Natural Hair Photo Diary

I’ve been natural since October 2014. My journey through the natural hair world has been filled with highs and lows, but I’m finally easing into a space where I’m enjoying the ride and falling in love with different styles and ways of wearing my hair. In the black community, particularly with black women, hair is a big deal. When I got box braids for the first time, I was honestly nervous about wearing them in professional settings and in environments where many non-minorities weren’t used to seeing the style. Although I felt beautiful with braids, I’d read and heard some horrifying stories involving women of color being discriminated against, sent home from work, or heavily judged because of their natural hairstyles. When I wore my braids, I picked up on some weird vibes from certain people, got awkward stares, and at the same time, received compliments from others. When I was between styles and wore my natural Afro, I really felt I was shunned, mishandled, and treated funny. Especially in professional settings and during job interviews. I thought maybe I was trippin’ when it kept happening, but I wasn’t imagining things. Whenever I didn’t get certain opportunities, I just knew I’d be great at and was qualified for, I couldn’t shake an unsettling feeling that it had something to do with the way I looked and how I wore my hair. I was even told by someone that I should wear my hair “straighter” to be treated better 😳 Crazy right? It’s sad that these kinds of things happen, but it’s real. This whole idea about diversity, equality, and equal opportunity is not always a reality for minorities. Especially for black women and for anyone else who finds themselves on the receiving end of any kind of prejudice or discrimination. You can have a great education, a sizeable amount of experience under your belt, and have a lot of skills, passion, and motivation to bring to the table and still get overlooked, passed over, and discriminated against because of the way you look. I wear my hair how I like to wear it and I’m good with natural hairstyles that make me feel good. I’m happy to see more and more women of color stepping out with their natural styles and doing so confidently and unapologetically. Going natural has been a movement. There’s so much versatility that comes with being natural and some great stories behind each style. That said, I thought it’d be fun to do a photo diary of different styles I’ve worn since going natural. I’ve done some of my own styles, experimented with protective styles, enlisted help from my mom with styling, worn my hair silky straight, got professionally done braids and sew-ins from talented and highly skilled hair stylists, and again, have sported my own Afro puff too. The journey continues…

A Year Of Being Ghosted

Ghosting: the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. I’ve been ghosted by every guy I’ve met within the past two years. About six to be exact. · The first guy pursued me and then got shady whenever I asked him about what he did for a living and where he lived. When he started dodging and avoiding questions, wouldn’t initiate dates, and slowly stopped keeping in touch with me altogether, eventually, all communication ceased. · The second guy was someone I met through a family member. He was super cool, very smart, handsome, and funny, but didn’t want to be in a relationship and acted like he didn’t want to be seen with me publicly. When we had plans to meet for an outing, he didn’t show up, and then texted me about a week later with an apology. We chilled at my place a few times, had a few phone conversations, and exchanged occasional texts, but eventually he stopped responding to me

Teacher Table Talk: When Parents Attack

As an English teacher, a core belief I’ve held close since the beginning of my career has been the importance of relationship building. I believe that if great relationships between teachers, students, and parents are established at the beginning of the school year, everything else will fall into place. Authentically modeling, practicing, and establishing mutually respectful and professional relationships within my classroom has been the bridge for effective communication, solid classroom management, and creating a safe and effective learning environment that fits each of my student’s needs. And though I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of great relationship building, unfortunately, there have been times when some students and parents have not been receptive or interested in my efforts to establish connections that would best serve all parties involved. I’ve also noticed and shared spaces with other educators, school counselors, and administrators who’ve experienced the same. And

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken things too far

Making Waves