Natural hair organization also focuses on self-esteem

In 2010, Marissa Terry chopped off all of her hair and went natural for the second time.
Terry, a senior nursing major from Washington, D.C., had been natural for a year before she was pressured into chemically straightening her hair with a relaxer.
“I totally regretted it,” Terry said.
“My hair was too thin and it would fall out.”
After becoming fed up with the consequences of relaxed hair, Terry grabbed a pair of scissors, stood in front of the mirror in her Rams Commons dorm room and put an end to her relaxed locks, going natural for the second time.
By definition, natural hair as it applies to African-American women is hair that is not chemically altered.
In the 2009 documentary “Good Hair,” comedian Chris Rock discusses the ideologies surrounding the hair of African-American women.
The film features celebrities such as Solange Knowles and Janelle Monae
embracing and promoting the natural hair look.
This rise in acceptance prompted Design Essentials, an African-American hair-care company, to conduct a study to measure the popularity of natural hair.
The study revealed a surprising result: The number of Black women who indicated they do not use products to chemically straighten or alter their hair jumped from 26 percent in 2010 to 36 percent in 2011.
According to Mintel, a consumer spending and market research firm, sales of relaxer kits dropped by 17 percent between 2006 and 2011.
 A natural hair movement made its way to Winston-Salem State Sept. 12, 2011 in the form of My Natural, an organization “designed to help college women understand how to treat their mind, body and soul using natural products and techniques.”
Since being founded, My Natural has hosted events with professional hair stylists, salon owners and motivational speakers.  
The organization is planning a hair show and expo for the upcoming year said, Tyler Kendrick, sophomore, finance major from Washington D.C. and vice president of My Natural.
“We want different salons and schools to be involved,” Kendrick said.
She said the organization also plans to be involved with The Clothesline Project. That program addresses violence against women through expressing emotions on a decorated T-shirt and hanging it on a public clothesline.
Terry said she joined My Natural because it was different from the other organizations on campus.
“I never saw one [an organization] that wanted to help college women not only learn about their hair but also gain self-confidence and build self-esteem,” she said.
“A lot of girls on campus want to be natural, but they don’t have the confidence.”
Terry has been natural for two years now and she recently made the decision to lock her hair, something she said she had wanted to do for a while.
“I always thought locks were beautiful,” Terry said.
Terry said joining My Natural gave her the confidence to start the locking process.
“I like that there is an organization out there that says, ‘It’s okay to be you.  Don’t try to conform. Do what you want to do, and love yourself for who you are,'” she said.
Kendrick joined the organization last year as treasurer.
“I wanted to hear other people’s [natural hair] journeys,” Kendrick said.
Kendrick, who has been natural her entire life, said her story set her apart from other members who had begun transitioning or weren’t natural at all.
According to Kendrick, one of the biggest preconceived notions about My Natural is that the organization is solely focused on hair.
“We’re more than just hair,” Kendrick said.
“We’re about accepting who you are as a woman, being confident, understanding that if you have relaxed hair, you’re still beautiful, if you have that crazy wave pattern, you’re still beautiful, if you’ve got a little bit of extra kinks, you’re still beautiful.”
My Natural is open to women with all hair types, whether they are natural, transitioning or relaxed.
“It’s about accepting you and your natural you,” Kendrick said.
Edited by Matt Parmesano