Love braids, gumbo, Malcolm, and Beyonce
Pcyeta Stroud, Oakland Adjacent, CA The black experience is so complicated and storied, it’s tough to capture a snapshot in just a few words.
Riding on a train crying, mommy braiding.
Donna Monroe, Indianapolis, IN. It was the summer of 1957. I was riding on a train with my mother when I saw another little girl...
They think I am a girl
Roxie Tenequer, Lawton, OK My son begged me for two years to cut his hair. Kids at his school constantly teased him and told him...
I survived the white flight.
Misty Johnson, Lilburn, GA. I moved to Georgia in 1988 when I was 8 years old. My father left his job on the oil rigs...
My white girl braids ignited confusion.
Nicolette, Alpine, WY. “You’re not black.” “No, I’m not.” “Then why do you have black-girl hair?” “I just like braids, that’s all.” When I had...
Mom said I never saw color.
Corrine Ferrell-Macatee, Baltimore, MD. Me, bad bangs, my best friend, little girl with braids, my cousin, cute little Japanese girl. My nana and sister are...
There’s nothing wrong with my hair!
Deborah King Bolingbrook, IL I was 7 years old the first time I had my hair straightened with a hot comb. For the next 25...
