Omanghana
Celebrated British-Jamaican author Zadie Smith has shared a deeply reflective account of travelling to Accra with internationally renowned hair artist Charlotte Mensah as she reconnects with her Ghanaian roots.
The story explores Mensah’s remarkable contribution to Black hair care while examining the cultural traditions, memories and sense of belonging that have shaped her personal and professional journey.
Widely described as the “Queen of Afro Hair,” Mensah is an award-winning hairstylist, author and entrepreneur. She is also the founder of the Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil product range, which was developed to meet the needs of Afro-textured hair.
However, Smith’s account presents Mensah as more than a successful stylist and beauty entrepreneur. It highlights her work as a mentor, community builder and craftswoman who has helped transform attitudes towards natural Black hair.
Their journey through Accra takes them across the city’s streets, markets and cultural spaces, allowing Mensah to reconnect with the traditions that influenced her understanding of beauty and identity.
The visit also draws attention to Ghana’s longstanding hair-care practices and the use of natural ingredients such as shea butter and indigenous oils. These traditional products have influenced Mensah’s approach to caring for Afro-textured hair in the United Kingdom.
Smith uses the journey to explore the salon as a culturally important space where hair care becomes more than a beauty routine. Within Black communities, the salon can serve as a place of conversation, trust, mentorship and emotional support.
Hair is consequently presented as a form of heritage carrying personal memories, family histories and cultural knowledge. Traditional styling patterns, grooming techniques and natural products connect present generations to practices preserved across centuries.
Mensah’s work has helped bridge the distance between Ghanaian beauty traditions and members of the African diaspora living in London. Through her salon, products and mentorship programmes, she has contributed to a wider movement encouraging Black people to appreciate and care for their natural hair.
The return to Accra is therefore both personal and symbolic. It provides an opportunity for Mensah to revisit the cultural foundations of her work while reflecting on the experiences that helped establish her international career.
For Smith, the journey also raises broader questions about identity, displacement and the desire among members of the Black diaspora to maintain meaningful connections with Africa.
The account shows how food, language, hair, family traditions and familiar places can become powerful links between people in the diaspora and their ancestral homelands.
Beyond celebrating Mensah’s achievements, the piece portrays her return to Ghana as a reminder that cultural heritage remains active and evolving. Her story demonstrates how traditional African knowledge can influence modern beauty practices, create businesses and strengthen communities across continents.
Through Smith’s reflections, the journey becomes a moving examination of homecoming, memory and the enduring relationship between Ghana and its global diaspora.
Source: Omanghana
