Readers respond to our Black Hair Defined series

Hey y'all,

Thank you so much for engaging with Black Hair Defined, a HuffPost project amplifying Black conversations about Black hair. We have received so many great stories and notes of appreciation about the series, and we've included some of our favorite comments so far below.

‌

For me, it has been really exciting to read through your experiences, and it's also been amazing to sift through some really thoughtful ideas of how we can continue the series. We're going to continue compiling your photos and anecdotes, so keep sending them over to blackhair@huffpost.com. And check out our Black History Month hub for all of our content.

On Feb. 26, HuffPost is hosting a conversation about politics and culture at Ethel's Club in Brooklyn, New York. We will highlight Black Hair Defined as well as an upcoming project on Black voters in South Carolina. Tickets are on sale now. We'd love to see you there.

— Erin E. Evans, senior enterprise editor

Some of our favorite reader submissions so far:

‌

"My natural hair has become a very big point for attracting new patients. Many patients would say they googled me and noticed images of me in my natural fro and that made them feel comfortable as they longed for a Black provider of color. As an assistant professor of medicine, I have had students walk up to me after lectures and thank me for lecturing with my fro. They share how empowering that image is for them, to see me be my authentic self in academia." — Dr. Magdala Cherry

"As a 32 year old woman raising two daughters, representation of their hair matters to me in media. I recently wrote and self-published a children’s book titled Homecoming, a story about siblings attending an HBCU homecoming with their parents for the first time." — La-Donia Alford-Jefferies

"We are in such a validating time in history in regard to Black hair. I wondered as a five year old why I wasn't beautiful like the other Black, Brown, and Blonde- haired girls. This feeling was validated by my kindergarten teacher who patted me on the head the first day of school and told me "your hair is hard." That statement has stayed me with over 50 years, and I had to fight against oppressive narratives in school, at work, and in life. Declaring myself beautifully-made, worthy and capable has been a life-long journey not for the faint of heart. I am now a delightfully elegant dreadloced woman of age, who creates and takes up her own space. Wow, the journey has been hard, but the five-year-old 's angst no longer permeates my being!" — Darlene Sampson

What does your Black hair mean to you? Do you have a video, photo, or story to share about it? Send an email to blackhair@huffpost.com and we may use it in a future HuffPost story.

You can see all of our Black History Month coverage on our dedicated page.

Black Hair Defined

Kinky, straight, weaved up and everything in between, HuffPost celebrates Black hair as an artistic form of expression. This multimedia project features photos, video and articles about the culture and traditions entangled with our tresses.

See the full project