Why black Women Are Returning to Their Natural Woolly Hair

 

Our journey to embracing our natural wooly hair isn't simply about a hairstyle. For many black women, embracing their natural wooly hair is an emotionally charged journey toward self-discovery.

In the past, natural hair has been viewed negatively. Many of us were told that our hair was "tooth" (thick), "hard", "rough," or "too much." These statements weren't limited to the way we viewed our hair. The way we viewed these statements influenced how we viewed ourselves.

Something is happening. An increasing number of black women are viewing their natural hair through different eyes. They're asking themselves new questions. Who taught me my hair wasn't beautiful? Why did I feel like I needed to alter it to gain acceptance? What would occur if I quit apologizing for the hair that God gave me?

Back to Being Me

Natural woolly hair represents identity. It ties us to our history, our family tree, our facial features, and the design that God created us to be. It is not arbitrary; it is not a flaw. It is who we are.

Many black women for a long time have believed that in order to fit into society and obtain respect, they needed to abandon their natural texture. Straight hair was often perceived as being more professional, more feminine, more refined and therefore more acceptable.

However, there are now a growing number of women who understand that to receive acceptance does not necessarily mean having to erase parts of oneself. We should not have to conceal the natural product of our bodies in order to feel worthy, attractive, or respectable.

For many black women, choosing to embrace their natural hair is a way of stating, "I am no longer fleeing myself."

 

Overcoming Hair Anxiety

Hair  anxiety (or hair shame), for many black women began early. For some of us it was the pain caused by combing sessions when young, the disapproval expressed by relatives, the ridicule experienced in school, or the lack of models that displayed women with wooly hair as beautiful.

These hurtful experiences linger long after we've grown-up. As adults we can continue to hold onto the belief that our hair is a problem waiting to be resolved.

This is why embracing our natural hair can be so emotionally taxing. While embracing our natural hair means learning new products, styles and techniques, it also means un-learning shame.

We have to cease referring to our hair as ugly. We have to cease discussing it as though it is a curse. We have to cease comparing the texture of our hair to those with less tight curls or straighter textures.

Our hair does not have to transform itself into another type of hair before receiving love.

It Takes Time to Develop Confidence

Every black woman that makes the decision to go back to her natural hair does not wake up the next morning feeling confident. Some women experience feelings of vulnerability when making the transition. Some concern themselves with what others might think. Some days she feels beautiful and some days she is uncertain.

It's normal.

Developing confidence typically occurs gradually over time. It develops as each wash day unfolds, each positive comment surfaces, each public outing occurs, and each occasion where you decide not to degrade your image.

You can begin developing your confidence by stating, "The quality of my hair nor the quality of my beauty defines my value."

You can also ask yourself more profound questions. Am I a loving person? Am I supportive of my sisters? Am I enjoyable company?

Your character, kindness, intelligence, compassion and heart are important. Beauty alone is insufficient.

Legacy for Future Generations

Perhaps the strongest motivation behind black women returning to their natural wooly hair is legacy.

When young girls view adult women who display their own hair with pride and confidence, it communicates two things. It tells them that their texture is nothing to be afraid of. It says to them that they don't have to wait until they have altered their hair before they perceive themselves as beautiful.

Representing oneself is not accomplished solely through representation in media outlets such as television programs and magazines. Representation occurs within homes, within families, within church communities, within educational settings and in all areas of daily life. Each black woman who displays pride and confidence in her own natural hair contributes to this message.

We're telling generations yet unborn that wooly textured hair is not ugly; it's stunning, resilient, unique and deserving of love and care.

An Invitation to Grow Slowly

Going back to your natural hair is not a criticism of someone else's hair choices. It's an inquiry as to why many of us were educated to repudiate ourselves in the first place.

If this message resonates with you, Before We Become Extinct: How Do I Get the Confidence to Wear My Natural Woolly Hair? was written specifically for black women on the journey toward self-acceptance and liberation through confidence.