“I can’t wear my hair like the other girls, but whew! I can wear my hair however I want to!”

“Being around people who make you feel empowered... you can be your whole self.”

“Having those influences and being in Black spaces, [I knew] my natural hair was beautiful.”

“When you’re secure in yourself, everything falls into place.”

“I keep cutting it this way because I like it this way … the confidence I get from having this hair.”

“You just have to be happy with what grows out of your head.”

“To have the afro said, ‘I identify with the movement, I identify with what we are doing as a people.’”

“It definitely helped me notice more how I was different at such a young age."

“I stepped into strength when I cut my hair.”

"Your hair does not define you ... and we can also play with our hair if we want to."

"It speaks to resilience, in that, now we own our image.”

“Once I started wearing my hair out, I just felt so much more comfortable.”

“They’re going to have to accept me for the way that I am.”

“Everyone’s hair is different, so you don’t have to make your hair one way or the other.”