There has been huge chatter for some time now about Hair, more specifically the racists views on hair, African American Hair. Such words as unkept, intimidating, aggressive, ugly, crazy, smells funny have often been used in the same sentence in talks about African American Hair. Things that boggle my mind as is but let's keep talking.
I've talked about hair in the past, someone-just-like-me my own struggles as a kid and teenager with a head full of hair that didn't "behave" like other people's. The comments I'd get in the Salon about all the hair I had and how it trickled over to my own daughter when she came along.
Something so simple as Hair is bringing tears to so many eyes and finally after years of silence the words can no longer be held back.
doing what she does lil mama selfies
How easy must it be to go anywhere and be catered to your every need? How easy must it be to walk down a store aisle and have your pick of the large litter? Now stop for a second and imagine all those choices being taken away? How about not having a choice at all?
As a minority or woman of color because minority to me at this point even sounds incorrect to say (but that's a convo for another day) for so many years I've heard so many of these things but just shrugged it off or just bought something else to try and "tame" my hair that it really has been such an eye opener as of late to hear my own daughter speak about her recent experiences especially now in her working field. It's one thing for you to experience things as an adult, but when you see it through your child's eyes it's a whole different matter.
My daughter has chosen the field of Fashion as a career. How products are sold and marketed, the designs, the thoughts behind fabrics, textures and colors. Styling...what pieces of clothing should you put together to best show your body type without following the "size chart" that has been rammed down our throats for so many years. Accessories...adding to your look either with jewelry or your "hairstyle". So it pist me off to hear from her the other day that her dress code at work requires her to keep her "hair" in an acceptable style. What on earth is an "acceptable style"? She has curly hair by nature, she can wear it curly or endure two hours under the dryer so it lays flat but those are her choices to make not ours. What for you said job is not acceptable in those options that she has?
lil mama in work state of mind
How can my 21 year old daughter's curly hair intimidate or come across as aggressive to you? You want her to change a natural part of what makes her who she is because it's not something you have or even know about? Yet, you spend hundreds of dollars at your own Beauty parlor to get your flat hair like hers!?
Your establishment is so narrow minded and antiquated that you have a template for only one group of people?
That my daughter would even have to be a party in this type of conversation is testing me enough but that you would then turn around and say that you have never really thought of that issue and would have to get back to her says to me again, how crazy our society and how racist people still continue to be.
It's just freaking Hair!
So to illustrate my point I'm going to share a few pictures and I want you to honestly ask yourself what is the difference?
illustration by celebbuzz.com
illustration by juice salon.com
illustration by celebbuzz.com
illustration by ana.rs
illustration by pop sugar
illustration by haveagoodhairday.com
illustration by hairstyles weekly.com
illustration by snakkle.com
illustration by pinterest.com
illustration by short haircut.com
Did you look carefully? Did you see the difference? Let me spell it out COLOR. It is much easier for some to accept certain things in some groups as trendy when funny that in other groups its just the way of life. All these women are beautiful, just different.
I truly believe that women can make a difference in any field or topic that we touch. That once we set our minds on something and get the conversations going CHANGE can take place. So I am asking you...next time you see a women's hair and it doesn't look like yours don't judge instead embrace.
Consider the possibility of respecting the differences in each other. Consider how you would feel if your daughter or son were to be judged by their Hair.
What are your thoughts? Would love to start a conversation?
Always stress free xo
Mari
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