Fro-Back When: My response to a Natural Hair Hater

A few days ago I was looking through one of my email accounts that I had in college. I noticed a folder called "Drama Crap" and after looking at some of the emails exchanged from ex-boyfriends, old roommates and friends, I came across one that really made me mad allll over again.

One of my high school best friends straight up told me that she HATED my natural hair. This was around the time that I went natural and was insecure about the whole "natural and short" look. Her words cut me deep. And here was my response to her.

May 2005
20 Years Old

How appropriate is that photo? HA!

Dear Friend,

You really pissed me off the other day. This whole "natural hair" thing has so many people trying to bring me down and make me feel bad and I'm just sick of it. I have people on the streets who say nicer things about my hair than my own friends. And that hurts. Try really believing in something and feeling passionate about it and then your own friends and loved ones.....tell you otherwise. That's exactly what you did when I showed you the picture of my hair. You didn't have not one nice thing to say about it. And maybe you really didn't like it. Okay, fine---I want you to be honest about it, but I didn't want you to be rude and go down the list of things that made me cutting off my hair so bad.

It's not easy putting scissors to your own hair and leaving the world of "perms". It takes someone bold, brave and "real" to stop living up to what society says is beautiful. I had to slowly pick myself back up after talking to you because you really made me feel bad. Maybe you don't remember the things you said, or didn't mean for them to sound so harsh, but honey trust me......it hurt. It seems as if no one can understand this "new found" Brittany. Cutting my hair was about change, about sick of straight and FAKE hair, about discovering the new "me" that was always hidden by the lye.

But believe it or not, I'm not an advocate for natural hair. I could care less if you or anyone else loooove natural hair. I'm doing me. And while you may not understand that, I do think respecting my decision is important. That's what friends do, right?





Haven't talked to her since. We had other problems but a friend not accepting my new look was really the icing on the cake.

If you are considering going natural or loc'ing but are hesitant about what people think, consider one thing: IT DOESN'T MATTER! [Newsflash] It is YOUR hair. And no one should make you feel bad about wearing it in its natural state. The road to natural hair isn't an easy journey. If forces you to love yourself in a way that you have never done before. If you choose to see it that way. Do you and love you.


Peace and loc've