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Synthetic vs. Natural Hair —AK Harrison
Our hair alone sets Blacks apart from any other race and ethnicity in the world. Dread locks, afros and kinky twists are the cornerstone of black heritage; today, however, Black women seem to be going through an identity crisis. “They’re trying to look like and be something they’re not”, claims Anthony Minnus. Minnus, a junior at Edward Waters College, asked whether “our sisters stopped being proud of themselves and their nappy heritage? Black is beautiful. When God made a Black woman, He took time, kissed every curve from head to toe, and blessed every nappy root on her head with grace.” What seems to have Black women convinced that their natural hair is not good enough? When asked why hair weaves were preferred over natural looks, sophomore Felicia Jones claims “I have very ethnic hair.” Some females spoke about the convenience of wearing weave verses their own hair. “It’s simple, you don’t have to deal with your own hair any more, you can just wrap it, comb it down, and go.” said Shakira Brown. The idea of manageable hair is spot-on for today’s busy woman. Whatever happened to, “you can’t rush perfection; or nothing good comes easy, and it takes practice and hard work?” It takes hard work being Black and American. African American women are feeling pressured to maintain a certain image in today’s society. The biggest culprit is television and its clever marketing strategies. Some are consumed by superficiality. “I’m black and I’m beautiful with my Remy,” claims Kiffini LeCount. Remy is a grade of human hair sold at $150.00 per pack. According to Slideshare.net, the origin of Remy Hair started in India, where women, men, children, teenagers, and babies donate their hair as a spiritual sacrifice to the government-owned temple, Tirumala Tirupati Balaji. In turn, the temple sells the hair to women who have been bamboozled by commercialization that curly synthetic hair is more acceptable and aesthetically pleasing then coarse ethnic hair. Remy sells for $650 a kilogram (2.2 lbs) and you cannot buy amounts less than 500kgs per purchase. Black women’s lack of social consciousness and self-esteem hurts the African American community. What’s worse is that they do not care or simply don’t care to know. Women are seeking the approval of other women all while competing against them. “When I’m out, I stay on the lookout to see what other females might be wearing,” said Daysha Evins. Men play a major role
in how women carry themselves. Women still need compliments from men, and men still need challenges to pursue. Sophomore Erick Williamson stated, “They do it to enhance their beauty, but I think they are beautiful without the extras.” Obviously, the look of Black women has changed significantly to mirror the look of Europeans and Latinas. Are they redefining the Black woman or altering their distinctiveness and uniqueness of black women? If so, for what purpose or reason, to compete or assimilate? Regardless, many black women have lost their identity and confidence, in what God gave them. Songstress India Arie sang and stated that “I am not my hair.” Perhaps it is easier said than done. It may take more work to maintain natural hair, but at the end of the day it will be well worth it. The unbeaten path to greatness and individuality frightens some, but never the less, a journey worth taken. The Black forefathers didn’t sacrifice their lives for African Americans to follow trends and become part of the status quo. Be the nappy rooted queens you were born to be. Ultimately, your black is still beautiful.
Nappy Roots
Black Is Beautiful