Hotep Family, I was reading this piece, and was wondering what was your take on it all,
Good hair & bad hair
There are various types of hair, but for many black people there are only two types TWENTY-NINE-year-old Darlene Douglas'hair is her defining beauty. It makes her stand out in the crowd and is the source of many compliments. She, like her three sisters, has thick, long hair.
"My sisters and I were the envy of the family; everybody kept saying we got the good hair. Our hair was past our shoulders, and that was in its natural state," Miss Douglas says. When she was 13, her mother had her hair relaxed because she couldn't manage it. Thereafter, it seemed her popularity increased two-fold, she says. Now, her hair is longer, silkier and moves freely with the wind. Her hair commanded an audience all on its own.
"All of my boyfriends were taken in by my hair. They kept complimenting me on it and playing with it. In hindsight, I think some of them were only with me because of my hair," she says, smiling. Nevertheless, not only did she revel in the attention, but also when she started working she continued to spend thousands of dollars every month grooming her
hair and maintaining 'that look'.
Hair.
It's just a four-letter word, but it is loaded with meanings and
interpretations. What you do to your hair may say a lot about you who you are and what you stand for.
Black women throughout the world spend countless hours and millions of dollars on their hair. Hair is one of the many important symbols we use to give our lives meaning.
Camille Wilson, a communication executive, boasts a low cropped natural hair style. According to her, her hair is her identity."My hair says I am a proud, strong black woman. My hair has been like this since high school and I expect it will be with me to my grave. It wasn't a difficult decision to cut my hair at the time, although my friends were appalled. As you can see, I was blessed with very beautiful African features broad nose and thick lips to boot and I think this along with my hair makes me quite attractive. It has tended to attract much attention from the opposite sex as well," Miss Wilson said.
HISTORY OF HAIR
Black people have long fought for and still struggle today to achieve long, silky Caucasian hair. The lengths many go through to achieve this ideal can be quite depressing. Many add chemicals or extensions to become socially acceptable and numerous others are left with burns, thinning hair or clumps of hair, telltale signs of their struggle to achieve the Caucasian look.
In the early 20th century, Madam Walker, a native of Delta, Louisiana adapted an iron comb, which could be heated and successfully made black hair straight. Later, the Marcel iron, which was invented in 1908, was also employed in flattening black and white people's hair.
It was at this point that the hairdressing business got off its knees and on its feet. The development of pomades and odes to use in conjunction with these irons followed soon afterwards, and the hairdressing business matured to its present stage where the chemicals and potions are more potent and not only are able to change the
constitution of the hair in a shorter period of time, but also destroys the hair at a faster rate.
Nonetheless, hairdressing salons are always filled to capacity with black women. They are always searching, experimenting, and changing, in search of that seemingly unattainable ideal.
Why are black women so dissatisfied with their hair?
Certified Sisterlocks consultant, Cheryl Daley-Champagnie, believes this is tied to slavery and colonialism, systems that remained intact because underpinning them, were theories of superiority and inferiority.
Radio talk show host, Carol Narcisse, shares this view. The contempt black women have for their hair is understandable she says, because we were taught to hate everything about ourselves.
"Blacks were brainwashed into thinking that they were inferior to other groups. Integral to keeping them in their place was stressing the belief that their characteristics, intellect and humanity were not as good as that of the other ethnic groups," she says.
As a result, black people sought to reject anything that spelled 'blackness' or 'Africanness' and instead embraced the characteristics that would make them acceptable in society, she explains. This would account for the great propensity of black women to straighten their hair or wear hairpieces.
GOOD HAIR VS. BAD HAIR
Like skin types, there are various types of hair. But for some black people there are only two types good hair and bad hair.
Black people are convinced that they are the only race cursed with bad hair, and they have it all. Kinky hair. 'Coir head'. Picky-picky hair. Short hair. Nappy hair.
Karin Hopetonhates her hair because it is 'bad' hair. She is constantly lamenting that she inherited what she calls maroon hair from her grandmother. Mrs. Daley-Champagnie understands how Miss Hopeton feels.
"Maroon hair is very thick, coarse, black hair and thick hair is
considered tough hair. This type of hair is therefore one of the hardest types to comb out, worse if it gets wet. When this type of hair is wet the elasticity that is already so natural to our hair becomes almost a violent thing because it just pulls in and coils tightly," she says.
WHAT REALLY IS GOOD HAIR?
