Recently, the African-American community was shifted towards an increase in appreciation for natural hair. The newly founded natural hair movement features thousands of icons, dozens of hairstyles, and its own dialect. After years of struggling to fit in and straightening my hair, I accepted it for what it was: a soft, dense, complexly coiled reflection of my spirit. With the veneration I had found for my own hair, I talked with friends about starting a natural hair club, It’s a Natural Thang, within the micro community of Whitney M. Young Magnet High School.

The club meets biweekly to discuss the physical, mental, emotional, and political attributes of wearing natural hair. We also share personal experiences; here are some reasons we have discussed being the top six for going natural.

It is a good change

If you’ve had straight hair your entire life and are looking for a way to shake things up, going natural will do that for sure! Going natural not only gives you the change when first transitioning, but years and years down the line. People are surprised when you come to school or work Monday with a bun then Tuesday with a perfectly coiled flexi rod set. They’re surprised when in May your hair is about 3 inches and by the following January it’s experiencing 10 inches of major puff action. Going natural can give you endless options to cater to the change you may be searching for

It is healthier for you

Almost anything that doesn’t grow straight from your head is not healthy for you, especially not relaxers, perms, and heat-styling tools. Going natural not only allows your hair to healthily flourish, but usually can affect your skin as well, as the heavy chemicals from your hair don’t get on your pillow anymore and acne seems to diminish!

It’s flexible

Like mentioned earlier, there are a plethora of styles you can use on natural hair. Usually when you get your hair done at the salon, you have to move a certain way or not do a certain thing or else it will get messed up to the point of no return. You can’t swim, play beach volleyball with friends, exercise, or anything else that may possibly involve sweating; this is no way to live a life. You can either style your natural hair so that if these things do happen it won’t affect your hair and overall mood, using styles such as buns, ponytails, or wash-n-gos, or you can style your hair as fabulously as wanted, and then wash it out and do it over in the morning so it’s not ruined for the entire week.

It makes you so much more independent

Most people take years to perfect their own hair styles whether it be finding the right products, right routines, only being able to do certain styles during certain seasons, or anything related, natural hair is not easy to figure out. Because of this, there aren’t that many hair stylists readily available to style the unique hair on your head to perfection, and you are forced to become your own guru.

You gain a new family

The natural hair community is full of mentorship, love, and support. There are Facebook groups, Twitter pages, YouTube channel threads, etc. that you can join. You gain sisters and brothers that will not only help you through your transition, but be by your side for life.

    As a co-founder of Whitney Young’s first ever natural hair club, hair and its care is important to me. I am proud to be part of something small that collectively works toward a goal bigger than any of us individually: spreading appreciation for natural hair and uplifting a macro community that has been historically discouraged. Transition your hair and join the natural movement so you can help as well!