Naturallyme

By: Melina Khan

Modern beauty standards project straight hair as the norm, especially for women of color. Black women with natural hairstyles are perceived to be less professional and less competent than their counterparts, according to a 2020 study in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal.

Samaia Barton-Faucher, the president of Quinnipiac University’s NaturallyMe organization, grew up familiar with the social expectations of having “calm” hair.

“I was definitely pushed into the culture of having my hair straight,” said Barton-Faucher, a junior behavioral neuroscience major. “It was kind of like, ‘oh, keep your hair calm,’ which was considered straight instead of having your poofy hair out, or an afro or something like that.”

Before coming to Quinnipiac, Barton-Faucher straightened her hair frequently and neglected to embrace her naturally curly hair. It wasn’t until she got to college that she learned how to properly take care of her hair, thanks to NaturallyMe.

NaturallyMe is a student organization that aims to educate and inspire students about natural hair, especially curly and coarse hairstyles.

Daisy Owusu Nsafoah, NaturallyMe’s vice president and a junior biochemistry major, said the organization welcomes all backgrounds when it comes to hair and skincare.

“I feel like NaturallyMe is a safe space where people in general, anybody at all, can come and feel safe and embrace themselves for who they are, and not feel left out,” Owusu Nsafoah said.

One of the ways NaturallyMe promotes education of natural hair and skincare is through events on campus. On April 21, the group hosted “Curl Con” on the Quad, which will consisted of lawn games, free food and prizes.

Overall, Barton-Faucher encouraged students to join NaturallyMe to begin the journey of self- care.

“It’s okay not to know necessarily what you’re doing with your hair or your skincare, or you don’t know how to start this journey,” Barton-Faucher said. “We’re always open to answering questions or sharing our experiences because ultimately, at the end of the day, we all started at point one, so it’s okay not to know, and we’re here to share those experiences with each other, and grow together.”