The beauty in our hair by Glory

The beauty in our hair by Glory - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

Hair is an incredibly important aspect of our appearance, and it holds significant cultural meaning as well. Even in the Bible, our hair symbolizes our glory. Hair is such a precious thing to everyone, and each type requires special care and attention to maintain its beauty and health. Today, a wide variety of hair types exists, including straight, wavy, curly, kinky, and many more. The particular type of hair I would like to shed some light on plays a major role in African culture, kinky hair, also known as hair types three and four. Kinky hair is a beautiful and unique hair type, often referred to as tightly coiled curls. It holds a ton of volume and texture, which makes it extremely versatile and fun to experiment with and style. Kinky hair has always been deeply rooted in culture and is a powerful symbol for many people of color, serving as a representation of rich historical backgrounds, defiance, and black pride.

An essential part of a person of color's identity is the culture shown by their hair. In African culture, hair is a way to communicate and celebrate one's culture and heritage. Hairstyles represent various things in different cultures. Sometimes, they are considered a form of self-expression and art. Many people of color style their hair in a variety of ways. Some examples include box braids, cornrows, twists, and locs. Hair braiding in African culture is a communal practice. It is also a way of passing down traditions from generation to generation. The way many people of color style their hair is a link to their ancestors. In Nigerian culture, many people braid their hair to connect and send messages to their gods. Not only can hair express and represent cultural identity, but it's also a powerful symbol in many cultures and religions. It's fascinating to witness the cultural significance that a hair type can carry.

Hair has been and still is a powerful symbol for people of color. Throughout history, people of color's hair was a symbol of pride, liberation, and a way to fight the oppression they were experiencing. During the era of slavery, people of color were faced with many unbearable restrictions on how they lived their lives. However, their hairstyles were a powerful form of defiance and cultural resistance. While enslaved, many black women used their hair to create maps that would help them escape. These maps were most commonly made using the cornrow style. They would braid their kinky hair with unique designs as a way to communicate messages and illustrate escape maps to freedom. Many slaves also hid gold and seeds in their hair to help them survive after they escaped. Such beautiful hair became a symbol of freedom from oppression.

As a person with kinky hair, type 4c hair to be exact, I have personal experience with this topic. My whole family has the kinky hair type, and it's also a big part of my cultural identity, as it is for other people of color. Though there are other hair types in the world, this is the one my family and I can connect with and relate to. Kinky hair has evolved from being a cultural practice to being an important symbol for many people of color around the world. Throughout history, the kinky hair type has been a symbol of resistance, self-expression, and most of all, black pride. Even today, kinky hair continues to inspire many people of color to be proud of their culture.

As a woman of color who has kinky hair, throughout my years on earth, I've struggled to embrace my hair type. When I moved to America and started school in Minnesota, I didn't see a lot of people with the same hair type as me. As a result, whenever my mom braided my hair, I would always cover it up when I went to school because I never liked it, or you could say I was not that proud of it. As I've gotten older and matured, I've been able to learn more about my culture and learned to embrace my hair type. I also found out which hairstyles I like wearing on my hair. Braiding my hair has taught me to be proud and embrace my culture, and most of all, it has helped me embrace my Black identity.

In conclusion, kinky hair is far more than just a hair type; it is a defining aspect of identity, cultural heritage, and pride for many people of color. By sharing my experience, I hope to clarify the importance and beauty of kinky hair and encourage others to appreciate and embrace their own unique hair types. Understanding and celebrating kinky hair helps us recognize its profound role as a symbol of history, resilience, and self-expression.