You may have been warned that you won't get a job, accepted into a school, or just won't be taken seriously. Your loc journey may have all types of challenges that you don't know how to face, but we're here to tell you, You Are Not Alone.

We sat down with Robert to learn more about his Loc Journey of 4 years. Below is what he had to say:

Do you remember what inspired you to grow locs?

“I think it was me wanting to have really long hair and I saw other boys with faux locs and I thought that could help me grow my hair and look cool.”

What's the most important lesson you've learned along your hair journey?

“I learned that if you don’t take care of something it will not prosper. Also, that locs are not a thing to be ashamed of or ‘unprofessional’ it is powerful. And finding this out made me want to keep my hair up.”

What advice would you give to a person that wants to loc their hair?

“It is a beautiful experience. It will be days where you feel that you want to cut it all off and start over. But, having locs teaches you perseverance and self love. Be strong, be different, and be YOU ❤️.”

Do you have any hair tips you'd like to share?

“I recently started using avocado oil, 6-10 drops of lavender oil, and some water. I think it’s pretty good. But my biggest tip is experiment with the different shapes and styles you can do because locs are amazing and very versatile. Also, I wouldn’t recommend using products with peppermint and tea tree oil, it dries your scalp, so have a good moisturizer.”

What does professionalism mean to you?

“Professionalism means to me that my locs are close and not spaced out. I actually like to show up with a messy top ponytail and headscarf and go against the ‘neat’ standard because it makes me stand out and I get to prove to people and students that a teacher doesn’t look a certain way or that a scholar doesn’t look a certain way. So I kind of show up how I want to places.”

What's something you enjoy doing or what's one thing you're passionate about?

“I am passionate about teaching. I want to be a teacher. My style and hair are a big part of who I am and my blackness. I know that when I become a teacher I want to bring this uniqueness and black pride into the classroom.”

Lastly, is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

“I just am working on loving myself and growing as a person. I’m learning to be okay with listening to the universe/god and seeing that everything that happens is suppose to happen. I have come a long way with knowing my worth as a black male and as a black gay male. I will say that I am happy and accepting myself more and more everyday. It’s empowering to be able to accept that when I’m rejected, sad, or even suicidal it’s only the universe clearing my vision to keep me on my destined path.”

If you don’t mind, I’d like to dive a little deeper. I often hear about people being encouraged to dismiss any moments of sadness, rejection, or suicidal thoughts.

So when you say it's empowering to be able to accept these feelings, what does that feel like?

“It feels like sitting with the feeling and this can be dangerous because it’s like leaning one foot over the edge. But you have to feel entirely. What I mean is if you are sad, give yourself space/time to be sad and amplify this sadness with sad songs and work through all the pain and tears until you feel that it’s gone or until you feel balance. In this process I see the beauty in my situation. I see that I’m amazing and strong and that I should be grateful to have experienced such emotions.”

Robert, thank you so much for taking the time to sharing your Loc Journey with us and really opening up to share your experience embracing mental health. I know your future students will love having you guide their educational journey.

We at BossLocks would like to share another resource for anyone experiencing mental health, The Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis. Call 1-800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org to receive help from trained professionals who are their to serve you!

Now It’s Your Turn!

Join us by sharing your loc journey and help people learn more about life with locs.