My name is Anastasia Patina-Smith, and I am a proud tween of Black and Ukrainian heritage, rocking a head full of the most incredible afro hair. My hair is big, curly, bold, and impossible to ignore. To some people, hair like mine can look like a limitation. To me, it is the opposite. It is a door to a world of opportunities, a membership to the most exclusive beauty club, and a crown I wear every single day with pride.
As a mixed-race kid, I realized pretty early that I was different. I noticed the looks, the whispers, and the comments from other kids. Sometimes people stared. Sometimes they asked questions. Sometimes they said things they probably didn’t even think about. At first, all that attention felt strange. But with the help of my family, I learned something powerful: attention doesn’t have to be negative. Now, when people stare, I see it as admiration. I mean, who wouldn’t want curls like these?
When I was eight years old, my teacher asked our class to write an ode to something that made us feel special. I didn’t have to think long. I chose to write “Ode to My Afro.” My parents loved the poem so much that we decided to do something really exciting—we worked with a music producer and turned it into a song. That song went to number one on the independent charts. Suddenly, my words and my hair were reaching people far beyond my classroom.
I started performing on stages in New York, Houston, and Atlanta. I appeared on TV shows, in commercials, and at events I never imagined being part of at such a young age. Through all of it, I learned an important lesson: when you see your own beauty, the world begins to see it too.
Last October, I had the chance to speak in New York about my natural hair and why I choose to wear my afro proudly. Standing there, sharing my story, I realized something even bigger. My hair is not just mine. It is a reflection of generations of beauty, strength, creativity, and resilience. It carries my voice and my power.
If one little girl sees me and feels brave enough to wear her hair natural too, then I’ve created more beauty in the world. And just imagine if that feeling spreads—from curls to coils, from braids to afros. How unique, diverse, and colorful our world would be. My afro is more than hair. It is my history, my confidence, and my crown.
My best hair advice? Treat it with kindness, condition, respect the natural texture, work with the curls not against them…if the curls want to be wild and free, join them.
@straightfrommyrooots
(Story and photo supplied by Anastasia’s mother)