Ask anyone, they'll tell you. Good hair is the long, silky hair that is soft to the touch, can blow in the wind and is easy to comb. Or is it? Mrs. Daley-Champagnie says this is all a myth. "Many people are walking around with good hair and they don't even know it. In the past, and even today, when it comes to hair, the comb is the measurement used to determine good hair. 'Can it pass the comb test?' If the comb can pass through the hair freely and easily then that hair is considered good hair, but that is not so," she says.
Over the years black women have laboured over their hair, under the misconception that something was wrong with their hair because it did not cascade down their back in undulating waves.
But why is this still the case? Why do black women still feel obligated to denounce that which they have and seek out that which they don't? Mrs. Narcisse believes that nothing has changed for black women. Both Mrs. Narcisse and Mrs. Daley-Champagnie point out that the standards for beauty are still modelled off European ideals so that black women are left thinking that they can never be beautiful with their natural
features.
The date may have changed but we are living under the same old system mental slavery. The cold hard fact is that black women straighten their hair because it is more socially acceptable, again mental slavery.
"Over the centuries, black people, women especially, have received messages from the other groups in society, that everything about them is inferior. Now, however, having properly digested that message we tell it to each other, so it is a self-perpetuating problem. We keep telling each other and even ourselves, that our skin is too dark, our hips are too broad, our nose is too big and broad, our hair is too short and kinky," Ms. Narcisse says.
Twenty-four-year-old UWI student Shauna Wilson loves her hair. Shauna boasts a head of healthy natural hair. As she speaks, her right hand keeps straying to her hair. She fingers it proudly. Her hair has a long history she says. She has gone from creaming to jherri curls. After the chemicals wreaked havoc in her head, she cut it all off and sported a short haircut for a while until she decided to just let it grow. Now, her hair is at a stage that she loves and is very comfortable with.
"People always say that with creamed hair, one has a lot more styling options but I can do many things with my natural hair. Sometimes I braid my hair, or I twist it, or I comb it out into an Afro and when all is said and done, my hair is mine. I have nothing to worry about," she says.
When asked if she loved her hair, Stacie Grantley, a 25-year-old data-entry clerk bows her head and mutters "Not really." It's almost as if she is ashamed of her hair and what it says to and about her. Stacie is tall and has short, thick hair. The truth is, she can't stand her hair so she is always looking for options.
"My hair is too coarse even after I go through the long process of setting my hair, the curls only last a few hours," she says.
How does she deal with this catastrophe? She is constantly shifting between braids and relaxed hair. The braided look often finds favour with both men and women.
"They love it when I braid my hair, especially the men. I get the most attention when my hair is braided in long, thin plaits going down my back," she says with a broad grin on her face. Has she ever considered doing what makes her most comfortable? She has, she wants to go back natural, but is procrastinating because she is afraid of the kind of reaction she will get if and when she does.
COLOUR COMPLEX
Mrs. Daley-Champagnie agrees that hair is often the basis of
compliments, asserts that there is a colour complex when it comes to hair. In Western societies, hair can be one of the key aspects we consider when deciding a person's psychological state. Well-groomed and polished hair naturally infers stability, while rebels, deviants, outcasts in society wear hair that is matted, locked or untamed. In essence, like skin colour, hair can set the scene for many unvoiced
implications and preconceived notions.
"Hue of skin is sometimes a natural determinant of hair texture, some people believe that the lighter a person is, the better their hair, so dark skin, natural African hair and natural hair styles are not looked upon favourably," Mrs. Daley-Champagnie says.
She tells Flair that it is primarily for this reason that a number of men are attracted to light-skinned women. Many men are trying to secure their future, rather their children's future. They want 'good' hair for their children. "Men are of the mind-set that the lighter the complexion, the better the hair and that is what leads so many black women to wear a weave and even go so far as to bleach their skin," she says.
"Many people scoff at women who bleach their skin. But there is no difference between bleaching and creaming the hair, the only difference is that the bleaching is not as sophisticated," she continues.
When asked to comment on women who bleach their, skin, several men believe these women suffer from low-self esteem. Andre Wilson, a 25-year-old student says he is saddened by the trend.
"These women have a negative perception of their colour, their culture, their race and everything that defines them as being African," he says.
"As a society, we need to take responsibility for this. We must pay attention to the messages that we send to our children through music videos, magazines etc., and look at what we are teaching our children directly and indirectly," says Gridley Krane, a 29-year-old sculptor.
