How to Dodge Unwanted Hands in Your Hair

Along with navigating racial identity, sexual preferences, friendships, relationships, and a bucket load of course work, black women on college campuses have also been given the lovely burden of constantly having to dodge people trying to touch their hair. 

To this day, I am not quite sure why people think it’s okay to just come over and stick their hands in our hair, but there appears to be an unspoken notion that this is somehow okay. In order to combat this annoyingly prevalent phenomenon, I have compiled a list of responses black women can use when they face unwelcome hands in their tresses. 

1. Point to something behind them and literally run away

2. Touch their hair 

3. Scream bloody murder until they walk away

4. Explain that saying your hair looks like a helmet is the equivalent of you saying their hair looks like spaghetti 

5. Duck and/or swerve

6. Inform them that you are indeed not an animal and do not appreciate their attempts to pet you

7. Let them know that Beyonce’s sister literally dedicated a whole song to why people should not touch a black woman’s hair

8. Flat out call them out for being strange and racist because the issue of touching someone without consent doesn’t automatically go away because the person is black and you just “think their hair looks so unique.” 

• hair
• racism