Being bi-racial, I grew up being told that I had bad hair by Hispanic friends and that I had pubic hair by white kids in school. My mom put a relaxer in my hair at 13, and around then black girls would say that I had good hair, because it was “softer” and would grow long. I didn’t like the chemicals and how unhealthy my hair began to look after six years, so I shaved my head. Went bald for three years and then began to grow it in.

I’ve now been natural now for over 15 years. In that time, I was told that my hair was inappropriate for the office. My hair was has always been a concern when preparing for job interviews since its been made clear that my natural hair could label me as an unworthy employee.

Learning to love my hair in this world that outright deemed me ugly or unprofessional was very hard. This history breakdown gives a few factual/tangible examples of what black women have had to deal with over the years and where it originated.

It’s really great to see that people are finally starting to address these issues. It would be great if little girls could grow up just loving who they are and not have the same experiences that I, and many other black women, did.