It is about hair or the color of the skin of the people who have "natural hair"? Year after year, headline after headline, I read stories of students in high school being subjected to discriminatory practices regarding natural hair. In many instances, young men, specifically, have been made to cut their hair based on policy--a racist policy at that. School administrators and district officials stand behind policies that suggest, that them, and only them, understand what one's hair should look like. They go as far as banning certain colors, lengths, and styles altogether, which all inadvertently effect [Black] children the most. Under Civil Rights laws, this is known as disparate impact. Some children have been told they cannot participate in graduation ceremonies with hair past their shoulders, or worse, with dreadlocks and braids. Both dreadlocks and braids are ethnic hairstyles that we see more [Blacks] than non-Blacks wear. I personally have seen some fabulous locs and braid styles and have even done braids for others who have worn their hair to prom in braids styles. So, I ask the question again, is this about hair or the color of skin of people who have "natural hair"?
I see other cultures wear braids, wigs and weaves and bright hair-color, and they are not scrutinized about it much. As a matter of fact, they are celebrated for being so versatile, and culturally appropriating their look is a brag, so-to-speak.
[Black] kids are traumatized by what society views as acceptable or not. They have to worry about whether or not their name can pass the test whereby they won't be passed over for a job because everyone knows they are [Black] based on their name. For decades, [Black] women had to straighten their hair, even if their name was not too [Black], just to compete to work for certain companies or hold certain job titles. I understand this all too well because I am one of the many who had straighten my hair or shortened my first name, until I said enough was enough. It is very traumatizing to have to practically change your entire image to fit in a box that others put you in. I personally stopped believing that my name or how I wore my hair mattered more than me being qualified for a job. When I changed my thought pattern and stopped trying to live up to the status quo, I was able to exceed my own expectations as it relates to my career. I decided to write "Princess Sky's Hair Story" (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08X42N3WF/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1) which is the first of a book-series which teaches self-love, first through the acceptance of natural hair. Book #2, "Locs Like Magic," launches August 2022, and continues the message of self-love. I chose to teach my [Black] daughter, and other [Black] little girls like her about self-love, so that they won't be traumatized by society's view of them.
As far as the adults dealing with the trauma of society's view of them, my advice is this: find something about yourself that you can accept and love and do not allow outside opinions to influence you or change the love you have of that thing...find more than one if you can.