I’m sure we have all heard the song by India Arie featuring Akon, “I Am Not My Hair”. But is this really true? Just think about how much time and money we put into our hair on a weekly basis. Black women are the #1 consumers in the hair industry. I agree with the lyrics “I am not my hair, I am not my skin, I am a soul that lives within.” But in the past this has not always been the case, and even now there seems to be a shift in how we view our hair.
I recently saw this post on Instagram.
After reading this it really got me thinking about what my hair means to me. We choose how we wear our hair, and there is no right or wrong way. Natural hair or relaxed hair, it’s your choice. But I challenge you to think about why you wear your hair the way you do.
I love my natural hair, and I love afro textured hair in general. We have so many options and so many diverese styles. Hair to me is form of personal expression.
Just like you should love the skin you’re in, you should love the hair you wear. Chime Edwards, known as Chime (Hair Crush) on YouTube made a video explaining the historical importance of natural hair.
This video definitely got me thinking some more. Back on January 5th, 2013 I decided to join #TeamNatural, and on February 28th, 2014 I shaved all my hair off to celebrate Black History Month (there is a video on YouTube). I wanted to battle the negative stereotypes of women with short hair, and I wanted to battle the rise of texture discrimination. Although “I am not my hair”, my hair has helped me inspire others, and build bonds within the natural hair community. I have learned to understand my hair and appreciate all the things it can do. Returning back to my natural hair has been a journey, but I don’t plan to have my hair in other state.
What does your hair mean to you?
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