Dove and Open Source Afro Hair Library Launch Code my Crown: the World's First Complete and Free Guide for Coding Textured Hair and Protective Styles in Video Games

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Nov 15, 2023, 09:00 ET

Created by Black 3D artists, Code my Crown provides step-by-step instructions and 360-degree photo mapping so that any developer – anywhere – can build and better represent Black hair textures and styles in the digital world.

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Nov. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Dove and Open Source Afro Hair Library launch Code my Crown – the world's first complete and free guide for coding textured hair and protective styles in video games. Created by Black artists, Code my Crown is an instructional guide for coders and developers to code more diverse, true-to-life, depictions of Black hairstyles in 3D to ensure more representation in the virtual world of gaming. It is free for anyone to download at Dove.com/CodemyCrown.

Dove and Open Source Afro Hair Library Launch Code my Crown: the World’s First Complete and Free Guide for Coding Textured Hair and Protective Styles in Video Games

Millions of Black gamers play for fun, a sense of community, and self-expression – yet, for all the technological advances in the gaming industry, the depiction of textured hair and protective styles continues to be limited, often highly stereotypical, and not representative of the breadth and beauty of its real-world counterpart. 85% of Black gamers believe video games poorly represent textured hair.

"In the real world, there is an incredible variety of Black hairstyles. But this is rarely reflected in the gaming world. When Black hair is absent from the games we play or are consistently low-quality, it communicates that Black players and our culture are an afterthought, that our stories aren't worth telling. How else can we explain the ubiquity of matted Cornrows, bald patches instead of parts, giant disco 'Fros, and the messy, Unstyled Locs? Why is a common Fade or Twist Out rarely an option?" explains A.M. Darke, Lead Code my Crown Contributor & Founder of the Open Source Afro Hair Library

In response to learning that 74% of developers want to play a role in promoting better representation of textured hair in video games and learn how to code textured hair, Dove is taking action toward a solution. In partnership with natural hair experts, Dove and Open Source Afro Hair Library identified the top textured and protective hairstyles currently missing or misrepresented in video games.

Together, Dove and Open Source Afro Hair Library enlisted a team of Black 3D artists, animators, programmers, and academics – from around the world and across the Black diaspora – to develop 15 original hair sculpts that can lay the foundation for hundreds of virtual hair possibilities.

Each sculpt comes with step-by-step instructions, 360-degree photo mapping, and cultural insight so that any developer, anywhere, can better model and represent textured hair and styles in the digital world. In the absence of formal reference materials for modeling textured hair and styles, many Code my Crown artists are self-taught and their work is a result of trial, effort, and personal innovation.

"Out of hundreds of possible hairstyles to choose from in the video games I play most often, only a handful are textured hairstyles. It feels great to play an active role in a cause that I truly believe in. I am personally grateful to the many talented artists that have selflessly shared their knowledge before me. Their generosity has shaped my artistic journey and it feels incredibly rewarding to give back to our artistic community with this guide, by sharing my knowledge of 3D, as well as my personal experiences," notes Isaac Olander, Lead Code my Crown Developer, 3D Artist and Character Modelling & Digital Sculpting Expert

As a co-founder of the CROWN Coalition, Dove has been working to Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural hair by supporting the passage of the CROWN Act since 2019. While the CROWN Act legislation specifically protects against race-based hair discrimination in workplaces and K-12 public & charter schools, Dove is proud to expand the wider CROWN mission by also advocating for real impact in the virtual world. Dove continues to educate and empower game developers to create more diverse, inclusive representation of girls and women in games as part of ongoing Dove Real Virtual Beauty initiatives.

"At Dove, we believe every single person should see their beauty represented in the world around them – this is no different for the virtual world. The importance of accurately and respectfully depicting textured hair in video games cannot be overstated, and we are proud to play a small part in taking action to set a new standard for diversity and representation in video games," explains Leandro Barreto, Senior Vice President, Global Dove Masterbrand. "There is more to be done to ensure Black gamers see themselves in the games they play, but we can't do it alone. We are calling on gaming developers and industry leaders to join us to help make virtual beauty a reality with Code My Crown."

Everyone deserves a chance to see themselves as heroes in the virtual worlds we create. Together, let's change the game for Black hair representation. Head to Dove.com/CodeMyCrown to access the FREE guide and learn more about our mission to expand textured hair and protective styles in gaming. Let's change beauty.

#CodeMyCrown

For more information, contact: Sidney Sterling ([email protected])

About the Research
Online survey conducted by Edelman DXI, a global, multidisciplinary research, analytics, and data consultancy, in the USA and the UK in March/April 2023 with 1,002 adult gamers (aged 18+, 502 in the USA and 500 in the UK), 300 black gamers (men and women aged 18-55 who self identify as black playing video games, 175 in the USA and 125 in the UK) and 160 video game developers (men and women aged 18-55 who work as developers in the gaming industry, 80 in each of the USA and the UK).

About Open Source Afro Hair Library
Open Source Afro Hair Library provides access to free, high quality 3D models of Black hair textures and styles. Black hair is one of the most important aspects of Black identity, symbolizing cultural pride, personal expression, and political resistance. We're on a mission to radically expand the images we see of Black hair on-screen, as well as the people who make them. Directed by experimental media artist A.M. Darke, Open Source Afro Hair Library works with Black artists from across the globe to author extraordinary visions of Blackness in virtual space. More than a resource, through our 3D Artist Fellowship program, we are building a queer, feminist, creative community to celebrate every shade of Black.

About Dove
Dove started its life in 1957 in the US, with the launch of the Beauty Bar, with its patented blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream. Dove's heritage is based on moisturization, and it is proof not promises that enabled Dove to grow from a Beauty Bar into one of the world's most beloved beauty brands. Women have always been our inspiration and since the beginning, we have been wholly committed to providing superior care to all women and to championing real beauty in our advertising. Dove believes that beauty is for everyone. That beauty should be a source of happiness and not anxiety. Dove's mission is to inspire women everywhere to develop a positive relationship with the way they look and realize their personal potential for beauty.

For 60 years, Dove has been committed to broadening the narrow definition of beauty in the work they do. With the 'Dove Real Beauty Pledge,' Dove vows to:

Portray women with honesty, diversity and respect. We feature women of different ages, sizes, ethnicities, hair color, type, and style.
Portray women as they are in real life, with zero digital distortion and all images approved by the women they feature.
Help young people build body confidence and self-esteem through the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the biggest provider of self-esteem education in the world.

About the CROWN Coalition
The CROWN Coalition was co-founded by Dove, along with a team of Black women, including Esi Eggleston Bracey (President & CEO of Unilever Personal Care, North America), Adjoa B. Asamoah (CEO of ABA Consulting), Orlena Nwokah Blanchard (CEO of Seven Elements) and Kelli Richardson Lawson (CEO of House of JOY).

About Unilever North America
Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. Worldwide, we have 127,000 employees and generated sales of €60.1 billion in 2022. Our leading brands in North America include Dove, Knorr, Hellmann's, Magnum, Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Degree, Seventh Generation, TRESemmé, and Vaseline.
Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business.

The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while: