November 20, 2025
Jessica Martinez has set a brand new Guinness World Report together with her 6-foot Afro.
A New York girl has set a Guinness World Report together with her Afro, which measures 190 centimeters (about 6 ft 3 inches) in circumference.
On Nov. 19, the group named Jessica Martinez the brand new file holder, the New York Instances stories. Aevin Dugas set the earlier file of 165 centimeters (about 5 ft 5 inches) in 2010.
Final month, a Guinness adjudicator visited Martinez to measure her hair. “He couldn’t do it alone” and wanted two further individuals to assist, Martinez mentioned. The world file is a serious milestone for Martinez, who stopped utilizing relaxers at age 12 and has spent the previous 20 years rising her Afro.
Working at a felony justice nonprofit, she is aware of firsthand that pure hairstyles aren’t at all times championed.
“It’s not every single day that an Afro is widely known,” she mentioned.
Whereas legal guidelines just like the Crown Act shield pure hairstyles in workplaces on the state stage, there are nonetheless no federal protections. With current rollbacks on range, fairness, and inclusion efforts, it’s clear there’s nonetheless work to be carried out.
“Some individuals nonetheless view the Afro as unkempt,” Martinez mentioned. “Pure hair is a way of life. It’s not a pattern, and it’s not one thing that ought to be policed.”
There’s mutual respect between Martinez and Aevin, who posed collectively as Aevin gladly handed on the crown she held for 15 years. In backing Martinez, Aevin highlighted how the brand new titleholder raises consciousness for the pure hair motion and the way each of their kinds have fun the self-love that comes with sporting pure hair.
”What I hope individuals will assume once they see [us meet] is that on the finish of the day, I like myself, she loves herself, and we’re each simply making an attempt to get individuals to like themselves,” Aevin mentioned. “It’s not a contest, it’s actually all love.”
RELATED CONTENT: How Karen Mitchell Turned a Aspect Hustle Into an Eight-Determine Hair Empire
About The Author
