Black Hair is Beauty

“My hair doesn't need to be fixed. Society's view of beauty is what’s broken” (Unknown). Growing up in a predominately white neighborhood and attending a school with mainly white students gave me insecurity about my natural hair. I would see all my classmates with their nice, straight, and sleek long hair, and then I have different types of protective hairstyles. My hair is in braids, two-strand twisted, or a big puff on the top of my head. I used to hate getting my hair done since it wasn’t straight it hurt from it being combed from all the curls and coils I have... I remember the first time I got my hair straightened, I absolutely loved it, and never wanted to go back to dealing with my curls and coils. I could actually run my fingers through my straight without hitting a tangle curl. I remember when I first walked into my 5th-grade classroom and people immediately drew their eyes to my hair is straight and sleek. I remember my childhood friend Nathalie telling “Ooo Janai I like your hair”, and I never had that said before to me. 

For many years African Americans have been discriminated against based on their hairstyles and hair texture. The hairstyle of an Afro has been called ugly by society. A blog written by Treava - Hopkins- Laboy Black Hair and an Unjust Society discusses “As far back as the slave trade, Africans were forced to abandon their links and connections to their natural hair; Slaves were forced to shave their heads any cultural identity or tribal heritage associated with hairstyles. After shaving the "bad" hair, Black men and women often were forced to wear headscarves to hide their hair from the sight of the slave owner.” Started in the late 1970s with “good” and “bad” hair. As in “good” hair being white hair type which is soft, sleeky, straight hair and “bad” hair was African Americans with braids, afro, dreads, curls, and coils. But a question I have for society is what is so horrible about texture hair type and hairstyle?

Today we now have the CROWN Act, passed in 1964. It was first introduced in California in 2019. The Crown Act prohibited discrimination based on hairstyle and hair texture. It stands for “Create a Respectful and Open World For Natural Hair”. There are only fourteen states that have passed the Crown Act since 2019. We have fifty states in the United States. It is extremely sad and disappointing that an Act needs to be implemented. 

African American hair is beautiful. Black hair is such an integral part of Black History and heritage. The evolution of afro hair and its impact on society through time tells a story within itself, a story that will forever hold a place in Black experience and identity. 

With saying texture hair type many thoughts are being processed when it comes to being in the real world. For example, CNN written by Veronica Stracqualursi and Rachel Janfaza discusses what is a CROWN Act and what will advocates say about it. Survey being conducted that Black women are 80% more likely to believe that they must change their natural hair to “fit in the office”. As women already like most likely to be down at the very bottom of a list for a future job position or interview because of the simple that, they are women. Black women in particular need to first think about a hairstyle for a job before even thinking they can even get the job.

It is absolutely sickening that African American men and women need to have the thought of fixing their hair in order to get a job. It is significant sad that “Natural Black hair is often deemed ‘unprofessional’ simply because it does not conform to white beauty standards”. 

My hair isn't just hair to me. It’s a part of identification being a black girl who struggled with their natural hair growing up and being made fun of. I live in a society where my hair texture and hairstyle are seen as “unprofessional” or not seen as a “  white beauty standard”. Why do I have live and deal with a society like this? What is seen in the “white beauty standard” that can’t be seen in my black beauty standard? Black hair is beautiful and society should know it.