, and lived experience. I care deeply about the idea that people should be able to understand themselves fully, not just socially or aesthetically, but historically, psychologically, and practically. When those three layers are aligned, that’s where real confidence, clarity, and empowerment come from.
Historically, I’m drawn to making sure our narratives — especially around Black identity and Black hair — are accurately told and preserved. So much of what we inherit about Black hair is incomplete or misrepresented, and that gap impacts how people see themselves. I want to help correct that by grounding education in truth, context, and cultural legacy.
Psychologically, what matters to me is how identity shapes self-perception. Black hair is not just hair — it’s deeply tied to confidence, belonging, and mental well-being. I’ve seen how early messaging about appearance can shape how people feel about themselves for years. That’s why I care so much about creating spaces where people can reframe those narratives and feel affirmed instead of diminished.
Practically, I care about making all of this accessible. Knowledge can’t just exist in academic spaces or theory — it has to translate into real tools people can use in their daily lives. That’s why Crowning the Culture focuses so heavily on workshops, education, and resources like the Crown Care Booklet, so people don’t just learn *about* Black hair — they learn how to care for it, understand it, and feel confident in it.
My personal story sits right in the middle of all of this. Growing up, I was constantly noticing gaps between what I was experiencing, what I was being taught, and what was actually true. That disconnect pushed me to start asking deeper questions about culture, language, and identity — something that was shaped even further by my thirteen years in Chinese immersion education and becoming fluent in Mandarin. It taught me early on that language and culture are inseparable, and that shaped how I now think about Black hair as both a cultural and educational subject.
Crowning the Culture came out of that need for alignment — to bring history, psychology, and practical education into one space where people can actually see themselves fully. When those pieces align, people don’t just learn information; they gain understanding, confidence, and a stronger sense of self.
Pricing:
- Crown Care Booklets: $10
- pricing for workshops and keynote presentations vary
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.crowningthecultureinc.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crowning.the.culture
