I feel like you are hiding your beautiful faces under weave....what are you so afraid of? It’s like you are hiding from your own magnificent beauty. I say magnificent because.... African women are HOT!Jah didn’t give us hair that falls in our face because Jah wanted the world to see our beauty. That’s why Jah gave us prominent features, so that they could be admired."
Let me reveal that the controversial post was written by a Rastafarian woman, whose religion is against all things considered artificial. As a lover of all things pretty, elegant and glamorous, I, on the other hand, couldn't disagree more.(That's me in the picture up there)
The writer began by stating,"To check the race of citizens, white employers would stick a pencil in your hair. The kind of hair you had determined your place in society. If the pencil fell off, you were safe and got treated better than the other slaves....if the pencil got stuck (as it normally would in black hair) you were doomed...You were something dirty, uncivilised and savage.
As a result African people hated this hair of theirs that denied them access to jobs, wealth and opportunities. Our hair became a liability. African people began to detest their own hair and what they look like because of where it ended them up on the social ladder.....at the bottom."
I, as an African woman however, am proud to announce that; Yes, I wear weaves and straighten my hair. But not because of some backward so-called slave-mentality. The naked truth is that I simply detest having to spend hours washing ,drying and styling my hair every morning. As a busy lady who is always on the go, I have found weaves to be not only convenient, but economical and time-saving.
The fact that they give my hair a chance to grow and recuperate from harsh chemical and heat treatments is a huge bonus. This has absolutely nothing to do with being ashamed of my race or trying to be "white."
Secondly, white women have been known to wear weaves and hair extensions too - clearly this is not a "black-person-trying-to-be-white" thing. It's simply a "women-exercising-their-God-given-right-to-try-out-different-looks" thing.
If hair extensions and relaxers fill your mind with graphic images of slavery, wars and genocide, maybe you're not as liberated as you think you are. Freedom means black women being able to go blonde without being subjected to stigma and discrimination. (Our sister Beyonce is a sterling example). It also means white women having the liberty to twist their hair into dreadlocks without prejudice.
If we're going to sing the "Let's go back to our roots" tune, then why not wear animal skins like our ancestors? And while we're at it, perhaps we should give up driving cars, using cell-phones and wearing perfume. If donning a head of straight, blonde or wavy hair makes you feel confused about your identity, my darling, you need help - fast!
Thirdly, a woman's hair is an outward expression of her personality, her mood and even,her social standing. While Afrocentric women will proudly rock natural Afros and dreadlocks as a celebration of their ethnicity, conservative women may prefer simple, straight styles which portray elegance and quiet sophistication.
Curly hair often signifies a sense of fun, adventure and playfulness (like me!), while women who are seeking to make a bold statement may dye their hair some eye-catching color (Rihanna's red crop is a case in point), or simply shave their tresses off.
We may not be able to control the economy, politics or the weather, but we certainly have a right as women to decide how we want to wear our hair. Long, short,straight, curly, blonde, black, brown, red or purple...this is simply our way of celebrating our individuality and uniqueness.
Like the popular saying goes, "One man's food is another man's poison." Clearly, one hairstyle does not fit all. At the end of the day, your hair style is not about being black, or white, or red, or brown, or yellow ... it's about BEING YOU! Lisa, Rochelle, Shondra, Naomi, Tembi, Jennifer, Erin, Kiki or Nyasha...
So ladies, go ahead and rock the hairstyle that makes you feel "you-est"! Celebrate YOU! Beautiful, extraordinary YOU!
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