Hair is ABSOLUTELY political

When I’m teaching, I have to be careful about revealing my personal opinions because a primary goal is to help my students develop logical support for their opinions. Revealing my own opinion might stunt their intellectual development. However, I write this blog because it gives me a chance to voice my opinion and dialogue with those who agree and disagree with me. In yesterday’s blog, I asked, “Is beauty, specifically, the way you wear your hair, political? Does your choice of hairstyle say anything about your politics?” I think that the answer is YES!

For example, blonde hair is a fixture of the White beauty standard. I almost fell out of my seat when Chris Rock appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to promote Good Hair and famously called out the blonde women in the audience. Pointing at them individually, he outed them and said that they were new blondes out of a bottle. Women who wear their natural hair color (even, shriek their natural gray hair!), and those who choose NOT to dye their hair blond are likely saying something about just wanting to be themselves, who God created them to be. I thoroughly enjoyed Chris Rock’s appearance because he broadened the discussion beyond a conversation about how Black women weave and relax their hair. This is an issue that affects most women whatever their cultural or ethnic background.

In a society where women are constantly told to change, adjust, nip, alter, color, straighten, lengthen, bind, curl, crimp, highlight, cut, themselves it is a political statement to voluntarily step out of that fray. I see women who choose to wear their natural hair color and women who embrace their natural hair texture as making a political statement because it challenges the notion that women have to change how they naturally look in order to be beautiful. What do you think? I’d love to read your comments. Thanks!

If you want to learn more about a natural hair life style, check out a few sites that I find particularly helpful: http://www.nappturality.com/, http://www.curlynikki.com/, http://www.youtube.com/user/kimmaytube.

Image found at: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSRnreF9RRkRBhGvvnvUyiGvqkTXoxlX9ddjABNyC-BSHTWXYVh

Hair is ABSOLUTELY political

When I’m teaching, I have to be careful about revealing my personal opinions because a primary goal is to help my students develop logical support for their opinions. Revealing my own opinion might stunt their intellectual development. However, I write this blog because it gives me a chance to voice my opinion and dialogue with those who agree and disagree with me. In yesterday’s blog, I asked, “Is beauty, specifically, the way you wear your hair, political? Does your choice of hairstyle say anything about your politics?” I think that the answer is YES!

For example, blonde hair is a fixture of the White beauty standard. I almost fell out of my seat when Chris Rock appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show to promote Good Hair and famously called out the blonde women in the audience. Pointing at them individually, he outed them and said that they were new blondes out of a bottle. Women who wear their natural hair color (even, shriek their natural gray hair!), and those who choose NOT to dye their hair blond are likely saying something about just wanting to be themselves, who God created them to be. I thoroughly enjoyed Chris Rock’s appearance because he broadened the discussion beyond a conversation about how Black women weave and relax their hair. This is an issue that affects most women whatever their cultural or ethnic background.

In a society where women are constantly told to change, adjust, nip, alter, color, straighten, lengthen, bind, curl, crimp, highlight, cut, themselves it is a political statement to voluntarily step out of that fray. I see women who choose to wear their natural hair color and women who embrace their natural hair texture as making a political statement because it challenges the notion that women have to change how they naturally look in order to be beautiful. What do you think? I’d love to read your comments. Thanks!

If you want to learn more about a natural hair life style, check out a few sites that I find particularly helpful: http://www.nappturality.com/, http://www.curlynikki.com/, http://www.youtube.com/user/kimmaytube.

Image found at: http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSRnreF9RRkRBhGvvnvUyiGvqkTXoxlX9ddjABNyC-BSHTWXYVh

Starting the Dreadlock Journey

Deciding to loc my hair was a natural progression expedited by the wonderful news that I was pregnant with our first child. I was getting my hair retwisted every 4 weeks or so and the thought of going to the salon that frequently for the rest of my life just didn’t sit well with me. I’d long admired long beautiful locs and, now, I was on a quest to find out if the style would work for me. I am a nerd at heart so, I first wanted to learn more about locs. Locs are intentionally formed coils of intertwined hair (just can’t bring myself to say “matted”…that has negative connotations for me). When you stop combing, brushing your hair it will weave into itself and form long coils. I was told that the style is permanent, though, I recently learned that some loc processes allow a stylist to “unlock” the hair (Has anyone else heard of this?). There are many types of locs. Some people stop combing their hair and allow their hair to mat on its own. Others meticulously twist, braid or coil their hair so that the locs will grow in an organized pattern. I was ready for a change, so I researched the best loc salons in Atlanta and, based on word of mouth, I selected a stylist. Here are a few questions you might ask when selecting a stylist:

· How long have you been a licensed hair stylist (make sure they have an up-to-date license!)?

· How long have you worked with natural hair?

· How many natural hair clients do you have per week?

· What is your natural hair specialty?

· How long have you been locking hair?

· What kinds of products do you use on locked hair?

· Do you have references?

Also, check out the Internet, there are tons of resources: http://www.dreadlocks.com/, http://thirstyroots.com/black-dreadlocks-styles.html.

Honestly, one of the best ways to find a stylist is to be bold. If you see someone’s hair that you adore, ask him/her where they get their hair done. I’ve done that to find several stylists.

Image of Lauryn Hill found at: http://www.vissastudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/lauryn-hill-freeform-dreadlocks.gif

Starting the Dreadlock Journey

Deciding to loc my hair was a natural progression expedited by the wonderful news that I was pregnant with our first child. I was getting my hair retwisted every 4 weeks or so and the thought of going to the salon that frequently for the rest of my life just didn’t sit well with me. I’d long admired long beautiful locs and, now, I was on a quest to find out if the style would work for me. I am a nerd at heart so, I first wanted to learn more about locs. Locs are intentionally formed coils of intertwined hair (just can’t bring myself to say “matted”…that has negative connotations for me). When you stop combing, brushing your hair it will weave into itself and form long coils. I was told that the style is permanent, though, I recently learned that some loc processes allow a stylist to “unlock” the hair (Has anyone else heard of this?). There are many types of locs. Some people stop combing their hair and allow their hair to mat on its own. Others meticulously twist, braid or coil their hair so that the locs will grow in an organized pattern. I was ready for a change, so I researched the best loc salons in Atlanta and, based on word of mouth, I selected a stylist. Here are a few questions you might ask when selecting a stylist:

· How long have you been a licensed hair stylist (make sure they have an up-to-date license!)?

· How long have you worked with natural hair?

· How many natural hair clients do you have per week?

· What is your natural hair specialty?

· How long have you been locking hair?

· What kinds of products do you use on locked hair?

· Do you have references?

Also, check out the Internet, there are tons of resources: http://www.dreadlocks.com/, http://thirstyroots.com/black-dreadlocks-styles.html.

Honestly, one of the best ways to find a stylist is to be bold. If you see someone’s hair that you adore, ask him/her where they get their hair done. I’ve done that to find several stylists.

Image of Lauryn Hill found at: http://www.vissastudios.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/lauryn-hill-freeform-dreadlocks.gif