Dear Child With Black hair,

part of My Black Hair Stories by Sue-Ann Bel

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I want you to know that I am more like you than you might think. I'm not only talking about the colour of our skin, but especially about what grows out of your scalp.
You have the tiniest curls of them all.
I know how hard it is to learn to love the hair you were given. You probably don't see that this is your unique print.
There's one thing you must remember: You don’t have to explain your hair to the world. You just don’t.
I did, and it taught me that the only person you need to explain it to is yourself. It will often be painful too, this journey to self-love and self-acceptance in an environment where you are the minority. It can make you feel alone.

Maybe I want to spare you so you don't have to go through what I had to go through. Don't get me wrong. I'm not there yet either. It's a process, or maybe an easier word, a journey. I’ve learned that this is called: a hair journey.

You will learn all sorts of things that you will hopefully teach me. What you're looking for may not be written in books. Promise me that you'll remember your experiences so that we can write our own stories, ok?

And as I write this, I realize that I want to tell you so much more than this because you're worth it. I almost feel guilty that this isn't a longer letter. Everything I will learn about our hair, I will tell you, I promise. But my journey is my journey, and you will walk your own. Know this: you are not alone, like a shadow I travel with you.

Dare to feel small, dare to be afraid of everything you don’t know yet or perhaps understand when you’re older. And that's okay.

Love,
Sue-Ann

Want to know more about Sue-Ann Bel? Click here to read more.