Are We Still Enslaved???

Author and Fellow Natural Hair blogger Chris-Tia Donaldson visited Houston.    She talked a little about her experiences as a natural professional.  In discussion, Donaldson posed some thought provoking questions that she herself has explored in her book, Thank God I’m Natural.

The natural hair community is aware of the negative misconceptions and myths centered around wearing your hair in its natural state.  Donaldson asked a group of women at one of Houston’s natural hair shops, where do you think the negativity originated?  A few of the ladies offered their opinions.  But the consensus was it all comes from slavery.  But slavery was abolished centuries ago. Yet these things still effect us today.  Its impact on the African American community’s self image is still evident.  Everyday someone is challenged with embracing their natural texture sometimes with little or no support from family and friends.

Many of us have never been directly touched by slavery.  For those of us who have never known slavery how does it still affect us? From the media.  The media for a long time projected what slaves were taught was acceptable.  The media is a very powerful platform that dictates African American beauty standards as well as hair care practices.  Today, we see more women in advertisements with textured hair so the time have changed.

Still it wasn’t until recently has the hair care curriculum for cosmetology course expand to include more information on how to care for African American hair in its natural state.  It was taught the best way to manage black hair was to relax or press it.  Many have learned that natural hair is just as manageable and healthier.   My question is are we still enslaved by the beauty norms and standards of beauty & acceptability?  How do we overcome it?

More Info about Chris-Tia Donaldson of Thank God I’m Natural
Chris-Tia Donaldson, a Harvard graduate who has suffered her fair share of hair drama, Thank God I’m Natural  is an unprecedented resource guide for black woman looking to care for their kinky hair naturally. By day, Chris-Tia is a successful lawyer for a software company.  By night, she is a freelance writer and entrepreneur looking to launch her own product line for naturally kinky tresses.  For this revolutionary book, Chris-Tia has interviewed hundreds of women — from all walks of life — about everything from the epidemic of hair loss in the black community to the historical effects of slavery on black women and their hair care practices.  Chris-Tia hails from the “D”, but currently lives in Chicago — where she is active in a wide variety of civic, educational, and charitable organizations.