EJ

Age: Under 18

Occupation: High School Student

EJ wears her hair in a very short afro. When she first cut it, about ten years ago, it was a major change for her. She made the decision for the convenience, but now she likes the appearance as well.

“I keep cutting it this way because I like it this way. I like how it looks on me and the confidence I get from having this hair,” EJ said.

Sometimes, particularly when she was in elementary school, other people would assume EJ was a boy due to her short hair, or they would ask her questions about her gender. EJ was not angered by these assumptions, comments, and questions. However, she saw firsthand how other people’s perception of her identity as a person was heavily impacted or even defined by their perception of her hair. She learned that it is best to wear her hair according to her own preferences, rather than the preferences of others.

On deciding how to style one’s hair, EJ advised, “don’t look at other people, just look at yourself in the mirror and envision what you want to see, rather than what you think other people want to see on you.”