Natural Hair Movement

During the discussion there were a ouple of woen who shared their stories of their natural hair journeys

Since the early 1900s, Black women have had a fascination with their hair. More explicitly, they have had a fascination with straightening their hair. The need to be accepted by the majority class has caused them to do so. Though the image of straight hair as being better than coarse hair still hasn’t left the Black community, there has been a surge of non straight hairstyles since the nineteen sixties. Wearing more natural hairstyles, which ironically enough include ‘weaves’ and ‘hair extensions’ has been considered to be more empowered and more enlightened. However, this image comes with a price, and though it appears the ‘natural’ hairstyle movement has advanced Black women, it has actually set

There is a very wide known issue on hair in America based on the dynamics of hair around presentation and first impressions. There is a present concern in the work environment as well as in the public sector, where racial biases are within communities and society as a whole. After watching the documentary by Chris Rock called “Black Hair” (inspired by his daughter’s inquiry on nappy hair) there were many famous characters, which stated they would much rather wear straight hair verses curly, kinky hair also permed hair forced straight by chemicals. In the article Edited by Lilly Caldwell 2004 “Look at Her Hair” with the song “THE NEGRA IN BRAZILIAN POPULAR CULTURE” Lilly say’s, this song provides a telling example of Black women 's portrayal in Brazilian popular culture. After my researched online. I found a news source with a case pending here in the US where a Black woman with “Locks”, was hired on a job, then told she must change her hairstyle, it was not acceptable, which was racist and degrading.

They were taken from their home and forced to work as slaves in a place they have never seen before. They were dehumanized and ripped of their culture by getting their hair shaved or cut off, trying to make them forget where they came from and who they were. After having to work under the hot sun, in a field, they never had time to take care of their hair nor did not have the same products that they have always used, so they were forced to wear scarves and forget about taking care of their hair. Due to not being able to properly take are of their hair, African American women hair were mocked and turned into jokes, which lately turned into not being social acceptable due to their hair. Resulting in Madame C.J Walker creating a cream to turn their hair from kinky curls to bone straight. Fortunately, years later African American women waned a change and felt that their hair should not be hidden. Slowly but surely African American women started to follow this wave and started to become natural, but another obstacle stood in their way, learning what to do and getting ahold of the needed items. Social media was the only way to gain the information that was needed to learn how to properly take care of their hair. Without the use of social media, it would be difficult for African Americans to get the natural hair care products that they need because in major department stores, the sections for black hair is very vague and even if they did have the item one was looking for, it is usually not in stock. More research should be done to understand why is it still difficult in some areas, Nationwide, for African Americans to get access to the hair care products that they need but not the same for other hair types? The sales for natural hair products are growing online, yet still not occurring in stores. Why is

African American culture is quite distinct in America, especially when the people embrace the aspects they were born with. One of the features that highlights the African American culture is their hair in its natural state, that is hair which has not been treated by chemicals or heat. An African American's natural hair is thick, most often tight and curly and often times considered to be less attractive do to its nappy, tangled or matted appearance it could have. A vast majority of African Americans assimilate by changing their natural hair to straight, smoother hair which appeals more to the European culture. According to statistics, it was estimated that “75% of African American women chemically straightened or “perm”

Hair is a basic element of most of our lives, so to many, hair is a trivial thing. However, the fact that we live in a social climate that routinely rejects aspects of communities of color, hair has come to be an increasingly symbolic piece of our racial identities. This is especially true for the black community in the United States. After generations of countering Eurocentric ideologies surrounding acceptability, members of the black community are beginning to embrace the acceptance of their own images despite cultural messages that continue to promote the opposite. In an article written by Khalea Underwood of Refinery29, she chronicles her experiences with having her hair touched by a white

After the explosion of the afro, and then subsequently Jheri curls, African American beauty moved into the direction of synthetic hair that worked with their natural hair. New styles that incorporated little to no chemical or heat-related manipulation overtook the popularity of relaxed, or permed hair.

