The Naturalista(s)

By Ifeoma Okwuka

Two friends explore their shared personal connection with hair.

Raven: I’m telling you Myra! You should totally give it a try. I’ve been natural for three years now and I don’t regret it one bit.

Myra: It’s a no for me, Raven. There’s nothing chic and cool about rocking my afro.

Raven: Well… of course there is, Myra. Unless some fool told you otherwise?!

Myra: My mama ain’t no fool. Thank you very much!

Raven: Oh, I’m sorry, Myra. I didn’t mean it that way!

The Next Day…

Raven: Hey Myra! Changed your mind yet?

Myra: It’s still a no for me, Raven. How do you possibly expect me to fit in at school with hair like that?!

Raven: Alright, hear me out. If you can convince your mom to let you go natural, we can both rock our fros in school. I promise you it’ll be worth it! What do you say?

Myra: I’ll think about it…

Raven: Don’t think too hard! Talk to you later.

A Week Later…

Raven: Woah! I love the new look, Myra!

Myra: I do, too!

Raven: You look beautiful!

Myra: I feel beautiful.

Process

I knew from the very beginning that I wanted to do a comic piece. There’s something very appealing in being able to capture big messages using just a series of drawings and small conversations. And choosing what to write about was actually pretty simple too. Hair plays an important role in how I express my identity, and I wanted to encapsulate that through this comic piece.