By Sydney Kerbow | Reporter
For most students at Baylor, a bad hair day is just a minor inconvenience. Throwing on a baseball cap to cover your bedhead or oily strands is a quick fix. But for some students, it isn’t that simple. For some students, like members of ROOTS, hair has a history.
San Antonio senior and current president of ROOTS, Clarisse Merced, explained the club’s purpose.
“We aim to foster community among men and women with natural hair, educate all students about hair science and celebrate the role of hair in Black and African-American culture,” Merced said.
The club was first founded in 2017, and after its recent rechartering in 2023, ROOTS continues to provide a space where Black students can celebrate their natural hair while navigating a predominantly white institution.
The significance of natural hair goes far beyond aesthetics for many ROOTS members. El Paso freshman Wisdom Mitchell-Wells is the outreach chair for ROOTS, and she reflected on the emotional and cultural connections her hair represents.
“It’s not just about me,” Mitchell-Wells said. “It’s about my mom, my grandma and my ancestors. Hair holds power. Changing it can shift how people perceive you, and it allows for self-expression.”
For many, natural hair represents a journey of self-discovery, a sentiment shared by both Merced and Mitchell-Wells. Merced recounted how she stopped straightening her hair during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I decided to embrace my Black hair,” Merced said. “I went natural at 16, and I’ve been learning to love it ever since.”
ROOTS also tackles historical and cultural themes surrounding natural hair. Merced emphasized that natural hair has been used as a form of communication, particularly in times of oppression.
“During the 1800s, cornrows were used to signal escape routes during slavery,” Merced said. “Hair is still a way to communicate and express who you are.”
ROOTS strives to build a safe space for students to share their hair journeys and build confidence. The club’s collaboration with Baylor’s student government to pass The CROWN Act, which prohibits hair discrimination, marked a historic achievement.
“It was empowering to know we made history here at Baylor, and that students with natural hair can feel a sense of relief and pride,” Mitchell-Wells said. “When you’re surrounded by people who are on the same journey, it empowers you. You realize you’re not alone.”
