Dear Fellow Black Afroed Queen,

Thank you for recognizing my crown but never forget to adjust yours. As we both navigate the treacherous planes of a predominantly white institution in the hopes of becoming what Maya Angelou put so eloquently as “the dream and the hope of the slave,” never forget the beauty of your 4c curl pattern. As you walk the halls to your classes, take every step with pride in your natural hair. As you speak with others who have hair that differs from yours, do not diminish your greatness to make others feel comfortable. Their comfort is not your responsibility, I repeat, their comfort is NOT your responsibility. As you stand in front of the brightly lit mirrors whose lights can’t even begin to compare to the greatness in your future, don’t second guess the elegance that is the chaos of your fro. Stop trying to tame what was never meant to be tamed in the first place and I promise you, sis, you will start to see your hair in a different way. As you contemplate which seat in the back of the classroom would be best to accommodate the distraction that is your hair, even though a seat in the front of the class would make it easier to hear, don’t hinder the path of your education with a plethora of decisions to accommodate others. Apologizing for the height of your hair is like James Baldwin apologizing for his insightful and eye-opening rhetoric. Apologizing for the curl of your strands is like Barack Obama apologizing for giving us all hope. Apologizing for the thickness of your mane is like Harriet Tubman apologizing for giving the gift of a soulful freedom. Apologizing would make no sense in the narrative of your Black excellence so please refrain from falling into the Eurocentric standards of beauty because those rules never have and never will apply to us, my sister. As we walked past one another that morning and our eyes lit up with the recognition of Black Aroed Excellence in each other and you informed me that you loved my hair, it was second nature to tell you that I loved yours as well. It was like staring into a mirror and all the things I loved about my black beauty I also saw in yours. So hold your head high with the reminder that the inheritance of your Black crown isn’t a burden but a blessing from those that came before us and never forget to adjust your crown, as I will be doing the same.

Sincerely,

A Fellow Black Afroed Queen