FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

DALLAS, Texas, October 22, 2022 

DALLAS, Texas – Isis Brantley, a native of South Dallas, cultural activist, and iconic black natural hair care matriarch and freedom fighter, produced a short film in 2021 based on the true story of her arrest for braiding hair without a license. She is the only braider in the world jailed on such a charge. Her “passion film” production was set in Atlanta; shooting began in 2019 and was wrapped in January 2021. Black Film Festival Atlanta  

(blackfilmfestivalatlanta.com) just informed Brantley of the selection of her film. She is praying to garner support for producing a major, scripted film of her life. Isis Brantley seeks economic freedom, liberty and justice for all. She seeks to create an open and respectful world for Afro Hair in schools and the workplace, globally.  

In 1997 seven cops entered her braiding shop on South Beckley Avenue in Dallas, Texas, arrested and handcuffed her in front of clients and community.  She was then whisked to Dallas County jail, strip-searched and thrown behind bars, for the “high crime” of braiding hair without a cosmetology license. She was subsequently put on trial by the State and had to pay a fine. 

This event sparked a determination within her to fight the State, to change the cosmetology law. Isis had always believed that braiding hair was an ancestral legacy of the African diaspora, and the Eurocentric cosmetology board had no business regulating such practice. For 20 years she pressed a legal battle with the State, winning in United States District Court in Austin in 2015, where Judge Sparks ruled her rights had been violated under the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Later that year the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2717, now commonly known as the Isis Brantley Bill #2717, which was signed by Governor Greg Abbott. Since then, Isis has been at the forefront of the natural hair movement and is currently active in advocating for a CROWN Act in Texas. 

Brantley is the film’s Executive Producer and plays herself in the film, directed by Sharice Lamb who portrays the State inspector. Brantley has a long history as a repertoire actress, studied drama at North Texas University, and also appears in the film, “Natural Hair the Movie (2019).) Ms. Lamb is a veteran actress, director, and producer in Atlanta. 

Refer to Naturallyisis.com for more information.

CONTACT 

NATURALLY ISIS, LLC. / Isis Brantley (214)329-3820