For many people, hair is more than just a thing that grows in strands out of their head. It holds the significance of being an extension of oneself. Hair is something to care for, style, and love. How one styles their hair displays the varying parts of one’s identity. It expresses individuality through different styles, and the way that one cares for their hair shows their self-love and the effort they put into being who they are.
In this collection of stories, want to focus on a few MHS students’ stories of loving and caring for their hair. This story specifically is about Jimmelle Forkpa.
Jimmy’s journey with hair began when he wanted to try a new thing out. Growing up, he constantly had short hair and was never really given the chance to grow it out.
“Coming into high school, I had very short hair, no longer than an inch.”
Since starting at MHS, Jimmy has grown his hair to almost 10 inches. Finally having long hair, he was finally able to try out new and creative styles that matched his taste.
“I’ve styled my hair in Cornrows, two-strand twists, Locs, braids, and even barbell twists. I’ve tried many hairstyles over the years.”
Since wanting to try something new, Jimmy has been on a journey aiming for growth. He shared that with hair, a memorable moment was when he realized how far he’d come with growing his hair.
“When I last measured my hair before I cut it and it came down to 9 inches, I thought that was pretty cool.”
Growing his hair out helped build his self-love.
“I would have to face bald jokes and stuff, but growing my hair out to a longer length gave me confidence I hadn’t had before.”
He shared that if he could go back in time, he would definitely change some things.
“I would tell my younger self to stop using so much heat on my hair. My first time using a lot of heat on my hair damaged it, so I had to cut and restart.”
Though restarting is a lengthy process, he is very happy that he did it and recommends other black students to use wild-growth hair oil if they’re going through the same issue. The other issue that he faced due to experimenting with hair was problems with other students.
“I Sometimes faced typical stereotypes when I would wear my Cornrows out or have my two-strand twists done. I would get a lot of stares.”
Despite the stares, Jimmy has come a long way with his hair. After years of growth and care, his hair has flourished and his relationship with it is very strong.
I hope you enjoyed Jimmy’s story and read the other ones that are a part of the collection. For more curly and coily stories, check out the Mhs auroran website!!!!
