I’m the only one in my family who really wears a bonnet or headscarf to bed. I discovered what it was in 6th grade, the beginning of my hair care journey, through some research. It was one of those “Black Girl Essentials.” For years before that, I had been relaxing my 4C hair in hopes of “fixing my confidence” and “managing my out of place" aesthetic. I didn’t want to stand out from my white friends, but sooner or later, my solution became my issue, and both my hair and worth became damaged.
Whenever I saw my hair break off in 6th grade, the regret of changing myself hit me like crazy, which is something I believe every young black person faces at least once in life: assimilation. It was hard to realize I had made such a big mistake, but I was also happy I realized that mistake no later in life. When my first package of hair serum, oils, curl mousse, and my bonnet came, I knew it wasn't too late to go back to my roots, figuratively and literally. 
Now, my bonnet isn't just a piece of cloth to retain my hair's moisture and health; it's a part of my being that I don't go a night without, and a symbol of my re-found worth.
 

– A.E.

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