A.M. Darke
“I started the Open Source Afro Hair Library (“OSAHL” or “The Library” or “Afro Hair Library”) as part of my art practice in 2019. I own the copyrights to all assets developed for The Library, including the name, logo, and website. I’m retaining these copyrights while–subject to the terms of this document–offering a non-exclusive license for you, an individual human, to use the 3D assets that are explicitly marked as available for download at http://afrohairlibrary.org/. This license may be updated periodically and can be found at http://afrohairlibrary.org/license.The purpose of this license is to make the 3D assets developed for Open Source Afro Hair Library available to any person who wants to create loving and authentic depictions of Black people, while protecting our labor, culture, and community from abuse and exploitation.” — A.M. Darke
The Afro Hair Library provides culturally and racially specific digital resources, enabling Black creators to represent Afro hair authentically in digital spaces.Tech Literacy & Accessibility: The Afro Hair Library provides an open-source collection of 3D Afro hair assets, promoting tech literacy by giving Black artists and designers tools to authentically depict Black hair in digital media. By making these assets freely available, it empowers Black creators to engage in digital and 3D design spaces, expanding accessibility to culturally relevant resources that are often absent from mainstream asset libraries.Reducing Harm in New Media: This project combats harmful media portrayals and appropriation of Black culture by providing a structured licensing agreement that ensures assets are used with respect. By setting boundaries around the cultural representation of Afro hair, the Afro Hair Library actively reduces harm, protecting Black labour and culture from exploitation and ensuring that representations in new media reflect the community's wishes.Data & Knowledge Stewardship: The artist, A.M. Darke, retains copyright over the assets, exemplifying community-led stewardship of digital cultural resources. This ownership model ensures that Black cultural assets remain within the control of Black creators, maintaining integrity and providing a model for sustainable stewardship in digital cultural projects.