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In a perfect world, most of us would command our teens to go natural and to appreciate the beauty of their hair whether it’s curly, kinky, straight or a combination of all three. But this is the real world where not only do they have to deal with all of the images they see in the media, but they also have to have styles they can somewhat maintain themselves and that will hold up in the course of days filled with rigorous activity. We want our girls to participate in sports, dance, etc., without being under the scrutiny of often mean-spirited critics.

We all remember what Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas had to go through, not to mention the “nappy head bleeps” comment radio host Imus made about the Rutgers University Women’s Basketball Team back in 2007.

I actually know women who grew up before braided hair and other alternatives were options who refused to swim and participate in other sports. Trying to manage a press and curl or even a perm wasn’t worth the trouble.

We’re trying to encourage our girls to be the best they can be and their hair shouldn’t hold them back.

If you have a story about how you were discriminated against or made to feel bad because of your hair, please share.

Crowning Glory: Why Black Girls’ Natural Hair Shouldn’t Be an Issue in Schools  was originally published on blackamericaweb.com

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