No More Hair Drama

No More Hair Drama - Chapter 2 Dedicated to my "Sistas" and Sisters - Chapter Snippet

Why do African Americans have so many hair struggles?

​It starts from the beginning…your childhood.  Why do little girls today feel that they NEED their hair relaxed?  Peer pressure can be very devastating particularly to one’s self-image.  What you feel about yourself is quite important.  You must have a positive mental attitude to overcome these negative situations.  Try not to allow any negativity penetrate your spirit.  Your self-image/worth is crucial to your health and well-being.  If you maintain a good positive self-image then it will shine through physically and that includes your hair.

Much of this self-hatred began back during the times of slavery.  Those slaves that had a more European look (skin tone and hair) received the preferential treatment, were able to make residence indoors and were treated better than those who had very distinct African features.  In addition, those who were able to “pass” for white were preferred over others.

​African American women need to be more positive and uplifting toward one another.  I remember someone referring to a woman’s locked hair as “feeling like a rug” and this reference was made in front of a lot of people.  People should not put others down and should think before they speak.  Everyone should feel free to wear the style that he or she feels most comfortable.  We have a long way to go because we are still tearing each other down.  We should be more complimentary toward one another instead of negative.  If a woman wants to lock, braid, relax or whatever, she needs the support of other women in whatever choice she decides to make.  Many people make negative comments about another person’s natural hair because they have been convinced that natural hair is not acceptable.  They have been convinced that natural hair is not beautiful because it is coarse and not bone straight.  We all should feel beautiful about ourselves regardless of what we choose to do with our hair. 

​One evening, I watched the television show America’s Next Top Model.  One of the models had her hair braided.  She was told that she had to remove her braids because they are not “marketable.”  After that comment, I thought to myself, “What was meant by the term marketable, and who determines the market?” I believe consumers determine the market and keep the economy going.  It makes absolutely no sense that a market is a determining factor in the hairstyle that someone chooses.  Why does it seem that afro-textured hair or styles of an African origin are so threatening or problematic?  She may have had a sentimental attachment to her braids because they were an extension of her self-worth and pride for being of African descent.  It is tragic that African Americans feel that they are expected to continually compromise and define themselves through someone else’s idea of what is beautiful.  The ironic part of this whole expectation of compromise is that I have been seeing young Caucasian girls wearing historically Afrocentric styles like cornrows, braids, flat twists, etc.  Is there an expectation for African Americans to compromise, still?