For those who don’t know, “PWI” stands for “Predominantly White Institution” and I attend one. Coming from a high school that was very diverse, it is often very awkward when I walk into campus. Usually, my hair would be in a bun or a high puff because as a Haitian-American, my hair can be very difficult to control. However, one day I decided to come to Campus with an afro. I’m talking a 70s afro that screamed, “I’m black and I’m proud of what I look like”. Now, when I left the house to go to class, I hadn’t left my house thinking anything of the way I dressed and styled myself; I was just going to class. But as I walked onto campus grounds people looked at me longer than usual and seemed to walk past me slower than normal. At this point, I still didn’t put two and two together to notice that it was my hair that was causing an issue. It was when I entered class that my classmates came up to me asking me many questions about my hair and a couple even asked if they could touch it.
Why can’t I leave my hair out without being questioned? If my hair had been permed, would I have fit in? Would I have fit the norms of society that says, “Straight is great”? Why can’t black women live and walk around normally like woman who aren’t of color or women who have straight hair? To be asked if someone can touch my hair may be innocent to the person asking, but very disrespectful to me. It’s almost as if the person is asking to pet me like an animal they have yet to see before. As if I am so abnormal, I can’t possibly be real without a touch by the hand.
It’s disappointing to me because I shouldn’t have to endure any weird behavior based on me being who I truly am. Moments like this is what makes little black girls cry at night. It is situations like this that made me beg my mother for a perm in the 7th grade. I am very proud now that I have returned to my roots and am living as proud black woman in America. Don’t change the way you look for acceptance. Be yourself, for that is whatever you want to be. Embrace others differences and accept them for who they are, just don’t ask to touch my hair.
