BOKISSONTHRONE: Kinky, Curly, Afro : Embracing our Natural Tresses.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Kinky, Curly, Afro : Embracing our Natural Tresses. - Christine Wothaya

‘A girl is not her hair’.

Quite true, but in my opinion, only to an extent.

Let’s face it, have you tried telling a woman that her hair is really not growing as much as she thinks it is, or worse, that her hairstyle looks bad? The look you’ll be given will be enough to send you to hell permanently. What this tells us, is that a girl is actually her hair. Your hair is part of who you are and part of your identity, no matter the choice of hairdo.

As an African woman, the subject of hair reverberates across our race so hard. We have amazing hair and are grateful for the kinks, the curls and the afros.Does it matter if it is a short, cute cut or a huge head of hair? No, it doesn’t because with social media today, natural hair is a top celebration.

Nonetheless, this hasn’t and still doesn’t make the fact that the natural hair journey is not, in the least bit, easy.

On the contrary, there are people who are genuinely disgusted by natural hair which is saddening and quite infuriating but true. I was watching a TV show where the topic of discussion was how most African career women cannot wear their hair natural at their jobs because people will take offence. Take offence?!How does someone take offence because your hair does not look like theirs? Or rather, the fact that that is the hair God blessed you with to grow out of your head? HYPOCRITIC, IGNORANT AND OUTDATED, THAT’S WHAT I THINK.

This is a real problem, guys. That explains the natural hair movements that are there or the numerous pictures of natural hair beauty we see around. We need to appreciate our African hair as it is part of our rich, rich heritage as Africans. Don’t straighten those beautiful curls to make society happy. Or always wear wigs and weaves to hide your gorgeous mane. What does that teach our children? That they want ‘normal’ hair and wish for it to be straight because straight hair is beautiful hair. Hey, mummy also doesn’t like her natural hair, never wears it actually so what’s the problem anyway right?

I understand that we may not all like how our natural hair looks like. It might be too short or so kinky, getting a comb through it might look impossible. I understand that but if you don’t like the way it looks, do something about it. Get cute cuts, if necessary. Celebrating natural hair means embracing it and appreciating it not just giving it likes and retweets.

Below are the very celebrated women we have had as our great inspirations over the years, in how they have grown in their careers and how they have embraced their beautiful tresses and if they can do it, then we can do it too