November 20, 2025
Jessica Martinez has set a new Guinness World Record with her 6-foot Afro.
A New York woman has set a Guinness World Record with her Afro, which measures 190 centimeters (about 6 feet 3 inches) in circumference.
On Nov. 19, the organization named Jessica Martinez the new record holder, the New York Times reports. Aevin Dugas set the previous record of 165 centimeters (about 5 feet 5 inches) in 2010.
Last month, a Guinness adjudicator visited Martinez to measure her hair. “He couldn’t do it alone” and needed two additional people to help, Martinez said. The world record is a major milestone for Martinez, who stopped using relaxers at age 12 and has spent the past 20 years growing her Afro.
Working at a criminal justice nonprofit, she knows firsthand that natural hairstyles aren’t always championed.
“It’s not every day that an Afro is celebrated,” she said.
While laws like the Crown Act protect natural hairstyles in workplaces at the state level, there are still no federal protections. With recent rollbacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, it’s clear there’s still work to be done.
“Some people still view the Afro as unkempt,” Martinez said. “Natural hair is a lifestyle. It’s not a trend, and it’s not something that should be policed.”
There’s mutual respect between Martinez and Aevin, who posed together as Aevin gladly passed on the crown she held for 15 years. In backing Martinez, Aevin highlighted how the new titleholder raises awareness for the natural hair movement and how both of their styles celebrate the self-love that comes with wearing natural hair.
”What I hope people will think when they see [us meet] is that at the end of the day, I love myself, she loves herself, and we’re both just trying to get people to love themselves,” Aevin said. “It’s not a competition, it’s literally all love.”
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