'Do the right thing

Samantha Coleman and Tasha Head had been hawking their nappy happy T-shirts—along with other shirts featuring self-affirming slogans—almost two years before radio firebrand Don Imus was sacked for calling members of the Rutgers women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hos.” Their Self-Evident T-shirt company helps fund their nonprofit empowerment project for inner-city girls, which focuses on things like teaching financial planning and building self-esteem. She and Head have a table at the African-Caribbean International Festival of Life this week (see Around Town), and money raised at a July 12 hip-hop party at Funky Buddha Lounge (728 W Grand Ave) will go toward Self-Evident’s S.T.Y.L.E. program, which teaches young people how to produce a fashion show. A September event will focus on hair. “There’s not an appreciation for natural texture. There’s a huge emphasis on straightening your hair…and with all the chemicals, it can fall out,” Coleman says. “So we want to talk about proper hair care, how that can affect your self-esteem.” To learn more or buy a shirt, visit assist-her.org.—Leah Pietrusiak