WELP, y'all it's been a while ... like HALF a year since the last time I've blogged (at least on this account anyway). I wanted to wait until I was inspired to write on something I was passionate about. Nevertheless, some of you reading this may be wondering exactly WHAT I have had a "change of heart" about? Well, in my previous post, "Weave??? ...Taboo??? ...Still???" I was adamant in my support of "weave wearing". Yet, since that post I have gone, and still am going through, a life changing transition with my own hair. At the beginning of this year, I decided to go natural. I am currently 3 months into my journey.
Moreover, in my last post I was a 100% supporter of women wearing weave IF they chose to do so...since then, my outlook has changed. I don't bash women who choose to wear weave (or relax), because I do believe weave can be a great protective hair style IF maintained properly. My issue is that a lot of women wear weave because they just do not feel like being bothered with their own hair and/or are insecure about the hair God has given them. In my last post, I tried to give all women who regularly wear weave the benefit of the doubt; but, NOW I realize that not all women have the same reasons as to why they wear someone else's hair on their heads or choose to sizzle, crackle, and pop their hair strands until they are PERFECTLY straight.
Even though I chose to make this decision kind of late in the game, "Going natural" was NOT a trend move for me. I take this very seriously; and although I plan to NEVER relax my hair again, I am not writing this to say that I won't ever rock a weave, wigs, or braids again at any point in my future. Yet, after experiencing the last 3 months of my natural hair journey, I am learning what mindset I should have when choosing to wear those hair styles. These styles should be used to protect our natural hair literally, NOT figuratively. In other words, I believe the aforementioned hair styles should be worn sensibly and not as a cover up rooted in insecurity about our OWN hair/texture towards mainstream society.
I'm not trying to imply that every black woman should stop whatever they're doing and go "BIG chop" their hair to become natural. I am simply trying to get across that more black women should be open to the idea of becoming "natural". I say this for many reasons, some being: (1) transitioning to natural allows a black woman to learn more about HER hair, (2) wearing our hair natural is overall healthier than wearing extensions/relaxing, and (3) the countless amount of $$$ that will no longer go into a hair industry supporting people who don't even have the best interest of black hair at heart. I didn't need to look at Chris Rock's movie Good Hair to know that the hair industry is ran by damn near everybody EXCEPT people who really know how to maintain and care for BLACK HAIR. The hair industry is a fuckin' monopoly for every other community EXCEPT the black community!.... Whew...Lord lol...(excuse my language y'all lol)...
....but I digress... I guess what I'm trying to get across is that...in my LAST post I took black women wearing weave and relaxing our tresses at face value...HOWEVER ever since I've become natural, I've really begun to learn more about black hair (MY hair), the complex history of why WE as black women choose to wear our hair relaxed and/or weaved up, not to mention the sense of unity I now feel with other "naturals".
So before you grab that Virgin Remy shade 1B or sit back in that beautician's chair "fiending" for a hit of that creamy crack... just find 30 minutes out of your day to "Google" or better yet YOUTUBE "natural hair". You're sure to find an awesome community of women and even men willing to display their natural hair journeys and answer any questions you have on this subject.
*sighs* That's all I have to say :).
--Tania AKA Nia Janei...THE Prototype
No comments:
Post a Comment