Natural hair is what embraces your natural beauty. The fact that one strand of hair is

When I once decided to take out my protective style and wear my hair in its natural state, I received several negative remarks. As a young black female I was bothered and wondered why. I wondered why I was receiving so many negative remarks especially from my fellow Black women. An individual went as far to tell me “your hair looks nice but do not wear that to a job interview”. Hair and the styling of it has been a staple of the Black community for centuries. In African American culture, an individual’s hair spoke volumes about that person. By looking at a person’s hair, one could tell where that person was from, what tribe he or she was a member of and even the status within that tribe. As time progressed the influence and importance of hair

Hair loss is a major cause for concern among African American women and much of the issues related to hair loss is unique to the community of black women. While there are medical conditions that can result in hair loss and baldness be it permanent or otherwise, the leading causes of hair loss among African American women are related to hair care practices and styling techniques prevalent in the African American community. Women of other races may speak of messy buns and bed head but not African American women. We believe our styles need to be sleek and neat or tight and right. We are not about that ‘messy’ hair life and its costing us our strands far too many cases. Here’s why.

Natural hair does grow healthier than natural hair because you do not use chemicals to harm your hair. Black women discover their natural kinky hair. Natural hair is thicker because your hair follicles are textured. Yes I can say when you wash your hair and try to detangle it, it’s a challenge to do. Natural hair is healthier because it doesn’t stripped away your hair. With natural hair keep your scalp moisturized. Natural hair curl pattern is very pretty. I think going natural gives your hair a better chance to grow since it isn’t being damaged by chemicals. Relaxed hair is bad because some people flat iron they hair every two weeks, that’s not good because heat can break your hair off.

There has been a notable amount of conversation on the internet on the rebirth of the natural hair movement. Cherise Luter (2014) states that despite afros and the natural hair movement not being a new concept (i.e. the Black Power Movement), it has gone under what she calls a “refreshing change”. Furthermore, what used to be “I’m black and I’m proud”, has been replaced with “I’m me and I’m proud” (Luter 2016). So, what is the natural hair movement? It is defined as a movement where black women decide to not conform to the social norms of chemically altering their hair and wearing it in its natural, kinky, or curled state (Joignot 2015). The movement could also be considered as an outlet for black women to display their racial and cultural pride or to articulate their “political position (Brown 2014:297). However, simply the terminology “movement” is something that should be shocking to many. There is a great amount of historical context behind the continuous influence Eurocentric beauty ideals have had on black women for centuries. According to Nadia Brown (2014), Black natural hair throughout history has proven to be recognized as “either unintended or intended personal and political statements” (298). the beauty standard in Western society which praises European hair textures, has influenced many black women to be critical of other black women who choose to chemically straighten their hair, accusing them of being subservient to the dominant and pervasive racist

This whole movement for Natural hair may seem a little extreme to some, especially to those who aren’t Black women. Hair is just hair, right? It’s ridiculous that how your hair naturally grows out of your head effects how society looks at you. There is no way that wearing your hair naturally could prevent you from getting a job or could get you kicked out of your classroom while you’re trying to get your education right? Well it’s 2016 and that’s exactly what happens to Black girls all over the globe.

As a natural hair enthusiast, or as I like to call myself, a Naturalista, I believe it is important for all those who are considering making the transition, the big chop, or who have transitioned (from relaxed to natural hair), or have made the big chop to know the challenges you will face when it comes to making these, in many cases, life altering decisions. I know this all sounds very dramatic, and for some it is. So, for the sake of entertainment - and, if it will keep you reading, then let's continue with the drama. For those of you who have no clue on where to begin, let me say this: The internet and blogosphere is saturated with naturalistas like myself who have taken as much, if not more time to learn all there is to know about how to care for our natural hair.

This is good for people who want to give the illusion that their hair is longer. Twists are a natural way to stretch hair and will give it a longer appearance