Proud men, women and children yearning for a colorful, testament aimed at toasting natural and twisted, kinky hair will cheer the publication of a new book entitled “I Love Locks.”
Written by a mother who has worn the dread-defined crowning glory for more than three quarters of her lifetime, the easy-read exudes pride from start to finish. The author, Desta Meghoo was “born in Jamaica, educated in the USA and now resides in Ethiopia.”
Known by many of the homeless children in Addis Ababa as Mama Desta, the attorney who migrated there in 2005 could sweep the floor with locks longer than her 5 feet 4 inches height. However, according to the avowed Rastafarian it was not her floor-length locks that inspired a children’s book but her first grandson, Dahwit.
“The book is written for Dahwit,” Meghoo said. “He has beautiful, black locks.”
In the book, she wrote: “Black locks, brown locks, red locks…gold locks..long locks…short locks…thin locks…thick locks…”
“Locks in a turban…locks in a tam…locks in a crown… locks in a cap,” the colorfully illustrated reader combines images by Merid Tafasse, an acclaimed Ethiopian fine artist.
The mother of 10 is also grandmother to five.
“All of my children wore locks when they were in school and I wish I had a book like this back then.”
Meghoo is completing an extended visit to the U.S., which has included lectures in Harlem, Washington D.C., an exhibition in Georgia, New Mexico, New York, Florida and North Carolina.
Since repatriating to Africa she now helps to facilitate the smooth process for others desirous of living in Ethiopia and Ghana.
She is founder of a children’s village in Addis Ababa. She can be reached at ilovelocks2@gmail.com.
