Every kink and every curl
By: Sammy Thomas
As a child, I did not like wearing out my natural hair. I was not necessarily embarrassed by it but, seeing all of my friends with their hair all looking like one another made me feel different, and I did not want to stand out. Natural hair is very delicate and there are many things you should not do to it. Adding excessive heat to it is a big one. Natural hair should not be straightened frequently, or else it will get heat damaged badly, yet I still did it. The days I did wear my natural hair to school my peers would ask to touch my hair as if I were some type of petting zoo animal. I thought it was weird, but I still allowed them to do it. Now that I am older, I have learned to appreciate my beautiful natural hair, every kink, and every curl. Natural hair is not easy to maintain, so I had to teach myself how to properly do it. I taught myself by watching experts on YouTube. I did my own research and found out which hair products worked best for me, and which ones did not. I think learning how to appreciate my natural hair is major character development because natural hair is part of who I am as a black girl.
This piece was written by Sammy Thomas. She is one of the leaders of the African American Cultural Club at LHS and is also a member of the National English Honor Society. Sammy enjoys cooking and hanging out with her family and friends.