Beard Liberation Front
Press release June 22nd
Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266
Historian David Olusoga voted Hirsute Personality of the Year
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that with Beard Week set to bristle off to a start on 22nd June historian David Olusoga has been voted Hirsute Personality of the Year in an on-line poll.
David Olusoga is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester and recently presented the BBC TV series a House Through Time. His is the author of a number of books including Black and British: a forgotten history.
Olusoga shaved Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething for the honour with poet Benjamin Zephaniah and cricketer Moeen Ali tied in third place.
In 2020 as in 2019 the shortlist featured all BAME beards
The BLF says that it has become increasingly concerned that images of the hirsute overwhelmingly feature young white men. While this is positive in terms of beard impact in the public eye it downplays and often ignores the importance of BAME beards.
The shortlist comprises well known beard wearers, focusing not just on their place in the public eye but the gravitas and impact their beard adds to their public image and appearance.
Unlike the Beard of the Year in December, those on the short-list don’t need to have a full-time beard. Rather they need to have been in the public eye while hirsute. Neither is the contest about who has the ‘best’ beard.
The winner of the on-line poll which opens on 13th June is announced at the beginning of Beard Week 2020. Other Awards that feature during the week, designed to promote a positive image of beards, are the Beard Friendly Sandwich of the Year, Hirsute Broadcaster of the Year and the Beard Friendly Employer of the Year.
BLF Organiser Keith Flett, David Olusoga has, quite rightly, a high public profile and while his beard is essentially incidental to that he still displays an image of hirsute gravitas.
Raheem Sterling, footballer
Virat Kohli, cricketer
Lenny Henry, actor
Benjamin Zephaniah, poet
Andros Townsend, footballer
Moeen Ali, cricketer
David Olusoga, historian
Idris Elba, actor
Lowkey, rapper
Vaughan Gething, politician
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