Why Am I Natural?
I am sure that when I resume my career (I am now an undergraduate student in my final year - yayy!), I will be asked the question - Are you keeping your natural hair? As ridiculous as it sounds, not everyone sees natural hair as being a suitable adult hairstyle.
Prior to the Natural Hair Movement, which was borne in the United States at the start of the 21st Century, the only way of life known to island girls like myself was you 'put up' with your natural hair throughout your school years (because you were a child), and looked forward to straightened hair for the rest of your life. Some choose Jheri Curls, or dry curl, but it was processed hair nonetheless.
Even if you had 'good hair' meaning that it was soft and had an attractive length, the unspoken plan was still to have it chemically treated. The adults who wore their hair in its natural state were seen as eclectic, matronly or unattractive. In my childhood days and adulthood, only up to a few years aback, there was an absence of style options for our natural hair. More often than not, natural hair was either worn out in curls (usually the girls who had 'mixed' or 'Indian' hair), in cornrows or braids.
The popularity of rasta locks, or dreds, became popular several years ago, and the natural hair prodigals returned to their roots. It was a beautiful thing to behold men and women twisting their hair neatly into fine, medium or thick dreadlocks. Of course, most of it had nothing to do with the Rastafari movement - it was just an attractive, low-maintenance (or was it?) style.
I myself went natural several years ago, not by loc-ing my hair, but by taking a low head, or man head cut. I loved it!! After a while, I grew my hair out, but returned to chemical straightener eventually. I even texturized my hair.
After the locs phase, the weave and wig phase came in, and it had its heyday. I once remember counting while travelling in a local bus, 9 out of 10 women wearing weaves or braids, or some semblance of false hair. Weaves, wigs and braids are still very popular today, but the Natural Hair Movement changed the way we saw natural afro-textured hair.
Basically, the Natural Hair Movement teaches us and society to embrace our hair because it is God-given, and God does not make mistakes. We can, of course, do what we can to make our lives easier with our hair, such as using various styling creams, cleansers, styling tools, even heat if that's what's desired by the individual - but we recognize that it is okay to wear our hair in any setting in life.
This renewed love for our hair is not shared by everyone, and that's okay. What has made it easier for us to deal with our hair, and wear it proudly, is the numerous hairstyle inspirations we see at internationally-acclaimed events, and on YouTube. What's even better is when we get the tutorials that guide us through styling and caring for our hair.
There are challenges in having natural hair. As one YouTube put it, it is basically a lifestyle change. Time needs to be dedicated to washing and styling, money needs to be allocated for the products that will give us our desired finish or treatment, and our patience levels need to increase. :)
Nevertheless, I will wear my hair proudly, not necessarily like an African Queen, but as a being who embraces her natural self which was made in the image of God the Father.
Until we chat again,
