Thank you for running this article and recognizing the beauty of natural curls -- and, by extension, the loveliness of each person feeling good in his or her own skin!

This is Chantylla Chauncey Johnson, the adorable African American girl who is the singer on Sesame Street " I Love my Hair". Chantylla "Chauncey" Johnson is an amazing vocalist, she has appeared on Broadway in The Color Purple and The Lion King. Chantylla, better known as Chauncey is being interview by othertalk shows, magazines, and newspapers about her experience with this project. she is making history for other young African American girls and is telling her own story about loving her hair. Please contact us at the e-mail address to set up an appointment we would love to interview withl your paper. By the way we love your article. A picture of Chantylla "Chauncey" Johnson is attached for your review.

I wish this would really go virul, we have a lot of little girls because of their mothers who are not happy with how they look and their hair. Both my daughter rock their natural hair at 21 and 12 and don't have any complaints, I will never let them use chemicals my oldest tried and had the worst experience of her life and has now been chemical free for five years.

As a latina w/fairly curly hair I've always been aware of how 'different' my look is compared to what may be considered the norm. I gladly & proudly wear my hair just as it is meant to be. We should all be comfortable in our own skin, with the attributes our parents blessed us with. I get many wonderful compliments oh my 'do, because it isn't common.

I am a white woman with curly hair. All through middle school I was taunted and teased by other children because my curly hair was a wreck as I didn't know how to style it nicely. I am so happy that I never got it straightened or tried to use any chemicals on it. Now I know how to take care of it and it's my favorite thing about my appearance. While the teasing and taunting may have built character in me, I hope my children will not have to deal with the same thing. I wish we could teach all children not to be so concerned with physical appearance and to love themselves and others for who they are rather than how well they conform to someone else's perception of physical beauty.

My mother is a retired principal from an inner-city school. I used to ask her why she wore her African garb and afro-style hair do's since, hair trends in the United States depict straight do's and chemically relaxed hair styles. She explained that it was for the sake of her students especially,the young black girls who had self-esteem issues. She explained that often times young Black girs received peer pressue from other black girls and even their parents to straighten their hair. The many reasons for changing their hair include; from making the hair more manageable, attempting to "fit in" and also the old saying to have "good hair" because "good hair was better. Those of us who have some common sense know that no grade of hair texture is better than another's . What my mother wanted to convey with wearing the African garb and Afro was a sense of acceptance and self-esteem as a Black women. My mother wanted black girls to get use to seeing a black women proud of her heritage and also of her hair. Now, even though she maintained this attitude till her recent retirement. (40 years in education) I her daughter was the complete opposite. During my 20's and 30"s you would not catch me without a "fresh perm" or weave. A couple of years ago I "Got with myself" on several issues in my life. This include my image of myself. I needed to make changes that would benefit me. This being one of them. Loving myself without the fake hair. I am so glad that more positive encouragement is being embraced from Black celebrities on the issue of hair. For instance, Chris Rock's movie Good Hair gives a behind the scene look into the "fake hair industry and how lucrutive it is to the Chinese and those from India. It also shows the issues many blacks tip toe over, the issue of the "Good hair" theory has been around since the Willy Lynch promotion in 1877. It's so sad to see that other countries are making money off Black people's desire to transform their hair. Not that it is wrong all together, but realizing that some do need it for issues arising from surgery chemotherapy etc. I am speaking on those Black who opt for this fake hair with no real need to have it. For those of us who do not need to purchase hair, we need to learn to love ourselves and our distinctive hair. Do you realize the Chinese corner stores are living well off the desire of Blacks to purchase and use "fake" hair? More black celebrities and the media should promote a positive theme for our young black girls and also the older generation to love ourselves that includes our textured/ethnic and or Afro-textured hair! I am 40 years old now well out of the 20s and 30s. I finally got rid of the the weaves and the ponytails. Now I am experiencing a contentment and love for myself that only a black woman with Afro-texture hair could experience which is love for who I am!! A beautiful Black woman not pretending anymore! I love washing and conditioning my Afro-textured hair. When I comb my hair I comb it NOT with resentment but with love. Each stroke is not with roughness and unnecessary pressure, I DO NOT think to myself OH this Nappy hair! those were negative thoughts that were installed in us from years of other blacks who subconsiously hated their hair. NO! Now, I embrace my Afro-textured hair and I have changed the way I think of my hair so that it effects the way I treat my hair. I lovingly brush and comb my natural hair every morining and, I style my hair with curling iron or flat iron WITHOUT the chemical treatments. I have resloved to maintain my natural hair with the option to change the hairstyle but,I will not change the true structure of my hair. In other words, when I wash and blow dry my hair it is still Afro-textured and not chemically altered. I have resloved to also, leave if a hair dresser pulls or rakes my hair as though my hair texture is a nusisance because most Black beauticians encourage their clients to get their hair relaxed. I have recently found a great salon that works with natural hair textures. I am so happy!! It's like rediscovering my beautiful blackness hidden away for so long. NOw get ready because here is the kicker!
I am of mixed heritage but with AFro-textured hair! but, I am still loving my hair more and more every day!