Mother and Daughter Celebrate Natural Hair Journey

A children’s book is the launchpad for a mother and daughter duo who are now traveling the country to inspire young girls to embrace their natural hair. The book aims to build confidence and challenge societal beauty standards.

Overcoming Hair Struggles

When her daughter, **Zya**, wanted straight hair for a dance, her mother, **Shonda Knight**, had to explain that the weather would cause problems. This was an opportunity for **Shonda** to celebrate the beauty of curly hair. She shared with her daughter that her hair is beautiful in any style.

The book, “My Omnilocks,” became a way for **Shonda** and **Zya** to connect with other young girls on book tours around the country.

“For a lot of little brown girls, hair, it’s a love hate relationship, especially if they have very coarse hair, says **Knight**, “It can be painful hair days, getting your hair braided can take hours, so we just wanted to take an opportunity to celebrate hair that we believe is a gift from God.”

—Shonda Knight

Hair discrimination is still prevalent; according to a 2023 Dove study, Black women are 1.5 times more likely to be sent home from work because of their hair (The Guardian).

Other Headlines

In other news, a nine-year-old girl named **Leah Lendel** and her family were at a beach in Boca Grande when a shark bit her hand. A week later, she appeared at a press conference at Tampa General Hospital to discuss her recovery.