I have yet to meet a black woman who did not regularly wear her hair in braids as a girl. Certainly, we got relaxers and hot-combed to death for church and special occasions, but our go-to styles for every day wear always involved braid hairstyles of some sort. From cornrows to twists with barrettes on the end, having your locs fashioned into a braided style was something every black child had to endure. And while I am a proponent of “Free the black child” movement, meaning I do not believe we should give a black child’s hair priority over living her fun carefree life, I also think it’s a cultural right of passage for every black girl to have her braided in fun intricate styles.