“It’s her choice.” Mama says. Looking slightly defeated. “I told her as long as it’s a natural style and as long as she can use natural products it’s fine by me. I won’t have her burning her hair straight like some black women. It’s just so sad. Natural hair is so beautiful. Why try to conform to some white ideal of beauty? And your locs are so lovely. You must understand-“
“Well that’s not really how it works.” Stormy cuts Mama off midsentence. “We don’t ‘burn our hair off.”’ Then I watch Stormy take a sharp breath to stop herself from saying more.
[…]
Who decides what kind of hair is beautiful?
Do you ever just want to tell your mom: “White lady stop! You don’t know what you’re doing!”
Do you remember the first black woman to ever wash your hair?
What did it feel like? Did it hurt?
Or did it feel like home?
Comprehension Questions
1. What can natural hair represent?
A. Not conforming to societal expectations
B. Being the same
C. There is no significance
A. Non-diversity
B. Self expression
C. Something everyone has at one point
Your Thoughts
Vocabulary
4. List any vocabulary words below.