AUGUST 25, 2015

Michelle Marshall

Puts a Lens on

Redheads of Color.

The term “redhead” conjures up images of fair skin, freckles, and European ancestry. But, for many people of African descent, the redhead in question might be a family member or a black friend or acquaintance. While redheads aren’t going extinct anytime soon, they might not always get as much recognition and visibility as they deserve. Over the past few years, many photographers have featured gingers as a way to celebrate this unique hair color.

French-born, London-based photographer Michelle Marshall’s MC1R highlights redheads with African ancestry.

MC1R, or the Melanocortin 1 receptor, is the gene that causes red hair. When this gene works normally, for those who carry it, their hair color will darken over time. But if the gene fails to activate or works abnormally, red pigment will build up, causing red hair.

Marshall finds the subjects for this project through social media or street casting.