Why is it that industry is so fascinated with my (brown-skinned person) hair? Do I come up to you and ask can I touch your hair whenever I want? No, so please stop asking to touch mine. There is this current phenomenon going on where people of color are embracing their natural hair texture. And it’s not saying that relaxed or processed hair is bad. Well, it sort of, it’s bad for colored-person hair texture. I mean all those chemicals just damage the hair sometimes to the point of no repair. Now, I don’t think it’s a bad thing that people want to embrace that beautiful boldness. In fact, I love it especially when it is styled so forward ethnic. Yes, I just made that term up. But really let’s think about the history of why colored people process their hair in the first place.
It all began back in slavery days, yeap I went there, see people of colored didn’t have hair salons and/or days where they could just take off and get their hair done. Not to mention that there were no combs specifically made for their hair texture. So what did they do to combat this blatant disrespect of care for hair? Braids and headdresses/wraps. That’s right on the one-off day that colored people had they either got their hair braided or they just simply wrapped their hair up during the week. Then came a period where it was slight-ish relaxed we got our hair straighten. Okay, I won’t beat around the bush after slavery when people of color were actually freed. Which in this case Juneteenth, not 4th of July for Independence day, no actual June, 19, 1865. Juneteenth, also known as Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, is an American holiday where the announcement of slavery was abolished in the U.S. to those of colored. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and signed 2 years prior.
Anyways, during this time people of color had more time on their hands to actually care for their hair which is why Sarah Breedlove also known as Madam C.J. Walker made a fortune on hair products. Besides it could not have been before that because she wasn’t born until 1867. Now that the history section is out-of-the-way, we can get back to colored people hair of the 2000s. Well, kinda, see it is also known that Jim Crow laws and other harsh treatments were presented during this time period and in order for colored people to fit in and be accepted more they had to do something about their hair. Wearing the natural hair texture was not going to work and be presentable in the workforce. So, straighten and processed hair came into play. But now that times have changed drastically and colored people no longer want to wear their hair in such a damaged state anymore. Companies and businesses are now trying to conform to the new norm because the last thing that a big corporation or even a small one wants is a major lawsuit that says the they are discriminatory towards people of color. We have already seen it all over the news for some corporations, such as the military that didn’t allow females to wear Afros, braids, dreads, and other ethnic hairstyles. Or a school that prohibited females to prom for braids because it went against dress code. Places of business are now starting to conform the way they look at hair and I for one am Loving it. Though I am not much of a hairstylist and I can do simple maintenance to my hair.
So why is society so bent out of shape of people of colored wearing our natural hair texture. Even though it is known that people of color built this country on the orders of others. And though this is not a hate blog about those times. Why is it so hard to move on from those discriminatory ways? What harm does it really have to wear natural hair. It’s not like it’s going to take someone hostage or start talking like a living baby. If I have to change my hair for a company then there should also be standards for those for majority controlling party. Such as, disrespect and blatant disregard for a human is not an okay policy and catering to a specific color of race is not humane. Basically or simply put, treat others of all race and ethnic backgrounds the way you would want to be treated. So HELL NO you cannot touch my hair, it is not an object of wonder. It is just simply hair, the same thing that grows on your body. Besides, I don’t know where your hands have been, if they are cleaned, and most importantly I said no.
SimplyBetty101