The missions of the Naturalistas movement is simple: education.

Education about how to care for natural afro textured hair, how to maintain natural afro textured hair, how to preserve natural afro textured hair so as to witness length. In addition to how-to and the usual rigmarole one may find on any given natural hair website, tobeanaturalista.com aims to provide an intellectual outpost to investigate the social context of natural hair. We believe it is more than just hair. Hair is a globally accessible tool used to communicate to others ideas we hold about ourselves. Throughout the globe, women of African descent contemporarily have made the choice to alter their hair in ways so as to destroy the structure that their DNA intended for their hair. This is not about culture or preference. It is a phenomena and it is worthy of serious investigation as it give voice to one of the most widely misrepresented groups on the planet, the African descended woman. My task is both a debt to those who I call my community, and a feminist endeavor.

It is the serious goal of Naturalistas to spread education and appreciation for natural, Afro-textured hair by those who are naturally grow Afro-textured hair. We believe the way one values their hair can serve as a “gateway” to gaining a better appreciation for their personal beings physically, mentally and otherwise.

Presently, Naturalistas spreads education in three ways. The first is through Naturalistas Student Organizations (NSOs). NSOs serve as a means to disperse education in a concentrated population. NSOs can be located on college campuses and in High Schools. Students are already in the learning mode and taking advantage of these learning situations to share information they value as worthwhile and personal  ensures a miniature culture where the Naturalistas philosophy can thrive.

The second means is through this website and the Naturalistas Online Community. Both this website and the online community serve as information stations and portals to accessing pertainent info on other sites, in libraries, referring to rarely accessed books, articles and keeping up to date with news and social policies that have direct effects on the Naturalistas lifestyle.

The third mean is through Ria’s personal endeavor’s with her scholarly achievements. Ria is currently working on a master’s thesis which will provide the historical backdrop regarding how we currently value and perceive our hair. Ria welcomes and encourages others to take on similar tasks. Further, Ria uses her Youtube channel SumKindaWndrful to share what she learns with a wider audience.