I never thought I would have the courage to take scissors and cut my hair.
Nor did I imagine that with each snip I would feel so good, and so free.
I think that’s one of the benefits of wearing natural, afro or curly hair: To be comfortable with yourself and have the confidence that you’ll look good no matter what.
Just a few years ago, the mere idea of cutting off even one inch of my hair made me feel awful and less “feminine.”
Today, I don’t feel that way anymore.
Taking the step to let my hair grow naturally, just as it is, has not only increased my confidence, but it’s made me a firm believer that “image” doesn’t have the value we tend to give it.
In my experience, I’ve learned that beauty is subjective and takes many forms.
What others deem aesthetically beautiful, should not apply to the entire population. Women should not indulge just for the sake of fitting in.
One of the most important things for any woman, but especially ones like us in college who are striving to become professionals, is to feel sexy and attractive without having to meet the “requirements” imposed by society, by our partners or by our families.
As part of the natural hair movement, USFSP graduate student Indhira Suero Acosta (second from left) stands with a group of friends in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to promote the “Yo amo mi Pajón” campaign, which means “I love my afro” in Spanish.
We also need to have the confidence to be able to express the style we want, without fearing what people might say.
The natural hair movement, which rose in popularity in the mid-2000s, encourages women of African descent to love and keep their natural afro-textured hair, instead of using straighteners and relaxers to alter the style.
In an effort to help eliminate the negative connotations of the word “nappy,” many women around the world now consider it a combination of the words “natural” and “happy.”
It’s time for Latinas and African-American women to accept and celebrate their African roots and realize that beauty can take on any color and hairstyle.
After all, our body and our image belong to each one of us.
Trying to fit into someone else’s idea of beautiful instead of just being ourselves is an unfair race we can never win.
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