Black Women’s Transitions to Natural Hair
A video on black women’s decision to embrace their naturally kinky hair, rather than use chemical straighteners.
What is weird to me in the comments is the white women who are like “I so identify with these women! I decided to stop coloring my hair and embrace going grey or my natural hair color and I feel so liberated!”
Um.
No.
The REASON why being a black woman with natural hair is quietly revolutionary is that there is a historical and more importantly RACIAL component to our hair. We as women of color were expected to wear our hair straight— to the point that in certain settings, natural hair is still seen as “unkempt” “dirty” and “unprofessional”. Unlike ones natural hair color, your natural texture can affect your financial future.
I remember vividly two instances where I seriously considered my hair as it pertained to my income earning power:
When I was getting ready to graduate from college, me and all my friends who had been freewheeling and natural went ahead and got more “corporately acceptable” hair styles. Men AND women. My male friends cut off their beautiful locs, me and many of my female friends got braids with straight textured hair (for a temporary solution) although some actually went ahead and relaxed their hair.
The second time around I was transitioning from the public to the private sector, and my mom, point blank, said “you’ll never get a job unless you relax your hair.” I loved my natural hair and how heatlhy it was, but I needed a job and so I went head and relaxed.
THAT is the difference… our natural textures are just starting to become accepted in spehers that influence our economic futures… more so than just a style, beauty or self acceptance thing.
THAT is the revolution in being natural. We are stating (however implicitly) that Mainstream America will accept and celebrate our natural African beauty and not punish us for refusing to conform any longer.
(via revolutionarymindset)
