One of my favorite things to do in my free time is look at photos of Black women on social media. I’m inspired by their beauty—their enviable lips, their knowing eyes, the range of their skin tones, and of course, their beautiful hair.

Right now, these images are more inspiring than ever. They make me feel proud of my sisters, who are holding their heads high at a time when our spirits are being tested in every way possible. And while Black women look like queens no matter how we choose to wear our hair(pressed, stretched, relaxed, natural or otherwise, our crowns are glorious) I love that I see so many beauties influencing in their natural tresses.

There was once a time when an overwhelming majority of Black women felt pressure to conform and take on ideals of beauty that weren’t centered around us, including relaxing our hair. As someone who has always been natural (in texture), I sometimes felt left out, and unexcited about my kinky coils.

But in the past few years we’ve seen a rise in Black women rejecting those false ideologies, and embracing their hair in its natural grandeur. So today I salute that with a nod to these women whose creative and unapologetically Black hairstyles gave me pause, hope, and good vibes exactly when I needed it.

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