Most black women wearing natural hair will admit that the decision to go natural came out a self realization to finally appreciate their natural curls. As a young girl, I had many dolls and spent lots of time playing with my dolls but only a few of my dolls were black. Of the dolls I had that were black, they often had straight hair. At the time, my perception of beauty was straight hair and in order for me to achieve the straight look, I had to have my hair chemically relaxed or pressed with a hot comb. It wasn’t until my senor year of college that I began to appreciate the beauty of black hair in it’s natural state. The decision to go natural was and is a journey of knowing what to do with my hair and what products to use. Now at 25, I am proud to say that I do love my natural roots and understand how to care for my hair and keep it healthy.
A group of students from the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University, have created a series of books and dolls under the name “Healthy Roots”. The books feature the dolls with different skin tones, hair textures and facial features of the Africa Diaspora. The books will encourage young girls to love and care for their hair. The dolls will foster an appreciation for the beauty of black hair and black skin. To get started the team needs our help, please visit their website and kickstarter.
Girls should learn from a young age that their natural hair and skin-tones are beautiful. By the time this generation of girls reach 25 they should be masters of their hair and full of confidence in their beauty. Share your hair journey below.