Strider Patton says there's one moment that makes all the hours of perfecting braids and bows and high ponies worth it. "Someone leans down to my daughter and says, 'Wow, your hair looks great today!

Hair braiding is a beauty rite of passage for many people of color, including me. I’ve been wearing braids in my 4A hair since before I can remember, as well as adding extensions to them since around ...