Natural Hair: Black Women Shame Women With Straight Hair

I went back and forth with relaxed and natural hair from middle school to college. For me, hair was just never that deep. From 2009-2010, I transitioned with the help of 16-inch weaves and blowouts until I finally chopped off the remaining relaxer and wore my lovely kinks in a cute, moderately sized, curly ‘fro—who I affectionately named Ebony, due to her stunning beauty, boldness and blackness.

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I let Ebony grow out into a massive puff ball and wore her like that for two years. Last year, I cut her off again out of boredom and proudly rocked her the shortest she’s ever been (I was able to feel my scalp for the first time!). Currently, I’m on my Brandy flow with box braids down to my waist. Hair for me has always been a means to express myself and just play a little. I made certain not to get too attached to it and attach so much meaning to it. As much as I love my naturally jet-black, thick, kinky-curly ringlets, I know that there’s more to me than hair and it can be here today, gone tomorrow; things happen.

Growing up, my two older sisters and mother were like this as well; so even though I was aware of the significance of hair in our community, I didn’t really grasp how deep that significance was until the last time I went natural and started reading all the hair care blogs for what I thought would be strictly informational and entertaining. To my shock, however, I saw that this most recent natural hair phenomenon was a modern day remix to the 70s “I’m Black and I’m Proud” movement. People were sharing their natural hair testimonies of newly-discovered self-love, and others were making social, historical references. “How beautiful it is for so many of us to celebrate our natural glory in so many ways,” I thought. But in the midst of that celebration, I was soon turned off by the division I saw being created. Natural chicks were bashing relaxed chicks, weaved chicks, and chicks who were natural but opted for a press and curl or blowout. It felt a little cultish.

Last year EBONY.com gathered leading hair and style bloggers to discuss all things Black hair. Leola Anifososhe, founder of natural hair sorority Pi Nappa Kappa, said, “But when you break down the natural pattern, that’s going beyond, that’s on a more psychological [level]. There’s more layers associated with chemically altering your natural pattern.” I felt she was implying that our straightened sisters have some type of deep, heavy emotional baggage. As one who wore my hair straight, on and off for many years, I knew this wasn’t the case. I loved myself and loved that I could adjust my hair to my mood at the moment, nothing more or less. The only reason I stopped was more so out of hair health reasons and I knew I could just weave it up when I wanted the silky effect. I’m not denying that some straightened sisters are victims of social conditioning and the narrow definitions of beauty, but to make such a bold blanket statement is a bit much.

Most recently, I was reading “Kinky Hair’s No Longer ‘Limiting’? Oprah Winfrey Hairstylist Andre Walker Launches Natural Product Line.” The post brought up a comment Walker stated in 2011:

“I always recommend embracing your natural texture. Kinky hair can have limited styling options; that’s the only hair type that I suggest altering with professional relaxing.”

This, of course brewed up an attack from some of the ladies on #TeamNatural. He then tried, to no avail, to fix his comment by explaining he had no issues with kinky hair and that he was only suggesting that texturizers and the like are viable options “if you want a natural look, but find that your kinky hair is difficult to manage, breaks too easily, lacks shine and luster and limits your preferred styling options.”

Andre is now prepping to launch Andre Walker Hair, “a line created for women who are looking to transition and become natural.” Many of the article’s readers weren’t having it though and couldn’t seem to forgive Walker’s two-year-old comment that was never intended to hurt or offend. One reader wrote, “He’s an idiot,” another called him an opportunist and many expressed their desires for him to fail and suggested all natural women boycott his line.

While I see how Walker’s statement could have been offensive to some and I agree it wasn’t the most intelligent comment, I just wasn’t that offended. And I’m a kinky chick! I just interpreted it as someone from the old-school, who due to years of exclusively styling Oprah and not getting out much in the hair world, said something out of unawareness of how much natural hair techniques and products had evolved. When he first started, kinky hair did have limited styling options because there weren’t a thousand product lines to hydrate our curls or a bajillion YouTubers posting step-by-step styling videos. Like everyone else in the world, he’s NOT perfect and he put his foot in his mouth. What’s the big deal? That alone doesn’t warrant evil-wishing from a team of crazy kinky, curly, wavy holier-than-thou-weirdos. I can’t say it enough, it’s not that deep.

I’m always happy and entertained when Solange takes to Twitter to express her annoyance, and I was especially thrilled last year when she did so regarding her own natural hair choices. “I’ve never painted myself as a team natural vice president. I don’t know the lingo and I don’t sleep with a satin cap” and “Look, all I’m saying is My hair is not very important to me… so I don’t encourage it to be important to you,” were a few of the Tweets from her mini and much-needed rant. I couldn’t have agreed more and was relieved someone with a platform publicly told the naturalistas to chill a bit. I understand the deep-rooted feelings surrounding hair in our community, but can we please just live our lives without it always stirring up so much emotion? It really is just hair.

If you want to be a pro-natural/anti-all-things not kinky or curly advocate then that’s fine and that’s your right. You cross the line, however, when you try to convince the world that all straight-haired Black women are broken; when you call a stylist names and wish for his business to fail; and when you associate a very talented celeb to her hair and hair alone.

What are your thoughts on aggressive naturalistas? Do you agree that it’s just hair? Share with the beauties!

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