A Seattle high school senior has been named a national finalist in the Doodle for Google competition, with her artwork featured on the homepage today, April 28. Kameirah Johnson earned the recognition with a piece centered on the beauty and versatility of Black hair.
Johnson, an 18-year-old senior at Lakeside School, said the idea for her submission traces back to her childhood, when her mother regularly styled her hair in different ways. Those moments shaped how she saw herself and helped build a sense of confidence early on.
As she got older, she began to understand the deeper meaning behind Black hair. She learned about its history, including how certain styles carried messages and served as a form of expression.
Her piece, “Hair Power: The Crown That Grows From Us,” took more than 40 hours to complete. The digital illustration brings together different textures and styles, pulling from both personal experience and cultural influence.
“Being Black in a world that has been against you, expressing yourself freely is inherently a political statement,” Johnson told Seattle Times. “So I wanted to broadcast and shine light on that and say, ‘Hey, her hair could be curly, it could be braided, it could be whatever. But it’s free and it’s beautiful.’”
This year’s contest asked students to respond to the theme “My superpower is …” through original artwork. Johnson said she did not have to think long about her direction. She chose Black hair because of how much it can transform while still holding meaning.
“My superpower is my hair and the family history it carries,” she shared in her artist statement. “Each texture and style holds culture, care, and survival passed down without words. Lying in the grass, our crowns rest without weakening. This kinky hair refuses conformity; it makes us different. Shaped by our lineage, our hair is undeniably beautiful.”
Johnson is one of five finalists selected from thousands of submissions nationwide. Each finalist receives a $10,000 college scholarship and a Chromebook. Public voting to determine the national winner is open through April 29.