As A Black Girl, People Treat You Different Based on Your Hair
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

As A Black Girl, People Treat You Different As You Change Your Hair

I am not my hair.

944
As A Black Girl, People Treat You Different As You Change Your Hair

When I was seven years old, I decided that high puffs embellished with hair bobbles were out and that I wanted my hair to be straight like the girls in "High School Musical". I think my mom was relieved at not having to worry about cutting said bobbles out of my hair anymore, so she obliged. She took me to a salon to get my hair blown out and pressed, and I proceeded to get my hair straightened for the next 10 years.

In those years, I started curling and straightening my own hair in between appointments and managed to inflict an unholy amount of heat damage on my curls. Like any other teenage girl whose hair is somewhat unhealthily attached to her identity, I was in denial about the condition it was in and went as far as wearing extensions in high school to hide it.

The not-so-funny thing about the whole situation was that I was clinging so desperately to the dull, stringy ends of my hair because I didn't want to cut it and have people to look at me differently.

What I had come to understand was that when my hair was straight, I looked more

approachable.

Having some aspect of familiarity in appearance made the more foreign and scary parts of my ethnicity less daunting and easier to dismiss. The struggle of having negative stereotypes attached to my race is something that I'd always been vaguely conscious of, but had never experienced directly.

For the better part of my life up until that point, I had a hard time identifying with black culture because I had been led to believe by society that I wasn't "black enough". Having straight hair and being soft-spoken kept me from fitting into a lot of the categories that most people associate with African-Americans, and had spared me from an equal amount of wrongful assumptions about my character that many others have been subjected to.

I ended up deciding to cut my hair off at the end of sophomore year, and since then I've found the courage to explore more ethnic hairstyles. While most of them were met with positive responses, I have had isolated incidents of stereotyping that I never did as a black girl with straight hair.

I remember a particular instance at a store from a few summers ago. I was wearing crochet braids at the time, which essentially mimics natural hair but is bigger and fuller. I was waiting in line at the cash register and placed my items on the conveyor belt. Once I reached the cashier I inquired about how her day was going, and by the look on her face, she was surprised by something. We carried on a polite conversation as she rang up my total, and as she handed me my receipt she told me "I have to admit, when you walked up I expected you to be really loud". I wasn't sure what to say, so I laughed it off before telling her to have a good day and leaving. I sat in my car for a few minutes trying to decipher what she had meant.

Was it just a fleeting impression of me that was so juxtaposed by reality that she felt inclined to share? Or was it that in the short amount of time it took to look me over before ringing up my items, she began bracing herself for a caricature of the black female that has been perpetuated in our society?

I would definitely like to believe that the reason behind her confession was the first rather than the second, but I can't help but wonder every time I look back on that day.

Choosing to express yourself through appearance as a black girl is a balancing act.

For any bold statements that you make with your hair, you have to deal with preexisting strong connotations that come with that style. Yes, everyone has to combat some type of harmful stereotypes connected to their appearance, but for African-Americans and especially African-American women, you have to defend the dimensions of your character and prove that you are more than your hair.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

42394
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

26619
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

951735
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

138660
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments