Speaking of judgment, adults aren’t the only ones who are cruel. I am also misunderstood, teased or criticized by my peers, for my hair.  A common misconception people have about me is that my “afro centric “ look means that I have mostly Black friends at school and in my neighborhood. The exact opposite is true though. In fact, most of my good friends are from other ethnicities, because the Black kids are the ones usually teasing me. My friends from other ethnic groups tend to be a bit more respectful when it comes to my hair and will ask any questions they may have in a polite manner. However, the Black kids at my school tease me about my locs and call me names like “Bob Marley” and “Cheeto head.” They also tell me to cut my locks and get a perm, weave, or extensions to look “normal” and fit in with everyone else. It’s tragic that the world has brainwashed these children to disrespect their own culture, and not appreciate the beauty of their own natural hair.

It hurts when people tell me to “get rid of my hair”, meaning that I should perm it or get a weave. Well that’s not going to happen because I love my hair and it’s a huge part of me. Not only does my hair extend down my back, but it extends back many years into my heritage as an African-American lady. During slavery, the name of the style “dread locks” originated from slave masters using the term “dreadful locks.” There’s nothing “dreadful’ about it to me, so I wear my hair locked proudly.

Briana Powell is a student in the Born For Greatness Youth Writers class. For more information visit: www.BFG-youth.com