For the past few weeks I’ve been reading stories about Black people and their natural hair or hairstyles not being acceptable for many.
The topic of “natural Black hair,” caused me to wonder (and not for the first time), why Black hair texture/Black hairstyles seem to bothers so many people to the extent that the Supreme Court had to rule on a recent workplace case. I wondered if non-Black people were loosing their minds! What was it about Black hair that made people uncomfortable?
I decided to share a few random thoughts about my hair in hopes that those who are not Black will obtain some degree of understanding, or find common ground about “hair.”
1. My hair is very coarse in texture, coiled tightly, and sometimes described by some as “4c” hair. Kinky, rough, thick, are word associated with my kind of texture.
2. I put a variety of oils, crèmes, and other hair products, on my scalp and/or hair weekly, to give it moisture, shine, softness, or to make it more manageable.
3. Depending on the style, my hair can be washed weekly, or biweekly. It is rare that it’s washed daily.
4. My hair is often knotted after washing, making it difficult to comb through. Most Black females are always in search of a shampoo or conditioner that will soften the hair to make
it more manageable especially after washing.
5. Because of its texture, my hair can stay in the style I choose to wear, for long periods of time. It does not require “touching up’ every few minutes.
6. My hair never lays close to my scalp without a lot of gel. Most often my hair will “stand” an inch or more away from my scalp, depending on the weather. Sometimes it shrinks,
sometimes it doesn’t. I often wonder about the science taking place but I don’t spend time investigating.
The topic of “natural Black hair,” caused me to wonder (and not for the first time), why Black hair texture/Black hairstyles seem to bothers so many people to the extent that the Supreme Court had to rule on a recent workplace case. I wondered if non-Black people were loosing their minds! What was it about Black hair that made people uncomfortable?
I decided to share a few random thoughts about my hair in hopes that those who are not Black will obtain some degree of understanding, or find common ground about “hair.”
1. My hair is very coarse in texture, coiled tightly, and sometimes described by some as “4c” hair. Kinky, rough, thick, are word associated with my kind of texture.
2. I put a variety of oils, crèmes, and other hair products, on my scalp and/or hair weekly, to give it moisture, shine, softness, or to make it more manageable.
3. Depending on the style, my hair can be washed weekly, or biweekly. It is rare that it’s washed daily.
4. My hair is often knotted after washing, making it difficult to comb through. Most Black females are always in search of a shampoo or conditioner that will soften the hair to make
it more manageable especially after washing.
5. Because of its texture, my hair can stay in the style I choose to wear, for long periods of time. It does not require “touching up’ every few minutes.
6. My hair never lays close to my scalp without a lot of gel. Most often my hair will “stand” an inch or more away from my scalp, depending on the weather. Sometimes it shrinks,
sometimes it doesn’t. I often wonder about the science taking place but I don’t spend time investigating.
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