A video of a preschool-age girl is capturing hearts because of the incredibly confident way she responded to a boy who didn’t like her hair. Leila Danai, who was 3 and a half when the video was taken, is one of the only Black children in her school, and her mother, Mildred Munjanganja, prepared her for comments people might make about her hair.
In the video, Leila tells her mother that a boy in school said he didn’t like her hair, “I said, ‘I like it!’” she responded. “He said, ‘I don’t like that hair — it’s crazy.’ And I said, ‘My mommy made it. And if you don’t like it, I’ll keep it for myself,” she continued.
Leila then showed off her beautiful smile.
“Oh, baby! I’m so proud of you,” her mother exclaimed. “You stood up for yourself. That’s what matters. What matters is that you like it — it’s your hair.”
Munjanganja explained her parenting philosophy in the video’s caption.
“I am glad she didn’t need anyone’s validation to feel complete. She knew she loved her hairstyle, and that’s what mattered,” Munjanganja wrote. “She stood up for herself, she confidently and honestly communicated her point of view and she didn’t allow someone else to affect her self-confidence. I am so proud of her. At 3.5 years, she stood up for herself and didn’t allow the [comment] to affect her.”
Mother and daughter were applauded in the comments.
“We should all have this type of self-esteem. A beautiful young lady. I love her hair!” Armando Lopez wrote. “She is beautiful and will be a fierce force as she grows! Go Momma!!!” Rugby added.
