In light of racial tensions and an incredibly difficult, controversy-ridden election, taking the time to be myself is nothing short of radical in its very nature. Choosing to accept my hair, skin, and self the way they are is not only beautiful, it should be shared!
To me, being a carefree black girl means embracing who I am and letting go of the things that hold me back from being the best person that I can be. Is it easy? Of course not. But I am worth it, and so are you. In becoming myself and becoming carefree, I have learned a few things.
Â
Carefree Does Not Equal Uncaring
Being a carefree black girl doesn’t (and can’t) mean that I don’t care about anything. In fact, I care about a lot of things, from promoting racial inclusion to animal rights to feminism. I care about my family, my friends, and countless other things in life. To me, the free part of carefree means letting go of unnecessary burdens as best I can, from toxic relationships to something as simple as changing the channel when a bigoted person begins blasting their unnecessary opinion.
Â
Carefree Comes in Different Shapes and Forms
For me, a major part of being carefree is embracing my natural hair. However, that won’t be true for everyone. Each shape and size that carefree comes in is valid, from a plus-size girl with pin straight hair to a brown beauty with braids to a toddler in pigtails and everywhere in between.
Â
What It Means To Me Might Not Be What It Means To You
And that’s fine! We are different people living different lives – having different ideas on what it means to be carefree is expected.
Â
And Finally, Sometimes It’s Hard
When I hear that another black, unarmed individual has died under unreasonable circumstances or when I’m told that my features aren’t good enough, it’s difficult to keep a positive, carefree attitude. Sometimes it’s crucial to take some time to mourn or get angry, but the beauty in being carefree is that I don’t stay that way. I feel what I need to feel, and I do my best to move on, for my own sake as well as the sake of those around me.
Being a carefree black girl means, at it’s simplest, being me, and at the end of the day, that is enough.