My Thoughts on African-American Women Wearing Hair Weaves
Ladies, Don't Abandon Your Roots
As an African-American "all natural" woman I often ask myself these questions. However, I go back to my "not so natural" days, and I remember the competition between myself and the rest of womankind. I had to look the best and be the best. I had to have an untouchable hairstyle not to mention outfit too. If I wore my hair "nappy" then I couldn't live up to that image that the rest of society adored. All of the women in music videos and television had long hair, so why couldn't I?
I remember walking into an Asian owned hair store and buying a pack of #2 Yahki colored hair. I didn't know where the hair had come from or if it were from a horse or a human. All I know is that when I left the store I would felt a sensation of ease and plenty. I had everything that I needed; it would only take about 30 minutes of my time to transform my identity. I look back on the situation now and I realize that I had a disease. I had a problem with the person that God had intended me to be. I wasn't happy with myself and neither are many of the women of the African Diaspora. But is it fair for the hair stores to feed into this disease?
I remember hiding from my true identity. I ran away from the person that had short tight naps and I struggled to create a new person one free of authenticity. I could still feel the pain as I ripped glue from my scalp taking out strands of my own hair with it. When the weave was all gone I felt disappointed at the person underneath the falsehood. I wouldn't feel better until I returned back to that store to give the person behind the counter my 24.99 for my new identity.
Not only are the hair stores across America and the rest of the world feeding on millions of women's diseases, but the media does also. We are constantly being reminded that white skin and long blond hair is beautiful, not to say that it isn't, but every type of woman has their own unique beauty. And women of African decent have a rich unique beauty that no other type of woman possesses.
The reality of the situation is terrible. No matter where a person may be located in the United States, they will see that the majority of African-American women wear weaves, ponytails, or extensions. Millions of dollars are being wasted and also being made on the insecurities of Black women.
Many "all natural" women would agree that adding hair to our own, not to mention relaxing hair, is the new form of slavery. The image of a Mammy with tight naps has no place in the world of today. Not when the Black woman has to compete with Brittany Spears, Jennifer Lopez, and not to mention other Black women. The vision would take Blacks back to their struggle to fight slavery, Jim Crow Laws, and the KKK.
I just find it so sad and disturbing at how many black women have abandoned their roots. They have tossed aside the hard work that our ancestor put forth to be a people that had to reclaim their identity. I just continue to ask myself why do Black women hate their natural beauty? Only a few short decades ago, Blacks were proud to wear their hair nappy because they knew that it was beautiful. Now women start their children at a young age believing the lies that "nappy" isn't beautiful by adding perms and weaves to their luscious locks.
Many women need to look within themselves and realize that they are beautiful. Our history is so rich and pure, however, the new history that we are creating is only tainting or natural history. So many women want to be beautiful, no matter what the cost. Is it to say that a woman who constantly changes her features by having plastic surgery is any different from a woman who can't stand to look in the mirror and see her natural strands of hair?
I also feel that it is important for we as women of the African Diaspora to cover our hair and wear it natural underneath. Our ancestors and many of the women of Africa cover their hair. The covering of the hair eliminates the sassy looks that one may receive if her hair is not up to par.
Now I have reached down into my soul to say that I will not wear weaves or extentions anymore. I have realized that I was always beautiful and now my beauty is natural. Whenever I drive past a hair store I feel sorry for all of the women who are giving away their money to change the person that they were born to be.
No matter how a Black woman decides to wear her hair, she needs to feel confident about her inner self. Without confidence we as women tend to stoop lower than we could ever imagine just to be accepted. Beauty is not only skin deep, however, a person who knows their identity and their true self is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Not until women of the Diaspora realize that we are beautiful the way that we are; we will not win the battle with ourselves.
