Natural Hair Article & Adobe Spark Page Link

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African American natural hair is that of diversity, versatility and uniqueness.  According to The New York Times, black women have endured a stigma associated with the texture of their hair (especially in schools and the workplace).  Many styles that black women wear, such as cornrows have been criticized.  Not until Michelle Obama wore her natural hair to an event back in 2017 were women willing to take the leap and embrace what’s natural.  If more women were educated and taught about their natural beauty, self-love and self-confidence would be at an all-time high for black women’s hair.  In more recent times, African American women celebrities are wearing their natural hair instead of wigs or straightening to embrace our culture and the beauty that is natural hair.

Young girls from The New York Times Student Journalism Institute participated in a boot camp that aimed to increase diversity in the newsroom, and some students chose to share their own personal stories of being judged because of their hair.  For example, one of the students, McKenzie Jean-Phillipe states that she hasn’t worn her natural hair in almost 10 years due to the stigma associated with it.  She states, “I don’t think I’ve done it partly because of the perceived judgment you get when you cut your hair or when you go natural.  I think I’m more willing to do it now than I was maybe five years ago, but I think that has a lot to do with why I’m not natural now. Because it’s kind of scary, even though it shouldn’t be.”

Jean-Phillipe's statement is the thought of many young girls who are afraid to style their hair naturally, due to the poor judgement and harsh criticisms of others whose texture is different.

According to 30 Best Natural Hairstyles to Rock Right Now, there are so many celebs taking a stand for the natural hair movement and what it should mean to a young balck girl.  The article lists hairstyles such as braids, haircuts, curly hair tips, etc. for women of any age/hair type.  Ultimately, it is so important to embrace your identity and make peace with who you are naturally.  BBC News shared a piece on why natural hair is empowering for women, how natural hair has made a comeback, a guide to natural hair, why people get judged for their natural hair, and videos as to encourage the youth to accept who they are and provide positive reinforcement to the next generation of black children.