Melvonna "Mel" Marie Ballenger (August 6, 1954 – June 25, 2003)[1] was an American director, producer, and writer who created activist short films, known for her involvement in the L.A.
The film, which includes John Coltrane's song "After the Rain," depicts a typist who becomes increasingly politically empowered.
Ballenger's film Nappy-Headed Lady, later renamed "Pigtail Blues", was mentioned by the Star-Gazette newspaper as a "story of a black woman who changes her her hair style as she begins to appreciate her racial heritage".
[4] The film uses a mix of original video and documentary footage from the 1960s to explore the impact of Eurocentric beauty standards on Black women.
[5] John William mentioned Ballenger in his article, "Daughters of the Diaspora: A Filmography of Sixty-Five Black Women Independent Film- and Video-Makers".