I Didn’t Create My Hair Style, It Was Created for Me

By Jaden, age 11, North Carolina 

I used to wear my hair cut close, but during the summer before the fifth grade, I decided that I wanted to wear my hair in braids.  I asked my grandmother if she would braid my hair and she said she would.  

At the start of school, the school bus picks-up the kids to take us to school.  One morning one of my classmates said that I was dirty, because of my braids. After school, when the school bus dropped me home, I called my grandfather and told him what happened. He said to me:

 “Tell your classmate that you didn’t create this hair style.

   Your ancient African Egyptian ancestors did and wore

   this hair style thousands of years ago.  And if he looked

   on the walls of the ancient Egyptian Pyramids, he could

   see the evidence for himself.” 

My hairstyle has a history. I didn’t create it. It was created for me and it is well documented.  I Dream an America where people are not mean to others because they don’t look like them.