Dedicated to my Natural Hair
By Jayola Reid
My video conveying the significance of natural hair is one that I consider necessary for everyone to watch. Black women’s natural hair has sadly been discriminated against since the beginning of time, making it important for everyone to see the beauty in it. A black woman’s hair is unique and versatile in all forms and every texture is gorgeous! The images portrayed in this video do a good job of depicting that. If that were not enough, the words spoken on the realization of how amazing it is to be natural will be!
Process
I wrote a letter to my natural hair because I recognized that I was dealing with some deeply engrained self-hate issues regarding it. I came to the realization that I had been brainwashed to think that my hair made me less attractive or that it was not appropriate in a professional workspace. This was due to European beauty standards that society has always pressured me to live up to. I decided to start appreciating my natural curls and wanted all of the other girls of color to do the same.
Meet the Pair
MENTEE JAYOLA REID & MENTOR ASHLEY OKWUSA
Jayola’s Anecdote: I know of no one who decided to be a writer in my family. So it was a big relief to find that I had gained a mentor in life who writes professionally! I am extremely inspired by my mentor because of the hard work she put in, and continues to put in, to be the best writer she can be. I appreciate the fact that although I am more of a poetry and fictional short story writer, she connects herself to my style of writing and relates what she specializes in to it. Having a mentor who is passionate about immigration laws and the advancement of people of color, just as myself, allows us to relate to one another. I consider her to be a woman taking her place in history for several reasons, but especially because she makes it her mission to report the stories of those unrepresented. Every meeting that I have with her, I leave feeling inspired and as though I learned new, valuable information on writing techniques and life in general!
Ashley’s Anecdote: Jayola is a gem, and being paired with her throughout this process has been incredible. She is smart, self-assured, and confident. She is not afraid to speak her mind and is constantly looking for ways to improve herself, whether it’s with writing or the activities she does in her spare time, like debate. Jayola is bold and thoughtful. She came into the program sure of who she is, and I hope that she leaves the program even more sure that she belongs in every room she walks into and that the future is hers for the taking.
Jayola Reid
Jayola Reid is a Girls Write Now mentee. Her mentor, Ashley Okwuosa, says, “Jayola is a gem and being paired with her throughout this process has been incredible. She is smart, self-assured and confident. She is not afraid to speak her mind and is constantly looking for ways to improve herself, whether it's with writing or the activities she does in her spare time, like debate. Jayola is bold and thoughtful. She came into the program sure of who she is and I hope that she leaves the program even more sure that she belongs in every room she walks into and that the future is hers for the taking.”
