I REALLY tried staying away from writing this. I did. It's been on my mind heavily the last few days, and I told myself to keep quiet. That only lasted so long. Then I read an article titled "Theology of Natural hair", and I flipped my lid. It was over then. I even managed to see the picture above and not promote my propaganda all over the internet. But now it's time I let loose. Thankfully, my blog is a baby and most of the natural Nazi's wont find me :-) And if they do, ah well. Freedom of speech, right.
So here goes: if I gotta read one more article about the natural hair movement, I might freak out. As a black woman who's on MANY social networks (some which I've had to delete because of this issue namely tumblr and my first instagram account) I am sadden by the state of "us". I'm in no way knocking going natural, heck I might do it one day myself. For real! I've flirted with the idea, just for fun. Not because somehow it'll make me more loved by God or more black. What I am knocking is the superficial things we find worth fighting for. When all I see is what this picture above describes around the internets, I can't help but be angry. Black women have begun aspiring to be "urban models". In the last day or so, I read an article about a woman going to jail and another dying from butt injection. In the article it stated the deceased was trying to become an adult entertainer. Then we have any of these other ridiculous reality tv shows portraying black women just as ratchet, yet WE watch it as entertainment. What happened to self respect?! And class and dignity?! Modesty!!!! Our grandmothers prayed us through a lot (WITH relaxed hair). Some of us ONLY made it because of our grandparents strong faith. How about we start THESE kinda movements: loving Jesus like grandma did. Praying and fasting like grandma did. Respecting ourselves through dress, like grandma did. I'm sure GRANDMA would be super disappointed in knowing our greatest fight is returning to natural hair. Hair. HAIR.
Let me say this: I don't care if you rock your hair natural, relaxed or bald. But can we put away this whole idea that fighting for hair is worth fighting for. I hate to be the one to tell ya, but you can grow your hair long with it relaxed or natural. Just take care of it. I also hate to tell ya, that when you look in the mirror regardless of the texture of your hair..you are STILL black. If it takes going back natural to "find" your identity, then that in itself is THE problem. Saying that going natural is some spiritual experience or journey to finding your blackness is akin to saying if tomorrow you were diagnosed with something that caused you to NEVER grow your hair--there goes your spirituality AND blackness. Sound ridiculous?! It should. Don't even get my started on how NONE of this nonsense is Biblical. There is not a single verse in the Bible about your hair. (Oops, I lied. There is a verse that says, " Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" Luke 12:7) Therefore you can't in anyway make the connection between hair, God and your spirituality. Lots of naturals are going to hell, AS well as relaxed. Ladies we can do better than this. We can. Let's start a movement to graduate from college and be among the population of those entering grad school. Let's start a movement where we're not statistically the highest--everything--negative, from teenage pregnancy, to poverty, to uneducated, to unemployment. Lets start a movement like our grandma's, where Jesus is all we need. Ladies, you and I both know this road we're on isn't leading anywhere good. If you're not convinced, just look at our daughters and what they find is acceptable and "attractive" (tight, short, low cut, see through...to name just a few) Please let's do better. Please.
End of rant.
(and before someone tells me there are other races of women out there doing what I've described above, let me say...that's not who I'm talking to. Those same women you're ready to point out are ahead of you in education, employment, respectful positions, rates of teen pregnancy, rates of sexually transmitted diseases. Shall I go on?? )
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