Naturally Mine

I can recall many scenarios during my career as a social worker that led to my choice to merge together my career as a social worker with cosmetology. All the scenarios evolved around people's fascination with my "ability" to care for and style my hair myself. At the time, I never understood what was so fascinating about what I considered to be basic grooming. 

That's me teaching mom how to
care for and style her daughter's
hair.

The families I worked with were always asking how was I able to care for my hair and style it so neatly. In the beginning, I was definitely under the notion that their questions were coming from a place of lack as it related to hair care products and the tools needed to style it. As time went on, I came to realize that was not the case. In addition, for every client I serviced who was in the dark about what to use on their hair and how to style it; there were just as many co-workers who had the exact same concerns.

As I searched high and low for what I thought was a simple resolve, I discovered there was no simple resolve. There was no simple resolve because the manner in which people with textured was using to care for and style it was wrong.  Wrong? That is correct. 

There is a vast number of people who have textured hair who are using incorrect methods. UThnbeknownst to them, they are using hair care and hairstyling practices that were practiced out of necessity as a result of slavery instead of by design. Had the slaves been allowed to care for and style their hair according to the cultural practices that came from their motherland, hair care and hair styling would have been drastically different from the images we see of slaves with matted, bug infested, unkempt and tied down hair. 

In the meantime, there is a belief that the current practice of hair care and hair styling today is proper for those with textured hair. That belief is damaging. The belief is damaging because there were hair care and proper hairstyling practices for people with textured hair  before slavery.  For the most part, most people with textured hair will date hair care beginning from slavery or the late 1600's. Most people with textured hair and straight hair for that matter have no concept of hair care and hairstyling prior to either time references.  

Hair care prior to slavery.

Regardless the time frame, it is for certain that sometime during the mid-1400's when Africans were sold into slavery, that the denial of proper hair care and hair styling practices in any facet for slaves was not allowed. That denial stemming from the 1400's is the culprit to the myriad of hair care problems and improper styling practices we continue to see for those with textured hair today, with emphasis for those who are African Americans.  To make matters more confusing, the overt misinformation and improper practices are taught in the education of cosmetology and is for sell to the masses.  It is for sell at a high price to anybody who does not look like the status quo of textured hair individuals. It is for sale to those individuals who are seeking validation in any form from anyone who does know what is customarily proper for their unique textured hair fabric. It is for sell to anyone looking to duplicate a look for textured hair that is so obviously different from the texture on the head in which it lies. 

So life for me as a social worker went on. I attempted to help who I thought would only be a select group of people with this miseducation and misinformation. Instead, it turned out to be hundreds. I honestly put together ONE workshop that simply showed the correlation between taking care of self mentally and physically to an alternative way of hair care and hair styling for those with textured prior to the 1400's. 

Race has no place in hair.

Unbeknownst to me, hundreds of women and men signed up for that one workshop. I was floored! The workshop was titled, "How to Have a Good Hair Day Every Day." At the time, I was unaware of the number of people who signed up for the workshop. But when the staggering number was brought to my attention, I intuitively knew from all that collegiate education I received that psychosocially something bigger than self-esteem, hair care and hair styling was going on. 

Quite naturally, moments before showtime, I did not have enough handouts and giveaways for that staggering number.  So, the show went on. I did as good of a job that I could with the information, resources and time frame that I had. The public never allowed me out of the space as who they affectionately called, "the hair lady who cares." I loved that title and I loved that I was recognized for being the lady who cared. 

Make no mistake that beauty is naturally yours. Hair is naturally yours. That has always been my message. The thought of people being sold the concept of "natural" beauty and "natural" hair bothers me.

Forget the titles of a cosmetologist, trichologist, salon owner, master colorist, and teacher; for it resonates with not one consumer who has textured hair and is struggling to care for and style it. They much rather prefer the title of "someone who cares." I understand now. 

So before I earned those titles, I cared. I continue to care. And with those titles, I see hurt people and I see people who hurt. These people are not hurting so much in a physical or violent sense; although the kind of pain. they are experiencing influences pain and violence. Yet, they are hurting and is hurt in another way. 

What are they hurt from? How are they hurting? Why are they hurting? Along with all the other questions around hurt you ask? The answer is simple. They do not know from whence they  came. Yes, that answer is inspired by the acclaimed African American writer, poet, novelist and essayist, James Baldwin. His full quote is as follows, " Know from whence you came. If you know when you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go."

What I was experiencing from people those who I served as a social worker and the people I serve today is exactly what Carter G Woodson wrote about when he wrote the "Mis-Education of the Negro." Plain and simple put, many people with textured hair have the wrong concepts of hair care and hair styling due to slavery and denial of access from where they come from prior to it. 

You will never see this sign outside America.

Whatever texture, density, length, color or any amount of hair at all you have on your head it is uniquely assigned to you and is naturally yours. Hair care and hair styling for those with textured hair was magnificently and meticulously cared for. It was adorned prior to slavery and before the 1400's. A person's race was never ever in the equation of hair care and hair styling. As a matter of fact, there was no such term as "race." Never. There was no such term as "natural" hair or beauty. Never. However, there were archetypes that defined beauty and captured the five tufts of hair. Yet, the overt effort to highlight the differences in those textures by putting one texture above or below another texture according to the hue of skin was never in the scope of reflecting the innate practice of adorning oneself. Never. 

The hair you have on your head is natural. The person you see reflected is beautiful. Always.

So, if you are interested in learning the solutions which are in knowing "from whence you came" to understand what is naturally growing from your scalp when it has texture, then check your calendar to see if you will be free on Sunday, October 30th between 3-5pm. If so, call 216-321-1101 to RSVP for The Reverence Design Team, Home Hair Care Academy intro workshop. The intro workshop will take you on a journey of caring for textured hair from an Afrocentric perspective. 

There is something practical yet magical in learning how to care for and style textured hair in its many forms from the people who have it.


Love, peace and hairgrease!