For the Love of Natural Hair

One step closer to self-love is loving your authentic self. On September 21, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the CROWN Act of 2020, which failed to pass the Senate. The bill was reintroduced on March 22, 2021, in both the House and Senate simultaneously as the CROWN Act of 2021. It was voted on by the House on March 18, 2022.
Amina Mitchell discussed why her natural hair was important. As she described it, it represented your authentic self. Amina Mitchell stated, “It’s truly mine and I’ve grown to love and maintain it.” It’s imperative to remember that just 3 years ago a woman with natural hair type 4C would be considered unprofessional.
When asked what your natural hair means to you Nakiya Burns gave her opinion. She stated, “It’s very stressful.” Although natural hair is curly and beautiful in its own way it can be stressful. It’s a lot to maintain.”
An anonymous student recounted his experience after getting his hair done for a special occasion. “I asked for 4 braids, and she gave me 6. It’s not what I asked for. I was very unsatisfied with the outcome.” But that’s the beauty of natural hair. It changes frequently and we aren’t bound to one style.
The question was asked, “What is good hair and bad hair?” Jada Walker said, “There is no such thing as good hair and bad hair.” It’s not even a stereotype. I feel like black people try to find ways to differentiate each other from others or level up.”
She continued, “People use the term “good hair” and “bad hair” to make it seem like if you have hair that is 3B, 3C and if you have curls that don’t shrink then you have good hair versus 4A- 4C hair with very tight curls then you have bad hair because it’s difficult to manage. However, all-natural hair is beautiful and black.”
She ended with what mattered to her. “I believe we need to focus on that rather than trying to differentiate who has good hair and who has bad hair because that’s irrelevant and we don’t need to put each other down. We all have beautiful natural hair, and we should learn to appreciate it more often.”