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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Texas chapter.

As a black woman, hair is everything to me. I’m able to shapeshift within it. I can straighten it, curl it, put it in a puffball, pick it out to form an afro, or even add extensions to it. My hair has my culture written all over it. It’s unfortunate that it’s collateral damage to the beauty standards in today’s society. 

The beauty standard is not my hair. The beauty standard is not my skin tone. The beauty standard does not represent me. My hair is looked down upon because it’s not the norm. I feel people stare at me when my hair is in its natural state. Even though I go to UT where everyone has their own style, my hair still seems to be out of the ordinary. It’s deemed as unprofessional and inappropriate. I’m asked the question if my hair is real or even if I have combed it. I don’t let people get too close because they may try to touch it. My hair is MY HAIR!! NO, YOU CAN’T TOUCH IT!  The beauty standards aren’t set to fit black women, and that’s okay because black women are not ordinary. We are able to change our hair and embrace it no matter who or what tells us to hide our identity.

Dajaiya Pegue

Texas '25

Hi! I'm Dajaiya Pegue, a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, pursuing a pre-law psychology major with minors in sociology and Black studies. I'm passionate about writing on topics that resonate with the Black community and aim to create spaces that uplift Black writers and Black women.