By Marion Filler
When Candace Kelley received her law degree from Seton Hall in 1995, she landed what seemed like a dream job: Producer at Court TV, a role that merged her interests in media and law.
But there was a problem. Her hair.
“At the time, I was the only one walking around with my natural hair,” Kelley recalled. “Somebody said I looked like Raggedy Ann, and that my hair was ‘inappropriate’ but I was ultimately put on the air because I was so different.”
Back then, grooming options for African American women embracing natural hair were limited. So in her spare time, while building a career as a reporter, commentator and professor, Kelley started creating products of her own.
“I decided to make my own products because I couldn’t find any,” she said.
The line became Curl Prep, and Kelley hosted weekend seminars where women gathered to discuss experiences and frustrations that often ran much deeper than hairstyles.
“Everyone had a hair story,” Kelley said. “As a journalist, I heard the most amazing revelations, which was why Supernatural: The Play came about.”
That production returns to Morristown for one day only on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the Morristown United Methodist Church, 50 South Park Place, with performances at 3 pm and 7 p.m. Tickets are $20.
The event also serves as a springboard for Kelley’s broader Lighthouse Project programming in Morristown later this month, including community discussions linking local history with contemporary issues.
It took Kelley about a year to write Supernatural with help from her sister, Audrey Kelley, and close friend Gilda Rodgers.
Kelley describes the production as a “reading” because it continues to evolve.
writer/director of
‘Supernatural: The Play,’ at a rehearsal. Photo courtesy of Candace Kelley.
Readings, she explained, help playwrights refine pacing and dialogue through audience feedback. Following the performance, audience members can participate in a Talk Back and Q&A session.
“The last time Supernatural was performed was in 2019. Since then, the laws and the culture surrounding natural hair have changed, so we had to update several parts of the play,” Kelley said.
Across racial lines, she said, attitudes have shifted, with natural hairstyles becoming more visible in television, movies and fashion. Kelley hopes more Black women with tightly curled hair will embrace and manage it naturally, without relying heavily on chemical treatments.
The production has traveled around the country with changing casts.
Seven women perform on stage, one guiding the discussion while the others share personal stories.
“We put an ad in Backstage,” Kelley said, referring to the casting website, though she noted local talent remains part of the process. Morristown resident Denise Sharperson is among those participating in this production.
A FAMILY ROOTED IN MORRISTOWN
The Kelley family moved to Morristown in the 1960s and became deeply involved in the community.
“I had an amazing family,” Kelley said.
She has appeared on News12 New Jersey, BET Nightly News, WCBS, WPIX, Roland Martin Unfiltered and other outlets. Her reporting has included coverage of the bribery trial of former U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, several Harvey Weinstein trials, the R. Kelly and Sean Combs cases, and the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
She now serves as an associate professor of journalism at Rowan University, where she teaches broadcast writing, media law and a course called Natural Hair & Tangled Politics.
Kelley graduated from Morristown High School, where her mother, Margaret Kelley, once taught.
Her father, George Kelley, served as president of the Morris County Urban League in 1971 and 1972 and was active in Morristown’s NAACP chapter.
George Kelley also served on the Morris School District Board of Education immediately after the merger of Morristown and Morris Township schools, a landmark effort to integrate schools and avoid racial segregation.
LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT SHINES LIGHT ON MORRIS MERGER
That history becomes the focus of Kelley’s Lighthouse Project programming later this month.
The Lighthouse: The Morris Merger opens Friday, May 29, at Morristown United Methodist Church. The exhibit explores the story of the eight local plaintiffs who helped bring about the pivotal 1971 Jenkins v. Morris School District decision, commonly known as the Morris Merger.
The installation includes photographs, articles and recorded conversations with people involved in the effort.
Opening night also features a panel discussion, Rise Up: When Communities Fight Back, with participants including Warren Kersey, dean of students at Frelinghuysen Middle School, and Cyndall Brice of Morris Arts. Topics include school integration in Morris County, the impact of ICE enforcement on Morristown families, and ways residents can support their communities.
The exhibit is free and open May 29 from 6 to 9 p.m., with the panel discussion at 7 p.m.; Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. Additional information is available at morrismerger.com.
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