Age: 18-29
Occupation: College Student
Going to predominantly white schools for her entire academic career, MN was jealous of girls with straight hair and hated her own hair. Her mother would braid her hair in “cool funky ways” to encourage her to learn to love it, but she was still not satisfied.
“I think me hating my hair as a child definitely fit into a greater self-hatred of being Black. It was not explicit, but it definitely helped me notice more how I was different at such a young age,” MN said.
In middle school, she had her hair straightened every week, which caused serious damage. Her hair was unhealthy and she lost much of it, so her mother firmly decided that they must stop straightening her hair. Even still, MN attempted to cover it with hair extensions because she was not accepting of her hair’s short length or its thick, curly texture.
However, during the COVID-19 quarantine, when began during her sophomore year of high school, MN stopped trying to hide her hair — since no one was going to see it. This gave her the space, time, and comfort to explore her natural hair and learn how to care for it and style it herself.
“Doing my own hair was really difficult for me. It was definitely a rollercoaster in quarantine trying to figure out what products to use, because I knew nothing,” MN said. “As I kept working with it, I figured out the techniques and products [to use]. Now I love my hair, and I’ve been wearing it natural since junior year. It’s so much healthier [...], and I’m so happy with it.”
After spending so much time in predominantly white spaces, MN does not always feel like she fits in when she is in Black spaces, but wearing and loving her natural hair helps with her confidence and sense of belonging.
“Sometimes when I enter Black spaces, I feel like I’m not enough or not fitting in, so I’m glad I took the first step with my hair,” MN said. “If I didn’t love my hair, I don’t know how I would even be surviving in Black spaces.”
She refers to her acceptance of curly-haired styles as a “maturity point” for her that bolstered her confidence.
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