"Are we teaching black people to love themselves? If a black man is idealising light-skinned women, then how can he make fun of black women who, in trying to attract him, strive for that very ideal?" Krane asks.
SOCIETY'S POSITION ON HAIR
Mrs. Daley-Champagnie adds another twist to the hair issue. She points out that sometimes society puts pressure on black women to alter the way they look to suit their objectives.
"What we do with our hair is directly related to our tribes and fan clubs. We all belong to a tribe and we all have a fan club. If the tribe says we must do our hair a certain way, then we must conform. If our fan club does not like what we do, then we change it and continue to do so until we discover one they approve of," she says.
Employers often place restrictions on female workers' hairstyles by outlawing braids, locks and other variations of natural hairstyles. Monica Gordon, natural hair stylist for 23 years, and owner of Monique's Beauty Home in Central Plaza, Kingston, has seen countless women enter her salon and sit for hours having their hair braided, only to return the following work day to have the braids removed as per their employers' demands. "That was the way we were brought up we grew up seeing the straight long hair and heard that this was the ideal, so this is what we aspired for," says Miss Gordon.
In fact the situation is so bad, that men often prefer to see their women in long straight weaves, than sporting natural hair or even natural hairstyles. While black women try to get their hair straight, some white women work just as hard to put curls into theirs. Their hair may go limp at times, and can be a problem, but they don't call it 'bad'.
Oriental hair is very straight and extremely difficult to curl or wave. Consider the Chinese or Japanese woman who may want a curly look; it's as difficult for her to 'bend' her hair as it is for us to straighten ours. These things should never be considered problems, however, just something to be dealt with honestly.
Schools too, make stipulations when it comes to hair. Up to 1991 when Tymone Grant attended Holy Childhood High School, students were not allowed to weave their hair. "We couldn't braid our hair at all, but we were permitted to put corn rows in our hair, no more than five though. Apparently they thought that people who would braid or corn row their hair were not likely to wash and groom their hair often," she recalls.
Current principal of Holy Childhood High School, Sister James, says that the school's policy on this issue has since changed as the Ministry of Education has stated that schools cannot dictate to that extent how students should wear their hair. As such, the school's policy is very simple.
"All we ask is that the hair must be neat at all times. The ends should be neatly pulled together so that they do not get in the way of other students and so hamper them in any way," she says.
While braids (false extensions) are not prohibited, Sister James admits that these are discouraged because they are not appropriate for the school uniform. Such is the case in several other government-run schools, like St. Hugh's for example. Jacqueline Shephard recalls her years at St. Hugh's.
"There wasn't a clear-cut rule stating that braids must not be worn, it was merely discouraged," she says.
Principal of St. Hugh's, Daphne Morrison, explains that this hair policy was in an effort to protect the girls from succumbing to the varied fashion trends. "Natural hair could be combed in corn rows, but we did not encourage hair extensions because the girls tended to go overboard," she says. She notes, however, that St. Hugh's was one of the few schools that allowed girls to wear an afro, which usually carried with it overtones of violence.
MOVEMENT TOWARDS NATURAL HAIR
The 90s saw the rediscovery of afrocentric styles as en vogue for black women though. Over the last four to five years, there has been a dramatic shift in terms of hair. There has been a movement from the constant preoccupation with straight long hair to natural hair and natural hairstyles such as braids, twists, locks and more recently Sisterlocks.
Many factors have undoubtedly contributed to this shift, primary among them, the fact that chemicals have wreaked havoc on our natural hair. The hair experts have confirmed that African hair naturally grows curly and so the spot where the straight hair meets the kink is weakened.
"Natural hair styles are not worn out of love for natural hair. It is out of reaction to what the chemicals have done to the hair that many women turn to these styles," says Mrs. Daley-Champagnie.
Miss Gordon supports this view and gives as an example the 'jherri curl' hairstyle, which ruled the fashion industry in the 80s. She confesses to having worn this hairstyle, only to discover years later the danger to which she was exposing her hair.
"The chemicals used in the maintenance of the jherri curl would sit on the scalp and clog the pores. Over a period of time, the hair would fall out and leave a bald spot in the centre of the head. This condition is called alopecia," she explains.
Your Brother In our Struggle
-Jacuma
The Key To Life, Is To Have No Fear.
