Survivor Emma Sulkowicz Reclaims Their Body and Steps into Their True Colors

In the first installation of a five-part series exploring self-image and identity through hair, made in collaboration with Bedhead, we feature the story of performance artist, Emma Sulkowicz. Emma began changing their hair color when they first went public about being a rape survivor. We have admired Emma for a long time, ever since we became aware of The Mattress Performance, Emma’s brave response to Columbia University’s failure to take action after Emma and a handful of other students reported cases of assault by the same Columbia classmate. In 2014-2015, Emma walked around campus every day of the school year carrying a mattress in order to "make sure that rape didn't happen anymore." In this video, Emma shares how changing the color of their hair has been part of their journey from fitting in to standing out, and an important step in releasing their shame and reclaiming their body.

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