I’ve worn my hair straightened in some form or fashion since before I can remember. When I was ten, I got my first relaxer. Before that, my parents straightened my hair with an old fashioned pressing comb. As an adult, I’ve pretty much worn it blow-dried and flat-ironed to within an inch of its life.
Before Covid, I couldn’t tell you the last time I did my own hair. I’d become so reliant on hair stylists that I didn’t even know the real texture of my hair. I literally just never had to deal with it.
Oh, how things have changed.
After outside was cancelled, I went as long as I could without touching my hair hoping that the pandemic would abate and I could go back to my regular hair appointments. One week turned into two then three, then four. How long could I hold out? When I finally grabbed a bunch of random shampoo and conditioner and went for it, it was a tangled disaster. So much so that I had to cut out large chunks with scissors. Seriously. It was bad.
Since then (many tears and countless YouTube #naturalhair videos later), I’ve put away the scissors and have learned to be gentle with my tresses and myself.
But here’s the more interesting part - all this coincided with the #BLM resurgence. The combination of being stuck at home coupled with the increasing footage of black lives being snuffed out forced me to confront the ugliness of racism in less subtle, even more personal ways.
Of course I’ve faced racism. I’m a black woman. It would be impossible for me not to. However, it’s rarely blatant. Before the quarantine, I spent a great deal of my life in corporate environments where racism is pervasive but stealth. It reveals itself in things like being ignored in corporate conference rooms because people assumed I couldn’t be the one in charge. Or assuming that my role was in HR rather than marketing. Or odd compliments like “you’re so articulate, you write so well...” as if somehow I shouldn’t. Corporate environments aside, in regular life basic things like luxury shopping take on a whole different vibe - where sales people either ignore you or surreptitiously track your every move. Honestly, I’m not sure which is worse.
But what's this got to do with my hair? A lot.
Everyone handles racism differently. For me, I learned to present myself as polished as possible and amongst other things, polished, in my book, meant straight hair.
It made me feel more professional. It made me feel a little less “other”. And if I’m completely honest, it made me feel more attractive. Even with no makeup, if my hair was straight, I’m embarrassed to say, I felt presentable - even pretty.
Malcom X asked, “who taught you to hate yourself?”
That’s what I’ve been asking myself lately. It’s one thing to use my hair as a form of self expression. I can wear it how ever I want. It’s my hair. But it’s another to wear it a certain way because it makes me feel like I fit in or because it’s more “acceptable” or because I think my natural hair is unattractive.
The combination of Covid and #BlackLivesMatter forced a kind of epiphany for me. What is wrong with the natural texture of my hair? Why was it so important that it be straight?
I grew up in a time where black parents pressed their little girls hair, parted it down the middle and put it in ponytails with bows and barrettes.
Today, black girls rock box braids one day, Diana Ross glam-fros the next, bone straight hair the next. They go with the flow. They go with their mood. I admire their sense of self and freedom of expression.
It wasn’t like that when I was growing up. Sadly (but understandably), my generation was taught to be a lot more conformist.
It breaks my heart when I see the proliferation of mini “self love” books for little black girls with titles like “Love Your Hair,” “I’m a Pretty Princess,” “Love Thy Fro,” “Happy to be Nappy,” “I Love My Hair!” “My Hair,” “Hair Like Mine,” “Hair Love”. Something is really wrong with this picture. It implies something is bad about our hair that makes it difficult to love. Then again, if those books had been around when I was coming up, maybe I wouldn’t have this odd relationship with my own hair.
Who knows? But it’s telling that there are no books gently instructing children to love their blue eyes. Who has to tell Emily to love her blond hair?
Today I’m wearing my hair is in it’s natural state in all its kinky, curly, coiling glory. I’d say I was rocking’ it but to be honest, I’m not quite there yet. As they say in the natural hair community, it’s a journey.
This is where I am. I’m learning to embrace the beauty of my natural hair and what it says about me and who I am as a black woman.
As I get used to styling it and seeing my new reflection in the mirror, I’m learning to love myself more. It’s awkward and challenging but long, long overdue.
I’ll share more on my IG (@savvyclickchick) as I move forward. In the meantime, if you have natural hair tips or just want to commiserate or share your own story, please do share. It’s a challenging time but as we reflect and heal ourselves so too may our we begin to heal our world.
Your comment was posted successfully! Thank you!
NEED ESSAY WRITING HELP?
Save your time and get your essay written by a professional writer.
We can cover any topic on any subject in the blink of an eye.
Annabel lee and the raven comparison essays – Essay on causes of teenage suicide wpezv 2021.
