My Natural Hair Journey

My Natural Hair Journey

        Ok so my hair has always been a Hot Topic since I was a little girl.  My hair has always been long full and thick. Hair runs throughout both sides of my family, From our black, Indian, to Latino roots. My grandmother took care of my hair my sister’s hair and all of my cousin’s hair keeping it corn rowed.  Sometimes when she got tired of braiding my hair for hours she would put it in 2 cornrows which I still wear sometimes to this day.  She always taught me that my hair was sacred and not to let everyone mess around in my hair. She talked about energy and bad spirits and how people who really don’t care for you shouldn’t be messing around in your hair. She would never let my Mother perm my hair the only time it was ever pressed was for a Holiday.
     Which when I got older I really started to hate it because when I saw my hair out of the braids I LOVED was In Love with it. It was Long Full, crinkly, curly, coily and bouncy. I never got to enjoy it because she would braid it right back up. She told me that I was too young to have all of that hair out and the boys would be swarming.  Well when my grandmother’s fingers became too cramped to braid anymore, my sister took over corn rowing my hair. I never caught a break until middle school then by high school I wanted this style so bad I talked my mother into letting me have my hair permed. MAJOR mistake and the chick that did it cut it way too much. I was shocked, traumatized even it seemed like all the life and energy was drained right out of it.  Everything that my grandmother said finally resonated with me. From that point on no more perms no more stylists.

     My hair struggled growing back to its length but remained thick and beautiful. I suffered some other traumas with it after that and I feel it’s still playing catch up, but getting very back to normal. The one thing I realized though is “I am Not My Hair” this is what my grandmother was trying to instill in me, and I still struggle with this concept at times. The other thing I realized was that I NEVER hated my hair. I was tired of the corn rows yes but not my thick, long, bushy curly afro. I NEVER hated my skin complexion none of that. We weren’t raised that way.  I’ve always embraced my hair not being permed, the girls that had perms wanted my hair they couldn’t wear the styles that I wore. Afro-puffs etc. I let a style that I saw suck me into “I want my hair like that” and then a hater cut my hair too much. It was a lesson very well learned.

      So looking at all this “rah rah rah” about natural hair now. I have to say that don’t let it be a trend to go natural or pressure. Let it be something you embrace out of Love for Self.  Don’t let it be because you think you are going to be more conscious or more connected to the universe. Because we know that learning knowledge of self promotes that NOT Natural hair specifically.  I know some natural hair sistas who have not one conscious word to say no more than a sista with a perm or a weave. I hate when hair divides us as black women. We also have to teach our daughters that they are beautiful and their natural hair is just as beautiful. It’s not about length or how much. It’s just about style and trying different things and taking your time with the process. It’s also not about idolizing what each female rapper, or R&B star or video vixen is wearing and what weave or wig they are wearing. We have to break that spell off of our young women and older ones too.

      I attend natural hair seminars ALL the time. Sistas of all shapes sizes and ages.  Each Sista has a different story. But my thing is everyone’s journey is going to be different to why they went natural and that should be respected.  The hardest part for most women is ALWAYS starting off.  Embracing how she looks, how she feels, and most importantly how others will see her. What men will think of her? I hear Sistas say all these things in seminars. They also want to know if they can ever wear their hair straight again (of course you can). I get mine pressed or blown out when I want to wear it straight.  I must say I have seen some BEAUTIFUL Natural Hair Sistas from dreads to coils, to kinks to twists, to knots to afros to curls. They compliment my hair, I compliment theirs.  I have met some beautiful Sistas who are just doing their natural hair thing! They inspire me, their stories inspire me! I have been natural now over 7 years and I love it.

     So again I have to say each Sista’s Journey to Natural hair is different and “Why” is not important. What’s important is what is going to keep us Natural and LOVING our Natural Hair. Also for those Sistas who do not choose to go natural, not to love them any less. There is NO separation between us we should CELEBRATE each other no matter what we are Beautiful. Let’s not let our hair be another reason to keep us separated.

                                    

Enjoy YOUR Journey and most of all Love yourself and your Hair

The artwork on my background is by my Natural Hair Sista Friend "Toni Daley" who does fabulous Natural hair artwork!