Back to School: Pencils, Notebooks and CURL SHAMING?

Summer is coming to an end and it’s time to get ready to go back to school. As parents, we prepare our children for their return to school by making sure they have everything they need to start the school year off right. This includes shopping for school clothes and crossing every item off that long list of required school supplies. But what about the things not on the list…like curl shaming. Have we prepared our curly headed and naturally textured hair children for what they might experience from their peers on the playground?

According to blogger Christina Vega, "Curl shaming is when a person criticizes or puts down someone for their natural hair texture, possibly causing them to feel insecure about their hair." Vega connects churl shaming to a form of racism because referring to the hair texture of a person of color as unruly, unprofessional, nappy, and unkempt could be considered a comment with racist undertones.

Simply put, curl shaming is bullying. It stings to be on the receiving end as an adult. However, it hurts even more if you are a young child at school just discovering who you are and learning to be comfortable in your own skin...and naturally textured hair.

In 2015, Makayla F., then 11 years old, joined a local Texas cheerleading squad. Makayla, who has thick long curly hair, was told by the general manager of the team that she would need to straighten her hair in order to compete with the squad. According to Makayla's mother, the reason given for the straight hair requirement was for all the girls to look "in uniform". Makayla's mother explained that this would harm her daughter's hair. This was not taken into consideration by the squad, and so Makayla left the cheerleading team with her curly hair in tact.

Kareem S., the father of 8-year-old Journey, recalls the day his daughter went to school with her hair in two full Afro puffs...one on each side, held in place by micro PuffCuffs. Journey left for school feeling beautiful and returned at the end of the day feeling ashamed and embarrassed. When questioned about what had happened, Journey stated the kids at school said her hair "looked weird and she looked like Minnie Mouse." Some of the older kids on the playground told her "It's not crazy hair day." Journey's mother tried to explain to her that the kids at her school (predominantly white and lacking exposure to cultural diversity) were just not used to seeing her hair in that style. Perhaps they found it “weird” because it was a style they were not familiar with. Usually, Journey wore her hair in braids… a more recognized and therefore accepted style at her school. When asked if there was anyone that said they liked her hair, Journey replied only two friends and her teacher who said her hair was "cute." Despite her parents’ efforts, Journey was convinced Afro puffs were not the style she wanted to wear. In tears, she begged her mother to "fix it" before school the next day. Her mother obliged, not wanting her 2nd grader to deal with unwarranted shame and ridicule.

Curl shaming is real and it is hurtful. How do we in the curly/ naturally textured hair community stop this from infiltrating school playgrounds, classrooms, cafeterias, buses and cheerleading squads? Unfortunately, there is no quick fix or easy answer. The media has embedded the image of straight, fine, blonde hair as the epitome of beauty for too many years. Erasing those ideas and images could take a lifetime. Instead, we need to stand up for our children who are being curl shamed and label it for what it is: bullying.   Many schools have anti bullying rules and curl shaming should be included in those rules… spelled out in clear language so there are no questions about when it happens. More importantly, we need to focus our energy and attention on uplifting our curly headed, naturally hair textured children. We should be intentional in letting them know just how beautiful and unique they are. We should embrace the gift of curly hair and model the acceptance of this gift for our children. A great way to accomplish this is to comb their hair in a fashionable low maintenance style that allows them to show off their natural curls and hair texture. The PuffCuff is the perfect tool to achieve this look and allow your child’s inner beauty to shine through. The added bonus it that it will not damage their hair!  When a child feels good about how they look, they walk with confidence. The hope is that this will help them cultivate a deeply rooted self-love that softens the harsh blow curl shaming can give.

A great way to accomplish this is to comb their hair in a fashionable low maintenance style that allows them to show off their natural curls and hair texture. The PuffCuff is the perfect tool to achieve this look and allow your child’s inner beauty to shine through. The added bonus it that it will not damage their hair!  When a child feels good about how they look, they walk with confidence. The hope is that this will help them cultivate a deeply rooted self-love that softens the harsh blow curl shaming can give.

REFERENCES

Ferreira, J. (2016, Sept 9). 5 Things you NEED to know about curl shaming [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://quemas.mamaslatinas.com/beauty/143826/5_things_you_need_to

Rufca, S.N. (2015, Nov 9). Curl, interrupted: Controversy erupts over a cheerleader’s hair [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2015/11/9/curl-interrupted-controversy-erupts-over-a-cheerleader-s-hair

Keyera Mitchell (2017, Jun 21) Public Relations Specialist, Journalist and Writer Hoping to Change the World.The Things I Would Say to My Younger Curly Self - The Life of a Curly Girl Living in a Straight World. https://journal.thriveglobal.com/the-things-i-would-say-to-my-younger-curly-self-52f247b71f77

1. Sykes, personal communication, February 21, 2017