As you may or may not know, I got a blow out about a month ago. See pictures here. I straighten my hair for two reasons to check my grow out challenge progress and for a trim. In sharing with my Facebook page, I was astonished by some of the negative comments.
One commentator wrote “Hmmm just sounds like relapsing to look like “massa wife” to me. Sorry, not feeling the “straight” look at all.”
Another comment was “I thought we were promoting kinky, curly NATURAL hair?”
Does it make my hair any less natural if I choose to temporarily straighten on occasions? Many women have chosen the natural alternative not as a “revolt against the man” or as some type of civil disobedience. Many have opted for the natural choice for healthy hair. That’s why I went natural. For healthier hair that is full of versatility. I want to go from curly to straight and vice versa.
For those, like me who choose to rebel against the natural hair rules; I embrace the right to choose how I want to wear me hair. I will not be intimidated into others standards of beauty “natural or not”. Natural is unique to the individual. Its freedom of expression. Should we criticize any of our sisters because of the way they wear their hair?
I totally agree with your thoughts on the articles. Some individuals feel as if they can attack you for not wearing your as they prefer. Hair is a “personal” item and it’s the individuals choice how they want to wear it. One of the things to love about being natural is the versatility of it. It’s ok to have an opinion, but just because it’s an opinion that doesn’t make it law. I have been completely natural for 2 and a half years. For two of those years I wore my hair straightened 6-8 months out of the year. My hair waves, kinks, coils, draws up whenever wet just like anyone who never straightens theirs. My hair has not relaxed since Apr 2009 so I’m still natural. Straight, kinky/coily, braided, or twisted, it’s my choice and as long as my hair is still not chemically processed I’m as natural as can be.
Natural hair means no chemicals in your hair. Anyone can have natural hair, no matter what your race is. Natural hair is not a hair style.
Another more disturbing undercurrent than this one is the unspoken hierarchy of hair textures which still creates higher and lower classes of hair types WITHIN the natural hair range of types.
The marketing, images, aspirations and reactions/comments within the community still – often by subtle suggestion alone – place the looser curled or mixed-race type hair at the top of an invisible pyramid. Hair sites for natural hair are often dominated by such images. They are the new white standards of beauty to be aspired to and admired. Admiration for these sisters would be fine if it wasnt to the detriment of true inclusion and equality.
Not sure if anyone else out there feels this but Im becoming uncomfortable more and more aware of it the more forums/sites/etc I visit.