Being an African must be the most contentious subject right now. What exactly does being an African mean? who can truly coin that term? What comes to ones mind when you think of European or American? There is a desperate need from the international world that wants to homogenise Africans. Put us all in a single box and write about us as a single entity. Is this even possible?
Post-colonial era, we find ourselves in search of the true African Renaissance. Some of us grew up as what is termed "oreos", and through the teacher of experience, we chose to return or rather discover "our roots". Maybe this explains why we find ourselves overcompensating for that which we do not know. That is why I am very careful not to judge anyone with regards to the identity they choose to wear. I think its only fair for people to make their own judgement about what works for them and what does not. But I am more compelled to believe that consciousness plays a huge role in making those decisions about ourselves. Before consciousness, what exists is pretty much indoctrination.
Hair has been a subject of debate amongst Black women for a very long time. Let me rephrase that sentence - hair is a very big issue amongst women in general. It's not only an aesthetic issue, but a political one too. The biggest conflict right now is between the
natural sisters and the weave 'em sisters. There are different natural
hair movements that have emerged particularly in the diaspora. These movements have seen many say that they are returning to their "roots. I for a long time have grown and kept my natural hair. It could be as a form of activism but mostly it is because I find it a pleasure. In me keeping my natural hair, I am not in the business of belittling anyone who chooses differently from me. But it has not always been like this.
I have not always believed this about my natural hair - I grew up adoring long silky hair. By the time I was
conscious of who I was, my hair was relaxed. This was never my choice. It was just how things were. I remember those visits to the hair salon. I would be given a choice between Dark n Lovely, Sta Soft or Black like me. I always chose Dark n Lovely because of its alluring packaging. I was sure that one day I would look like the woman with the silky long hair on the box. The process of straightening hair was excruciating and torturous. One had to endure their scalp being roasted by the chemicals only to have what felt like cat hair as a result. But this cat hair was beautiful and fluffy, so I thought. The now relaxed hair was the accepted norm, if you had "kafir hare" as we used to refer to it, you were seen as untidy and most probably dirty. Hair was such a big deal amongst my peers. I remember so many of my friends forcing a "ponytail" or "phondoikie"as we used to call it.
So with the rise of self-awareness in Africa, there are many movements hell bent on reclaiming the African identity. Growing up as an "oreo", I only have history books to give me a stint of what the supposed "African" identity looks like, even then, I don't think enough has been revealed about this identity. There are just too many contradictions out there. So with the help of some books and Wikipedia (don't judge me, this is not an academic paper), I sought out to discover the history of Black natural hair, which I will just call hair here onwards.
Historically, hair used to be a symbol of pride for an African individual. Hair was styled according to one's status, wealth, identity, marital status, religion, etc... Hair grooming was a very serious practice in the community. Though the hair was naturally dry and matte looking, special care was taken to give it a healthy look. The better you groomed your hair, the higher you were esteemed. Hair groomers at that time seemed to be very creative and they experimented a lot with different hairstyles. Hair grooming was an intimate, spiritual part of the individual's wellness.
Hair groomers were normally the head female of the house who would pass this rare gift down to her daughters.
Colonialism, slavery and the forced labour model disrupted many cultures in parts of Africa. As slaves and oppressed nations; languages, culture and grooming traditions began to slowly disappear. Hair on black bodies was referred to as "wool" and so the journey of dehumanising black people began. With not much time to groom hair, hair would tangle up and not much care would be given to it. This led to men cutting their hair and women wearing scarves. This specific physical characteristic was frowned upon and regarded as undesirable, and the masters saw this as a disability which needed to be fixed. Lighter skinned, straight haired slaves were sold at higher prices than the darker, coiled haired slaves. This led to many straightening their hair with hot knives and used butter and grease as a moisturiser.
In the 1900s, Madame C.J Walker developed a range of hair products for black hair which popularised the "press and curl style". Walker became the first female self-made millionaire in USA. Fast forward and you have many black women who straighten and add straight hair extension to their hair. Many of these women have been accused of self-hate and trying to look white. Today there is a rise of "naturalistas" and a war has erupted between women who decide to keep their hair natural and those who relax or wear weaves and wigs. This is an undying war, women who relax and wear weaves are called traitors. I for one have no issues with weaving, braiding and wearing wigs, it was the Egyptians who used to adorn their head hair as a symbol of beauty and prestige. They hated bodily and facial hair.
They weaved their hair and wore wigs more than 5000 years ago as a sign of adornment and expression. The wigs were also worn to protect the hair from the harsh sun rays. Egyptians are Africans and I think its perfectly fine to accesorise one's hair the same way we accessorise our bodies. I only have a problem with adding harsh chemicals to the hair as this cannot be good for one's wellness. I personally have decided not to wear straight hair weaves but I do wear weaves that closely resembles black people's hair. That is, coiled and curly extensions. I also braid my hair, not because it is connected to anything, but if we must, I have heard word on the street that braiding hair has been an ancient practise for some cultures on the African continent.
Hair from that place, played a huge role in the liberation struggle of many black people. During the civil rights movement, the Afro was a conscious decision to stand up against white supremacist ways of policing black people. On the continent, an afro was spotted as a way to reclaim blackness. This is the biggest reason why many leaders who represent the revolutionary struggle never subscribed to standards of whiteness of what hair should look like. There are still some parts of Africa that should you be spotted with natural hair, you will be looked at like you are mad. I remember one man from a francophone country trying to get fresh with me. He kept on asking when I was going to fix my hair. It was fascinating that to him, my natural hair was a problem that needed fixing.
I think its important for everyone to know their hair history (hairstory) and then make an informed decision of how they would like to grow their hair. I have no issue with women who wear weaves or any other hairstyle. I would urge all naturalistas to stop looking down on women who do not necessarily believe in keeping their hair natural or those who choose to wear weaves and wigs, but approach the subject with love. Africans are extremely innovative and we know that we are the hub of human kind. I am certain that weaves and wigs were going to be further developed from the first prototypes of the Egyptians.
However you choose to keep your hair, remember that it is important to be true to yourself. Be conscious about who you are and make decisions from that place. Not everything we were taught is necessarily correct.
In discovering ourselves, let us not forget that at the end of the day, we are not an island and we cannot live in isolation but one must discover themselves and determine themselves first.
So whichever way you choose to wear your hair, do not remove yourself from who you define yourself to be, because after all, the complexities of living on the once colonised continent and having many of its inhabitants in the diaspora comes with having the choice to choose who you want to be, free from self hate and condemnation, knowing that we are magic!
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