I was a fresh 15 when the idea of straitening my hair became repulsive to me. Everywhere I looked, the tyrant of popular culture demanded universal alignment to euro-centric beauty standards. Now we find a black girl's bellowing cry of self-acceptance echoed from the hashtags and streets, to the throat of our old enemy, pop culture.

As God's design of our beauty is finally being affirmed on a larger scale, another enemy craftily inserts his distortions into the mix. How do we fight the temptation to exalt our beauty and character above others? How do we affirm our identity unapologetically, holistically and righteously? Let's have a candid conversation about our experiences and consult God's Word in handling these glowing, magical embers.