Proceed to Order!!! ==> https://essaypro.co
]
Thomas campbell specimens of the british poets essay on english poetry
Best report editor websites uk
Cheap resume writing websites us
How to write you congressman
Property essay exam
Panasonic tx pr42st30 test resume
An essay on criticism part 2
change management iiedu[/url] to write in html code uwaxl[/url] edward scissorhands essays hhwub[/url] college papers yqamq[/url] 445de433 parts of a cover letter
Free essay generators
Bowhunter magazine youth essay contest
Top biography ghostwriting for hire usa
Entry level computer operator resume
HGtYUPlKMnGFW
lee and the raven comparison essays – Essay on causes of teenage suicide wpezv 2021[/b] pro[/url]http://www.workshopping.com/redir.php?dest=https://essaypro.me/
Do my world literature thesis statement
8 essay ugodx[/url] school essays ideas vxfxr[/url] on mass media munfs[/url] article review ghostwriters sites online rubun[/url] phd essay editor websites ca tulef[/url]Cheap writers website for school
Cv writing and interview skills training
tghuTRTjigFIr6F
lee and the raven comparison essays – Essay on causes of teenage suicide wpezv 2021[/b] to this email you will find my resume yggjg[/url] dissertations uk kcnnl[/url] proposal example for phd voqda[/url] homework proofreading service for college xzmyq[/url] pro[/url]EssayShark.com Review
http://www.ucdenver.edu/about/departments/InstitutionalResearch/Surveys/Lists/SurveyCalendarList/DispForm.aspx?ID=2264
http://www.legislature.ca.gov/cgi-bin/port-postquery?sess=CUR&house=B&hits=All&searchby=leginfo_search&searchfor=%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fessaytyper.cm%22%3Eessaytyper%3C%2Fa%3E&bnumber=&member=&search_term=%3Ca+href%3D%22https%3A%2F%2Fessaytyper.cm%22%3Eessaytyper%3C%2Fa%3E
https://cse.google.dm/url?q=https://essaypro.me
Essay on war against terror
Best blog post ghostwriters site us
Scholarships essays nursing
[url=http://ex-aviasales.ru]авиасейлс официальный сайт купить билеты[/url]
[url=http://aythor24.ru]автор24 ру официальный сайт[/url]
https://hi-fidelity-forum.com/profile/153997
http://af5188.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=159778&do=profile
Resume plain text format
Grad school essays samples
Sports sample resume
https://www.foxyfix.com/blogs/foxy-blog/spice-rings?comment=105077735597#comments
http://forum.googleanaliz.com/showthread.php?tid=492298&pid=950363#pid950363
https://www.theftlawyers.com/2018/07/23/problem-employee-theft/?unapproved=2531&moderation-hash=ee4765ca6df64180cb077da25d81c288#comment-2531
Annabel lee and the raven comparison essays – Essay on causes of teenage suicide wpezv 2021
essay james guqxq[/url] on conservation of forest for kids fugke[/url] dissertation database wzckn[/url] to write a cover letter to an editor tcqpe[/url] lee and the raven comparison essays – Essay on causes of teenage suicide wpezv 2021[/b] of a term paper introduction rlfua[/url] to write an unseen poetry essay a level sxqnw[/url] chocolate touch book report icovv[/url] and south america book report cnazs[/url] login[/url]https://flowerbe.co.uk/blogs/flowerbe-blog/flowerbe-botanical-box?comment=107216240825#comments
https://takedown.ch/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=245098&p=475529#p475529
https://thedilshad.co.uk/guestbook/
College essays johns hopkins
lee and the raven comparison essays – Essay on causes of teenage suicide wpezv 2021[/b] missile crisis research paper outline rapgw[/url] university expository essay advice odcpi[/url] case study ghostwriters service usa – Best rhetorical analysis essay proofreading websites ca ktuth 2021[/url] quality engineer resume hhccw[/url] persuasive essay proofreading services for mba abesw[/url] cover letter ghostwriting service us lyemd[/url]Office admin resume samples
Sample resume auto mechanic
Смотри порно онлайн анал первый раз только лучшее порно и эротические секс видео порно русские зрелые с разговорами , разом с нами – https://porno-full.icu/categories/%D0%91%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%88%D0%BE%D0%B9+%D0%A7%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD/
Cool porn comics are far-famed in our time. More and more men all over the world are interested in cartoon porn. If you desire to find the best incest porn with comics, you should visit the needful website. One of the honest digital sites with sex comics is Mult34.
At mult34.com you can find diverse sections of comic porn. Any persons in Europe and the USA are appeal to watch in free adult time beautiful porn videos. In rule, classical porn is not engrossing for people. That is the basic reason why men are interested in lates comic videos.
At link coraline jones you should discover and sea videos about katara naked. In the moment mult porn is very often used by iOs or Android. Additionally, you may know that misty porn comics have already been well known in China and Canada. If you do not know about fury porn, at a website you may search all the important data about it.
Very important heroes like spider gwen hentai are very cool in porn videos. All comics with enormous heroes are very beautiful. Therefore, you must to know that at a website possible to find spider porn. Unusual cartoons with resident evil porn-watching youth in dormitories. One of the most beautiful videos is shota porn and romilda vane. There were in additional some mute videos. One of the intriguing videos is the loud house porn.
Different young wives are focused in sex with toys. A various moment in videos proposes clients familiarize themselves with nice toys. All men prefer to click on diverse videos and find comics with large muscles. Currently amazing world of gumball porn gets a chance to see cool short and long videos. If guys do not know where to choose videos with breastfeeding porn, better to visit the link.
At the website, there are a lot of videos. If you want to explore to Simpsons hentai, it is however probable. Nowadays the last of us porn videos look on mobile. Also, men prefer to watch comic videos on different gadgets. Some websites do not provide porn because in their regions – forbidden porn.
Any of porn materials it is better to find after 18 years of age. On the link gender, bender hentai comics added every month. If you desire to search comics and then undertale sex, you can find the best of the comics on the website. In addition, there is cool interesting porn comic’s video in Japan.
Besides, users can discover videos with national symbolism. At directories, there are some unusual films like slime girl porn; avenger’s porn; rapunzel porn, and etc. Comics that are more new you can search here kink porn at the link.
Не пропусти русском языке любительское домашнее порно видео с горячими звездами взрослого порно домашнее частное скрытой , которых натягивают на больше члены, трахая их во https://ostrjak.xyz/categories/%D0%9E%D1%82+1-%D0%93%D0%BE+%D0%9B%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B0/ безвыездно щели и кормят спермой накануне камерой
Young Heaven – Naked Teens & Young Porn Pictures
http://wautoma.adablog69.com/?jenifer
onyx porn star lesiban cartoon porn sex clips porn thumbs free balerine scene 80s french porn free amatuer drunk porn video
клевый вебресурс заливы на карты