Erinn_the_bamf's advice column

I wear my hair natural during summer and the school year. I have hair that touches my shoulder and most of the time I wear it with a headband or scrunchie. Nothing too fancy.

My hair is like this sometimes: http://www.blackgirlhaircare.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/03/natural-hair-braid-out.jpg

or I wear it in a ponytail.

It seems like everybody else I know think that my hair is cute and say I'm unique. But I get insulted during the school year by people my age. They ask me why I don't perm my hair, the guys are rude too. Not all of the kids are like that, but most of them.
I'm thinking wtf did I do? I just walk away because it was not worth starting an argument with bumbling idiots.
I just think it's a damn shame that it is like this :\

Unfortunately, we live in a society where white beauty triumphs all other beauty. We have been socialized to think this way for centuries in the United States. When you don't relax your hair, you're breaking the social norm, so people start to question it and question you. It's likely you make them feel insecure because you are willing to be true to yourself, while they are not. The boys are simply buying into the beauty ideals that the media is selling them: that only thin, white women, often with blonde straight hair and large breasts, can be considered beautiful. Kudos to you for having the all to walk away. Keep your head up. It sounds like you're in high school or grade school which really sucks for most people. Once you get out in the real world you will find people who accept you for your choices.

As a white women, I'm not an authority on this subject. For a more detailed answer, shoot a question to these tumblrs:

http://mochafleur.com/

http://brown-fat-owl.tumblr.com/

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(Rating: 5) Thanks a lot!

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