Published by Celin Childs
Born in Milwaukee in 1981, Celin Childs is a unique writer that has attended two historically black colleges and two community colleges. She is currently a Muslim who wants to persue her dreams of becoming a... View profile
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139 Comments
Post a CommentwwwwwwBE proud of your nappy hair
Why as we as black women are so obsessed with this hair bit. Yes i wear weaves, i a brown-skinned sister, but i have long hair as well. True authenticity is not defined by hair, or make, even clothes, its defined by knowing who you are. These things are merely enhancements of out beauty. If we want to rock a weave, because it makes us feel good, so be it, it doesn't mean we are less black. That's ridiculous. We are all beautiful whether we rock it natural or straight. If we stop being so concerned with what society things and just be true to us, then we wouldn't have to have this conversation all the time. Be true to you. and don't put another sister down for expressing herself. Not every sister wants to rock it natural, and its nothing wrong with that.
I think weaves look so beautiful on the women but I'm afraid to start wearing one. I have friends who have worn weaves and when they take them out their hair comes out all along the edges. Some of them have no hairline now = their hairline starts way back almost behind their ears.
How dare you suggest that a woman with a weave has a "disease". You are the one with the "disease" because you are angry. And you are angry because your weave did not look good attached to your short naps. It probably looked unnatural on you for two reasons, (the naps and another reason I won't mention). Weaves are not for everyone. Beyonce looks good in a blond weave, but Serena Williams does NOT and should never wear a weave. When Beyonce first came out, I thought it was her real hair because she looks mixed. It was jealous dark skin girls over the Internet that wouldn't leave the topic of her hair alone. What makes you think that ALL black women want to wear those dirty nasty dreadlocks? I guess you would like it if we were all fat and ugly like Precious. You would like that, misery loves company.
I started wearing weave after my hair started thinning on the crown of my head. Before that I love wearing my hair natural and or barids. This not about losing my roots, it's all about what makes me feel good.
I think you find more black women with natural hair in areas where we have more education and are more progressive like New York, LA, Chicago and Boston. I remember working in the arts community in New York and feeling ashamed because I was the only one who didn't have locs, a short natural or some other form of natural hair. I remember one day going home and trying to twist my own hair, but it wouldn't work because I had a relaxer. I guess it depends on where you live. I think natural hair is beautiful hair.
Natural or enhanced beauty comes in all shapes & sizes, hair colors & lengths. What matters is how you feel about it & if you rock whatever hairdo you decide on like the Queen of Sheba.
Stay beautiful.
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Thank you for your article it's been long over due,I live in a predominately black city and it is a WEAVE EMPIRE if you don't wear it you are considered odd. What irks me the most how some black women publicly charge after you because you choose not to go to the weave. I was recently at a local shopping center as I was walking across the parking lot I passed a car load of black females and one spoke loudly She sure needs to go to the hair dresser! looking back at them I saw a bunch of rude women overloaded with weave hair styles. I miss the days when black ladies wore Afros and Naturals I even miss the hair braids because the braids were a symbol of our African heritage. In my opinion weave often makes black women a little more critical towards other black ladies than she needs to be. Maybe someday we will return to the naturals again. Wouldn't it be great?
Okay here is the problem with black women and weave.....they do it in excess til everybody (including other blacks) assumes that ALL black women CANNOT grow hair. Everyone assumes black women with long hair are wearing weaves because that's all so many sistas are doing. I've come to view weave as an addiction. I'm hearing things such as "just not feeling like doing hair" or want different looks. So it's come down to being too lazy to take time to take care of your hair so you can grow it long, which by the way is quite easy and definitely possible. How pathetic ! You want the look but you don't want to work at getting the look. You'd rather take the easy way out with some nasty looking weave or wig. The state of black society is hideous!
No one is abandoning our roots, we are relaxing them. We want hair we can manage and run our fingers through. Dreads stink!! Someone women look good with natural hair, but that is their choice to wear their hair that way. My hair is natural with no relaxer in it but when I get back to the states believe you me these cuck-a-bugs are going bye bye. I can't deal with it, it looks a mess and I look a lot prettier with bone straight or curly hair. It looks more professional and presentable.