Radioactivism: Braids by Brigette Dumais

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“My name is Brigette Dumais and I used to be a princess, complete with a pony. It was the last horse show of the year, the state finals… all horses and riders were required to wear their hair in french braids. My grandma braided my hair for every competition. When grandma finished my braids, I looked in the mirror and saw a tangled mess. I ordered her to re-braid my hair. Before my grandma even had a chance to respond, my mother exploded, ‘You should be ashamed of yourself for being so disrespectful!’ She began to cry. ‘Can’t you see she’s in pain?!’”….

Written by narrated by: Brigette Dumais, Tucson High, 17

(VOICES Photo/Reyes Suarez)