Hair

My hair is what defines me. I can wear my hair any way I want, wherever I want, and whenever I want. I will not be told how I should style my hair based on what you think is acceptable. Just because I have my hair styled a certain way that you can't do does not mean it's weird. My hair should not be played with by you or your friend, it doesn't matter even if you ask me. If you ever feel the urge to touch my hair, do what Solange Knowles said and DON'T. My hair is not an ATTRACTION for you to take a picture of and share with your friends. Also, do not ever just walk up to me and begin touching my hair. I don't care who you are. My hair is me, so don't disrespect it.

No, I don't want to straighten my hair. I like my coils the way they are. I don't want a sew-in, either. There is absolutely nothing wrong with me wearing my hair in a protective style then going back natural. I DO NOT have to warn you about how I'm going to style my hair. I should not be afraid to wear my hair in a fro, scared that I might get dress coded at school because my hair may be a so-called DISTRACTION. I should not be told cornrows are not cute but once a celebrity who isn't black does the same style, it's suddenly a "trend." I don't want to see you wearing your hair the same exact way that I did but now that it is "popular" you think the style is cute.

I don't ever want to see down my timeline someone calling cornrows Kardashian Braids. I refuse to even sometimes believe that people are really that crazy that they believe a style black men and women have been wearing since the beginning of time belongs to someone they think it's cute on. If I could type in a laughing emoji on my laptop I would. I mean it hurts when something that has been around for years that was not accepted suddenly is accepted by society for the wrong reasons. I should not get dirty looks when I wear my hair the way it is or the way it wants to be. My hair is what defines me. I don't care what anyone says. So if I look back at you with the exact same look you gave me, do not think I'm rude.

Not saying everyone who doesn't have hair like me does this to me, it's just a common thing I experience. Hair is hair. My hair is ME. I know so far with the things you have read you may believe I am the rudest person on Earth, but no, I'm saying this from things I have experienced and I'm only 15. Now I want you to imagine what other black boys and girls are experiencing not only in the US, but all around the world. I mean, you could say to defend all of this, "Oh this is what can shape a child into an adult that can handle themselves," but nope, you're still wrong, sorry. No one wants to grow up feeling like they are not accepted.

I remember when I was elementary school, my mom would put my hair in giant puffs. It only took one kid telling me that I looked weird with my hair styled that way that it made me want to never ever wear my hair in puffs again. It only took that one time. I want you to realize that, over a course of time, that can do some real damage to an eight-year-old. Now keep imagining that they one day go on the internet and see things they were bullied for being accepted on other people that don't look like them. It hurts.

I feel like some people still aren't getting it though, so I'll explain it in a simpler way for the people in the back who still don't understand. People don't want to be picked apart to little tiny pieces and then told what is and is not accepted based on SOCIETY'S opinion. Let what you just read sit in a fridge overnight and marinate, because it's the truth.