As a child I would always ask my mother why my hair didn’t look like the white Barbies I owned.
This led to her being sad and very frustrated to see that what I wanted to look like was totally contrasting with who I was.
Her response to it would be to take me to the shops hoping to find a black doll that would look like me, it was simply impossible.
It’s now my turn to be a mother and I am glad to see that the situation has changed. I am happy that my daughter can have a better access to these things.
Parents clearly have a role to play in their children’s hair acceptance journey. It upsets me to see that some mothers decide to straighten their kid’s hair even before encouraging him/her to decide what he/she wants.
As a biracial women (French Caribbean-North Africa) I can notice a contrast within members of my family when it comes to hair acceptance.
My North African cousins have been straightening their hair from day 1, and my aunties like my hair, but wouldn’t want it on their own heads.
I also hear a lot of remarks from them in regards to my daughter’s hair who has tighter coils than me, which shows me how uncomfortable they are with it.