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“Growing up in Indiana, people could be vehemently mean if you were different. Especially people within my own community. I’ve been natural for most of my life with the exception of one year. A memory that has stuck with me throughout life involved someone in middle school telling me that I would look less black if I straightened my hair. I decided to never let hearing things like that impact how I feel about myself or dictate how I wore my hair, however.”
“I first wanted to go natural because I wanted my hair to be super long and thick. I realized that my hair would’t be that way if I continued using relaxers, however. I’ve been natural for five or six years and have come to realize that it’s much deeper than that….I’ve changed the way that I eat since I’ve been natural because I’m more cognizant about what and how much I eat. I also pay more attention to the products that I use on my hair and skin.”
“A co-worker would regularly get on me about going natural, so I tried it out but I’m not anti-relaxer. I would actually relax my hair again to try a short pixie cut. My hair does define who I am, but I’m also very comfortable with regularly changing my hair styles.”
K (on the left): ” I didn’t get a relaxer until I was seven, but I’ve had a texturizer since I was five. I’ve been natural for three years. I initially went natural because fibroids are common in my family. At the time, I was aware of a possible connection between fibroids and the chemical straightening process. I noticed that quite a few of the women in my family had thinning hair as well as some balding, so I wanted to do whatever possible to be more gentle with my own hair. In my family, my sister paved the way with natural hair because she had locs. In the workplace, my boss was supportive of my natural hair. Now I work in a more conservative building and I’m the only woman who has natural hair and I’ve noticed that (often times) older black women are the least supportive of my hair.”
N (on the right): “I’ve had locs for 15 years. When I initially went natural, my hair was super, super short. So short that my mother thought that I looked like a boy and I should get a relaxer. I loc’d my hair after five years in and never looked back! I’ve embraced my natural hair journey and oftentimes make my own hair products using olive, jojoba and tea tree essential oils. I do not understand when people refer to natural hair as not being professional. I’m still the same person, my hair is just different.”
L (on the right): “I’ve gone natural several times in my life. I cut my hair short and eventually wore locks to then wear my hair loose. My hair has changed with my health throughout the years and has turned grey as well. The whole process of being natural has really taught me that wearing my hair as it is represents who I am and if someone doesn’t approve of that then I need to go elsewhere. ”
A (on the left): “I went grey at the age of 23. I’ve worn my hair natural my whole life. When I decided to cut my hair short, I loved it because it felt good. It felt natural to me. There’s something about women who choose to wear their hair natural. There’s a natural confidence and I feel as though I’ve passed that confidence on to my daughter. At times, she’s worn her hair relaxed, but has chosen to go natural again. I hope that I’ve empowered her to feel confident no matter how she chooses to wear her hair.”
“I’ve been natural my whole life. My mother always encouraged me to be natural. The thing that bothers me sometimes is when folks say that they want to see my hair straightened. I’m like ” no,” it’s fine the way that it is.”
“I’ve been a hair stylist for a while and one of the saddest moments that I’ve experienced was having a client who requested a two-strand twist out style put her wig back on before leaving the hair salon. She mentioned that her boyfriend had never seen her wear a natural style, so she didn’t feel beautiful enough to wear the style in public. I thought that the style turned out gorgeous, however. Seeing more women embrace their natural hair during the last few years has been empowering.”
The concept for Blooming Queens came to me nearly four years ago, but years went by without me acting on the idea. I had some serious creative blocks, but I honestly don’t think that I was ready to consistently act on an idea in order to share it with the world. The idea of a street style photo blog uplifting the growth stories of women with natural hair wouldn’t let me go, however. The concept truly merges my passion for portrait and travel photography, natural hair, health, women’s advocacy and a love for connecting with people to better understand their stories.
Looking back, it’s amazing to reflect on the life events that contributed to the idea of Blooming Queens:
began! During this time, I discovered quite a few natural hair vloggers who not only provide recommendations for the latest natural hair products, but also inspired my personal development journey in the most unexpected ways.I know that it’s imperative to uplift our stories during a time when school-aged girls are told that their hair needs to be ‘tamed’ before attending school or women who wear their natural hair in the workplace are labeled ‘unprofessional’. My desire is to celebrate women with natural hair of all textures. I aim to share our growth stories with a world that’s often unsympathetic to our presence. I want young women to see that we all may not have it together right now, but the goal is to continue working towards something greater.This blog will serve as a reminder that we are all queens. Blooming Queens, in fact.
One of my favorite quotes is a constant reminder that often times the risk to transform can be less painful then it is to stay in your comfort zone:
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anais Nin
Thanks for coming along for the ride! I look forward to sharing these stories and I know that we will enjoy the journey.
All my best,
Carla