I used to be a swimmer.
I am dark-skinned,
Because I used to go to swim practice every morning.
I’m the only person in my family with curly hair.
Not a day would pass without someone commenting on my hair and skin.
When I was younger,
I used to always have my hair up in a braid or bun,
Because I knew people would make fun of me,
Especially my mother.

People’s words didn’t bother me as much
But the fact that my own mother thought I was ugly,
And less than everyone else,
Just because I looked different,
Bothered me.
My mother tried to convince me to chemically straighten my hair,
But I refused,
Because I’m convinced that everyone is beautiful just the way they are,
And that’s what I was raised into believing.

I’m 19 years old.
I know I’m beautiful,
And I know my hair is beautiful as well.
A lot of people think I’m beautiful,
And love my hair,
But my mother and other members of my family,
Think I’m ugly.
I could tell from the things she says to her friends,
And by how she refuses to go to the hairdresser with me.
I could tell by the thing she always tells me,
“Your hair looks better tied up.”
I could tell from her looks,
And their looks.
I’m beautiful,
And I’ll always believe that natural beauty is the best kind of beauty.