By Matiara Huff
It is a well-known fact that it isn’t okay to invade someone’s personal space to touch their hair. More often than not, black women are the ones to be asked if their hair can be touched and the ones to explain to the world why this isn’t right. So I have provided a few reason why you can’t touch my hair.
- I am not an exhibit or a petting zoo.
It is very disrespectful to invade someone’s personal space in the name of curiosity. I cannot speak for every black women, but I am asked everyday by multiple people to touch my hair. The answer always is and always will be NO. Can you imagine how exhausting and annoying that is? It really makes me feel like my whole life is just a mobile petting zoo.
- I don’t know where your hands have been.
Seriously. I work hard on my hair and spend a lot of money on it. I don’t know what you were doing before you walked up to me, but I know I don’t want your hands in my hair. I don’t want to have to take time out of my day to go to a mirror to make sure it isn’t messed up, because I can bet you didn’t think about that when you tried to touch it.
- Why? But like, really, think about it. Why? You really have no good reason.
Do you want to know how it feels? The answer is: like hair. The assumption that it feels like anything else is kind of degrading. Do you just want to be able to say that you have done it? That implies some level of exoticism. I am not exotic. I am just as normal as you.
- It’s not a compliment.
It is not a compliment! Specifically for all of the reason above. A verbal compliment is all that is necessary. Thanks.