“I am not my hair . . . I am not your expectations.” No one has made that statement any clearer than talented singer-songwriter, India Arie, whose lyrics to her 2005 hit song, by the same title, are paraphrased in that quote. Arie’s words masterfully express the feelings of countless Black women who are fed up with being judged by how they wear their natural hair.
“When I cut my hair short, I did so because I was tired of putting straightening chemicals in my hair. I just wanted a nice, easy to manage, short natural haircut. I was fine with it, until someone told me that only lesbians wear short cuts.” Those were the words of one conscientious Black woman expressing her concern over hearsay. Shame on the people who believe that fallacy or the other tale that the natural hair cut worn by Black women is a show of militancy. When you try to apply everything across the board to everybody you get issues. And Black women have issues on this subject.
Issue number one – Black women are sick and tired of being stereotyped by the way they wear their hair. So let’s debunk the short-hair stereotypes. Do not prejudge or mischaracterize Black women who wear short hair, just because they refuse to conform and adopt the standards of a hair-obsessed society. While some women who wear the so-called butch cut are lesbians all are not.
Issue number two — There are countless Black women who have naturally long and relatively straight hair, while others do not. Some of those who are lacking the flowing tresses will go to extremes to look like what they consider to be acceptable, the American norm. And countless numbers of them will opt for the time consuming, costly process of getting weaves and braids. Unfortunately, many will do so at the expense of losing their natural hair to alopecia.
Issue number three – Some women just don’t want to be prisoners to straightening chemicals, scalp burns or day long headaches from tight weaves. Women who wear the short naturals are often self-confidant, independent-thinking women who ignore the perception of narrow-minded people who believe that only long hair makes a woman look feminine and attractive. And as enlightened as Black people are, some still let self-hate cloud their judgment when it comes to hair. They will risk personal injury and spare no expense to live the illusion that long, flowing hair makes them beautiful. Shallow thinkers get this – hair alone does not make you beautiful. But it is definitely a hot topic in the Black community. If only as much time and effort were devoted to education. What’s inside the head will take you a lot further than what’s on it.
The following testimony was received from an independent-thinking young lady who made the leap from chemicals and store-bought hair and transitioned to “The Big Chop.”
”Once I got the hang of doing my hair I started to really love the natural me. I love taking a shower and getting my hair wet. I hated wearing those shower caps. I couldn’t believe how good it felt to get in the shower and put my head under the water. I have wash and go hair now. HOORAY! I can roll the window down in my truck and not worry about my hair blowing all over the place; 90 degrees outside and sweating, no problem. There are so many things I will not have to worry about any more. I love my hair now and I will never go back to [straightened hair] again. I am in it for the long haul! I am free from feeling like the hair I was born with is ugly.”
More and more women are growing tired of frying their hair with hot combs, burning their scalp with lye-based chemicals and facing early baldness so that they can have that “good hair” look. As India Arie sings it, “Good hair means curls and waves. Bad hair means you look like a slave. At the turn of the century. Its time for us to redefine who we be.”