Hair
08 August 2024
Hair! We love it, we hate it, we comb it, we perm it, we curl it, we straighten it, we knot it, we cut it, we shave it, we braid it, we dye it, we twist it, we lose it, and we style it. It is an exhausting feat, but it is what makes us women.
We might have alopecia or are losing hair because of menopause or other physical ailments, but we still love . . . or hate our hair. Hair is a sensitive issue, and I know why, I feel why, and I understand why. I have lots of hair, so you can barely see where I am losing it, but I know I have a lot less hair, especially on the top of my head. And I am terrified that I might lose too much, and it will be visible. Oh, the 80s and the 90s!!! I would slather entire tubes of gel on my hair, which has probably damaged my scalp, and my menopause and thyroid issues are not helping either.
"I vividly remember when I became aware of how controlling someone’s hair is used as a tool to satisfy one’s prejudiced, agenda. "
However, I have never had to worry about how I style my hair. My African American sisters do. Only when I moved here, I witnessed how there are many ways to be a racist. I vividly remember when I became aware of how controlling someone’s hair is used as a tool to satisfy one’s prejudiced, agenda. Years ago, I was working at a high-end fashion store when I heard that our beloved cashier was told to fix her hair after, she had it braided. To me, she looked beautiful and put together. However, the braids were not considered professional, and she was told to remove them or else. I was confused because I did not see anything wrong with her braids and I could not understand the hidden meaning of the message the company was trying to deliver. Only later, I did. I understand. Her hair was considered, “too ethnic” and rubbed the management wrong. And yes, the company was quite racist!
To think that in this country we had to pass a law to protect people of color’s hair is mind-boggling (https://www.thecrownact.com/). When I tell people in Europe about it, they look at me like I am from another planet and shake their heads in disbelief. I hope that one day we will not need a law protecting the freedom to express one’s culture because, no matter how one may style their hair . . . with braids (all of them!), with dreadlocks, with Bantu knots, with cornrows, with Afro puffs, with waves, with curls, with buns, with ponytails… whatever the style, all women look beautiful!