Curl Power Children’s Literature: 7 Year Old Writes Award Winning, Hair Positive Comic Book

As an adult, I can say with confidence, that I love the person that I am and am appreciative of all the qualities that make me unique. However, it has taken me a very long time to reach this point in my life. I spent many years crippled by a lack of self-esteem, and though I cannot pinpoint the exact moment when I first became aware of the qualities that made me different from other girls, I do know these feelings of insecurity first began to arise during my childhood. My mother used to slick my long curly hair back into a tight, low ponytail, tying an oversized bow around my thick hair elastic. For whatever reason, this style inspired a group of older girls that regularly got a kick out of taunting me, to begin referring to me as, “The Poodle” (among other things too foul to publish in this blog). I was a frequent target of bullying, and though their tones were always snide and biting, I always tried to pretend as if it didn’t bother me. I was always taught to take the high road because, as my mother always told me, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words could never hurt me.” But words can hurt, and in this case, they did hurt me. The negative, venomous tones of statements spewed at me regarding my appearance, relentlessly echoed in my head, when I went home and looked at myself in the mirror. Even in elementary school, I truly believed I was the ugliest person that had ever been born. I hated everything about my face, my body, and I especially hated my hair. I thought my curls were a coarse, frizzy curse, and my physical unattractiveness would lead to a long  life of loneliness.

One evening, I became so overwhelmed with self-loathing, I attempted to chop off all my hair, with a pair hot pink Crayola safety scissors. I chopped, and cut, and cut, my long curly locks into a completely uneven bob, even unintentionally creating a bald spot on the left side of my head, so awkward and large, no amount of styling or accessory additions could hide it. My mother had no idea that my pain had run this deeply, until I ran into her arms sobbing in hysterics, clumps of curls in one hand, and the scissors in the other. That was when she booked an appointment for my first ever hair straightening relaxer. I understand the motivation behind this parenting move- no parent ever wants to see their child suffer, and if having straight hair was going to help me to fit in and gain some leverage in the world of playground politics, she was willing to do whatever it took to see me happy. However, I still wasn’t happy. Getting my hair straightened just caused the mean girls to find something else asinine to pick on me about- my skin, my large lips, the way I walked, the way I dressed, even the way I answered questions in class. During the months I had to live with my self-inflicted bald spot, it open season on “The Poodle”, even in spite of my efforts to chemically straighten my hair. The actual taunting did eventually die down as we matured, however the feelings of insecurity and self-doubt continued to stick with me, sometimes manifesting itself in reckless behavior and choices made during my teen years.It wasn’t until I was about to graduate from college that I was able to appreciate the full scope of my self worth, finally able yo look in the mirror and really be ok with the person I saw staring back at me.

It took me years to finally realize what I was capable of and to truly comprehended the extent of my personal value. While I don’t judge my mother for the choice she made to put a Band-Aid on the issue with a makeover, I do wish she had made more of an effort to actually talk to me about my feelings when I approached her with my hair chopped off, as opposed to dialing the salon in a panic. I just wanted someone to tell me that the thoughts in my head were wrong- that I had no reason to hate myself because my physical features were different, because I was pretty too… not odd, not “interesting looking”, just a pretty little girl with pretty hair that was unlike other girls, because being different is just motivation to be extraordinary. I needed to know that my differences were not weaknesses, but rather a source of strength.

No one, especially a child, should ever have to endure any level of self loathing, however self esteem is not an inherent quality of human consciousness, it is something that has to be taught and instilled during early childhood. This is why I was thrilled to hear about the up and coming children’s comic book, The Adventures of Moxie Girl, written by Florida native, seven year old Natalie McGriff, with the help of her mother, Angie Nixon.

source: instagram

source: instagram.com, buzzfeed.com

When Angie’s daughter candidly revealed to her that she hated both her own hair and reading, Angie came up with a creative solution that would boost little Natalie’s self esteem, teaching her to love her hair, while simultaneously gaining a better appreciation for the written word. When speaking with ABC News, Angie told reporters, “I used to get picked on in school for my natural hair, and I didn’t want that to happen to my daughter.” She also spoke with the New Pittsburgh Courier, stating, “I decided to help Natalie write this book because she was having self-esteem issues regarding her hair and she hated to read. She now realizes how powerful and awesome her hair is and that in order for her to write a cool book, she needs to read more books and learn different words.”

source: instagram.com, buzzfeed.com

Together, this mother daughter duo created The Adventures of Moxie Girl, featuring the naturally curly protagonist, Moxie Girl. Moxie Girl was just your average little girl, until her grandmother’s magical shampoo transforms her naturally kinky, coily curl,  into the source of her superpowers. After becoming infused with magical powers, Moxie Girl’s multi-colored afro pigtails help her to fight crime against all those who threaten access to educational resources or anyone’s self esteem. An empowering read for the younger generation of naturally curly girls, The Adventures of Moxie Girl endorses a positive outlook on self-image, encouraging kids to embrace all aspects of their natural beauty; from their hair texture, to their intelligence and overall quality of character.

source: instagram.com, buzzfeed.com

After her mother helped her to enter enter the comic book in a local contest called, One Spark, Natalie came in first place, amongst five hundred competitors. She was awarded over $16,000 for her innovative narrative, The Adventures of Moxie Girl, which will be published and distributed nationwide. Perhaps greatest reward from this contest was the personal validation this well deserved recognition has provided for Natalie. Not only did this win allow her to value and appreciate her own personal qualities, but the publishing of this comic book will touch the hearts of millions of little girls that can relate to these issues, encouraging them to love themselves.

True beauty really radiates from within. It cannot be limited to any specific superficial quality, but rather stems from your own ability to appreciate all the natural characteristics and quirks you were blessed with. If you can embrace who you really are, then your luminous self-love will only accentuate the diverse facets of your physical beauty to others. I find it very inspiring that the author for this child’s narrative that appropriately addresses these complex issues, is also a kid herself. Natalie is a trailblazer, and I only wish The Adventures of Moxie Girl had been around to teach me these things when I was a little girl. 

The Adventures of Moxie Girl is scheduled to hit shelves nationwide, this summer. So now as you Curly Mama’s dive into your copy of the inspiring, empowering memoir and business guide, Miss Jessie’s; Creating a Business from Scratch- Naturally, written by curl expert and CEO of Miss Jessie’s, Miko Branch, your little curly cuties can also get their own dose of curl power with The Adventures of Moxie Girl!

source: instagram.com, buzzfeed.com

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