Kinky Hair Don't Care?: A Naturalista's Guide To Natural Hair

Kinky Hair Don't Care!

Chapter 1

Know Your HairStory!

When I decided to do my Big Chop (cut all of my chemically processed/permed hair off), it was with the mindset that I would never again have to worry about going to war with my hair to keep it straight when it was so determined to kink up.  It never crossed my mind that my decision was so much bigger than merely dumping my creamy crack.  All I knew was I had a full time job, a toddler and other responsibilities to tend to, there was no time to devote to perming, flat ironing, wrapping, unwrapping and flat ironing some more, only for my hair to barely look presentable.  It was a nightmare!!  So one Sunday evening, while preparing for my busy week, I went ahead and chopped all my hair off in front of the bathroom mirror.  I will forever remember that day as an eye opener and a turning point in my life.

As I began to embrace my TWA (Teeny Weenie Afro), I started looking for styling tips, product recommendations and anything else to make my journey an exciting and stylish one.  My research led me to learning more about the history of black women and their hair.  I then realized that my journey was so much more than dumping my Olive Oil relaxer, I was part of a history of Black women who share a similar HairStory.  Many of us have gone from hot combs, to kiddy relaxers, to super perms and weaves, all the while longing for "Good Hair."  We have gone from conforming to what society determines to be acceptable to the freely embracing what our hearts find to be better than acceptable.

Our history goes way back, in fact it has been recorded that in the mid 1400's, Europeans trading on the west coast of Africa did so with people wearing elaborate hairstyles with locs, plaits and twists. As time went on and slavery began, black people were dehumanized and stripped of the pride and beauty they once possessed. Instead of using the herbs and other treasures from the earth to care for their hair and skin, they were forced to turn to bacon grease, butter and kerosene to cleanse and condition their hair. A lighter skinned slave with straighter hair was worth more at auctions than slaves with darker skin and kinkier hair and so begins the internalized notion that lighter and straighter is better.  Although slavery comes to an end in 1865, black women are forced into conformity by white people who viewed black women who wore their hair like white women as "well adjusted" and "Good Hair" became a requirement for entering churches, schools and social groups.  

By 1880, the hot comb, created by the French was accessible in the United States and used to press and temporarily straighten kinky hair.  This method of pressing and straightening was made even more popular in the 1900's by Madame C.J. Walker, many of us have heard stories about Madame Walker, and in fact she was one of the few black people that I learned about growing up in the NYC Public School System.  She was notably known for being a black female entrepreneur who created hair products for black hair, making the press n' curl a popular style for black women.  Not many know that Madame C.J. Walker was criticized for creating a product line encouraging black women to look white.  No doubt this was a fair argument during a time when black people were free but were still trying to fight for their place in a society doing everything to keep them out.  Madame C.J. Walker's hair product line prevailed landing her in the Guinness Book of Records in 1910 as the first American female self-made millionaire.  Her product and the press n' curl remained the standard for black women until the 1920's.

In 1920's, Marcus Garvey urged black women to embrace themselves naturally. Garvey fought to regain and reclaim the beauty and aesthetic of Africa and so he encouraged black women to embrace their natural hair.  Empowering, that is until 1954, when Johnson Products Empire launched the Ultra Wave Hair Culture, a permanent hair straightener for men.  Now, I know you all remember the scene in the Malcolm X movie when Malcolm X, played by Denzel Washington, puts some of that stuff in his hair and it got to burning and stinging so bad he ended up with his head in the toilet to get it out.  We all felt his pain! The permanent straightener was first made for men, but of course a chemical straightener for women was soon to follow.  

We have since gone from cornrows to shaved heads, from straightened hair curled with rollers/curlers to the infamous afro.  We have seen the Jheri curl come and GO, we've rocked braids and beads, the flat top fade and in came the weave.  We've watched black hair care go from natural herbs to bacon grease and kerosene to a billion dollar industry.  So, the next decision you make with your hair, take a minute to consider your HairStory, where you came from and where you're going.