The Hair Debate

I have been watching and listening to the hair debate from the sidelines for a while. I must admit that I find it quite amusing because I cannot believe that we are actually allowing this to be such a divisive subject. For those who might not be aware of it, in the black community there is a lot of back and forth regarding women who choose to either wear weaves or extensions versus those who choose to go natural. A lot of the time, particularly in Africa, it is the men who are very vocal about being against weaves (even though that does not stop them from being with weave wearing ladies or paying for those weaves.... anyway I digress). Apparently wearing a weave is an indication of lack of self love, that you are not proud of being black and therefore are trying to be white. The other is that you are not proud of your God given gifts........ (please!) Some even go as far as to say fake hair, fake nails, fake face (make-up) equals fake person.

Well, let me tell you this, as a woman, my hair does not define me. It is my crowning glory and adds a bit of spice to what is already a complete picture. Don't get me wrong I know that there are people out there who might have self-esteem issues and translate these in their looks but the majority of us ladies are not like that. It always irritates me when there are these movements that are meant to "help free us from our mental chains" when what they are doing is just being anti-white. Why is my wearing a weave being equated to wanting to be white? Why is "being white" our constant springboard as if our blackness exists in opposition to whiteness? 

I for one cannot tell you the number of different hairstyles I have had in my short thirty-something years. One of the main motivating factors for me has always been the phases I've gone through. In high school I was a tomboy and had natural virgin (untreated) Afro. When I think back though I can remember a time when I was younger and my mother used HairGlo to tame my unruly Afro cause I would cry when my hair was being combed in the morning. In that very distant memory I also remember women of that time using the hot comb to straighten their hair. The fact about black hair, especially virgin hair, it can be a nightmare to manage. Funny enough it is this fact that actually enables it to be so versatile and withstand the constant probing and prodding we subject it to. I love the fact that I can change my hairstyle and look overnight and my white friends have always been envious of this which is why even white girls go for weaves and other hairstyles that are seen as "black" hairstyles (I put black in inverted commas because in other parts of the world some of these hairstyles are mainly worn by white women and therefore seen as "white" hairstyles).

After my tomboy years, I discovered men and that is when my hairstyles really started taking off. There is just something about breaking up with a man that makes you wanna change your hair. I've had relaxed hair, short s-curl ( a favourite cause I look good with short hair), bald head, dread locks, braids, weaves, wigs etc. This constant chopping and changing is something that has always been there and it does not only apply to hair but to all forms of adornment. Adornments have been a form of cultural identification and can range from body markings, piercings, clothing, accessories, headgear etc. If you google "ancient African hairstyles" you will come across numerous varieties of hairstyles, wigs, headgear, etc and these have changed with changing times.

As a people we need to move away from the attitude of "black enough" or "not black enough" cause it is ridiculous. When two cultures come across each other, there is absolutely no way that an exchange between them can be prevented. From the moment the colonialists landed in Africa both cultures were irreversibly changed and influenced each other and the same applies all cultures. This obsession with purity of culture is actually an illusion as there is no such. It is an extremely divisive issue that stems from tribalism that was used by colonialists to divide and conquer African tribes and has led to genocides in the continent. Are we really saying that in this day and age, with everything that has happened through history that we have learnt nothing and are poised to make the same mistakes? 

At the end of the day regardless of what I have on my hair what matters is what's on the inside, I know it's cliche but it's true! Every person has a right to rock whatever hairstyle they wanna rock. Let's stop for one second before making something out of nothing. If you wanna rock your weave, go on girl! If dreads move you, so be it.....as Bobby Brown puts it, it's your prerogative!