my whole Life my hair has Been a point of bullying or praise n I h8 unwanted attention for my looks (bc most people do not value what I have to say) so I shaved it n covered it n then stopped doing it n listened to the “mixed” reactions like why is my hair a community topic? why is Black hair policed like that?
n what makes it “good” or “bad?”
why does “unkempt” “frizzy” make people of every cultural background so violent? how much does my hairstyle affect my social status n others treatment of me? especially after Being called “crazy”
why is everyone so much nicer to me when I straighten it?
I have many traumatizing hair salon stories but Being Black in the psych ward with no toiletries for 72 hours under constant observation thru a window under a flap in a metal door with no say in how I look gave me plenty Time to think about…everything
n it didnt move me like it did for some other patients who had their family members bring their designer clothes n makeup to the psych ward immediately — even after attempting
LA is an interesting beast
I was raised by a white woman sociologist (who did Her thing with our hair growing up) n have a social science degree
everything can Be a social experiment to me
could you go a day or a week or a month without styling your natural hair? wearing makeup? why / why not?
is it safe for you to do? did you Know there are laws that make Being “ugly” illegal? ugly to who?
this one of my favorite soft rebellions ➰
bc I am not washing my money down the drain to prove I Know ball (theres not a curl cream cut or relaxer I havent tried n my hair inspired celebrity product lines)
when I wake up from a poorly Timed afternoon nap with no bonnet bc I stayed up late crying
thats when I feel the most beautiful 🤷🏽