CNN iReport

The pictures submitted catelog my hair growning from January 2009 until today July 1st 2009.

I love my hair. I do believe that your hair, especially in the black community does reflect your heritage. It is a part of our culture. At the same time I can also say there were times where people would judge me by my hair and think I was a "thug" or "dirty". Im a young black male student at a predominatley white, upperclass, private university in the south (Queens University of Charlotte, in NC) I always get asked about my hair since I started in January of this year (2009). Some questions are out of curiosity others are, stupidity, and some are just wierd. None the less I try to answer them all and let people know that it is not the hair but the person behind the hair. The second most biggest struggle I've had is that I've been told I will not get a job in my degree field. Im a journalism major. I have been told by advisers and industry professionals that when I graduate in may of 2010 I won't find a job if I keep my hair this way. I believe I still have a chance to make it. I think that if I work had enough that my hair shouldn't be a problem. However this mindset, while hopeful, still brings up the age old struggle and question in Black society. Do you always have to be that much better? Work that much harder? is the only way for a educated, talented, hardworking black male to make it is by working 10 times harder than my white counter part?