Kickin' It Old Skool

My selfie circa 2005

I had so much fun earlier this year when I participated in my first blog party that when Jamie Ridler sent out the call to 'kick it old skool' I said 'Heck yea!

I started blogging back in 2002 (?) on the site Diaryland.  Eventually I moved over to LiveJournal in 2005.  Initially I wrote about my journey to reclaim my natural hair what products I used, what challenges I encountered, the reactions I got as I went natural and how I handled it in general.  

I took a lot of pictures of the different styles I tried out and posted them.  I don't have many of them left (lesson:  always back up your files!)

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Selfie 2007

Of all the pictures I took of me with various hairstyles, this is the one I love the most.  I used this as my profile image for many, many years. I was still in the awkward phase of growing out my hair and had taken to wearing wraps.  

When I look at it I don't see the awkward.  
I see a strong, confident, comfortable in her own skin woman.  
I see a woman in love with herself.  



Hair was and still is a big deal in the African American culture. And though we're finally in a place that enough of us have let go of the shame around our hair not being naturally smooth and embraced the myriad ways to wear our crowns there are still stories of the struggle for hair peace coming up.   Despite that we've come a long way since then.  

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