A Kind Stranger Answers A Mother’s Plea For Help In Styling Her Black Daughter’s Hair

Stephanie Hollifield, a white mother from Georgia, turned to social media with an usual request. According to Today, she needed assistance styling her black daughter’s hair. The mom had tried every product she could find and done plenty of research about how to best style African-American hair. Despite trying out every tip and trick she could find, her daughter Haley’s hair was continuously knotted and clumpy. Not only did Hollifield want her daughter to look her best, but she was desperate for a less painful hair care process. The daily untangling of her daughter’s hair was stressful for her and traumatic for Haley.

“I have consulted with salons, watched YouTube videos, and taken notes on everything my friends shared. There has never been a product that was recommended to me that I didn’t immediately go out and buy. As a white mama, I am deeply aware of the social and cultural areas of parenting where I will have to reach out for support,” Hollifield wrote in a Facebook post pleading for help. The mother was simply hoping for a few helpful comments that might aid in her dilemma. However, she ended up receiving much more.

An adoptive mom took to Facebook to lay bare her guilt, calling herself a "clueless white momma" and asked "black friends of social media" for any and all help they could offer for her child’s tresses. https://t.co/XSvJZ5WsMd

— USA TODAY Life (@usatodaylife) November 27, 2018

Monica Hunter, a black woman who lived nearby, happened to see the post. She’d never met Hollifield before in her life but was more than happy to assist her. She even offered to take the time to come to her house and teach her some techniques. Hollifield said that Hunter showed up prepared, carrying a selection of hair products, bows, and headbands. She asked for nothing in return for her generosity and wouldn’t take any money the grateful mother offered. After the help from this kind stranger, Hollifield felt empowered and humbled.

“By the time she left I had a little more confidence in fixing my daughter’s hair, and most importantly I felt supported by my new friend. In a time of so much hate and division, our world needs more people like this,” she wrote in a Facebook post.

Hollifield is a contributor to the parenting blog Momstrocity.co. After writing about the kindness she received from Hunter, the heartwarming story soon went viral on social media. In pondering what it is about this story that touched so many people, Hollifield believes it is because of its rarity. In today’s fast-paced world many people are just looking out for themselves. This woman put her life on hold to help out someone she didn’t even know, an act of kindness Hollifield hopes will inspire many.