F E AT U R E
T h e B l ac k h a i r
C h ro n i c l e s
Can black hair, ever be as simple a thing
as personal preference?
BY NOBUSI MAQUBELA
H
airstyle choices are one of the
most controversial topics to
affect black women the world
over. From stereotypes, girl-ongirl hate and male preferences – these all
have an effect on style choices. Which is
why leaning towards weaves or Afros is
not just a matter of aesthetics, it’s almost
political.
Stylist and blogger Milisa Bongela
mentions in her blog post For the Love
of Natural Hair, “When the time comes
that our brothers and sisters of other
races are wearing Afros and braiding
their hair the way we love our weaves
to be, then it will mean nothing to wear
a weave as a black woman. We aren’t
there yet. It’s not quite ‘Uhairu.’
Although I wear my hair straight, my
opinion has always fallen against the
weave culture. Like other natural hair
advocates, I’ve always seen the long
straight hair phenomenon as a by-product of colonization and self-hate. However, after trying to grow an Afro, I was
faced with a few challenges. The first
time it turned into dreadlocks. After that
I was stuck with having to straighten and
blow-dry every other day. I eventually
realized how difficult natural hair is to
manage.
At the end of the day, we all feel
strongly about our hair. It’s something
we’ve been fed through mass media,
convincing us that our hair should be
the ‘crowning glory’ of our look and
style. Regardless of choice we can
all learn a thing or two from each of
these who not only have gorgeous hair,
but also put in the work to keep it so.
Take your Judgmental Janet hat off
for just 5 minutes. Open your mind,
admire the different opinions and enjoy
learning some really cool hair tips…
We decided to speak to some sassy
ladies with beautiful hair for tips
and tricks, showing you just how
versatile and easy to manage natural hair
can be.
IMBO/ ISSUE 32/ '14
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