Ongoing Project: Going Natural Pt. 2

So this morning, when I was washing my hair(who would have thought?), I reached up to put in some conditioner and I felt something funny.


It was curls. Ha!


But I'm serious, though! A scalp covered in soft, tiny, tightly coiled curls. Amazing.

I vividly remember getting my hair done as a child and not once can I recall seeing not a damn curl on my head. I though about this for a good five minutes in the shower. And then I realized: Of course I saw a curl. I had a huge head full of them. Except, as I was taught, they weren't curls, but naps. Beady-bees. Peas.

Time to start dispelling some myths, people.

African Americans have naturally tightly coiled hair. It may be coarse, but can be soft. It may not be Shirley Temple ringlets, but they are curls. They can be tough, but they're not naps. Just hair.

As I type, I'm starting to bear a little grudge toward our beloved Madam C.J. She invented a hot comb that, in the time of the burgeoning influence of predominantly white culture and social image, was a virtual miracle. Though I will always respect her for being the great Black businesswoman she was, I cannot help but to resent her in that much of her work has led not only myself, but millions of Black women down a road that is just as winding and intricate as the lovely natural coils on our heads. As I ran my fingers through my hair in surprise, curiosity, and excitement, I really began to wonder why any woman would consult to destroy such a beautiful thing.

But I digress- that last sentiment could keep me here all day. Granted, I'm not at all opposed to straight hair- it does have its benefits- but there are a hundred different conversations to be had in that one sentence(don't worry, we can have all of them later). Anyway, in the midst of a deep condition, I mused. Mused about all the times someone's said "Put a comb through your hair"! Surprise: fact of the matter is, for most Black women, you don't need to.

How so, you might ask? Speaking from my own experience, I've been transitioning for a month now, and so I can safely say that I have a general grasp on the two drastically different textures on my head. Whereas I can(for the most part) detangle my relaxed ends fairly easy, once I get to the root, it's almost impossible without yanking my hair out and giving myself a literal headache. At first, I was annoyed. I've been cowashing, conditioning, moisturizing like crazy- so why won't this wide-ass toothed comb go through? The answer is simple- that comb wasn't meant to go through. At this point I can safely say that when my relaxer grows out, very rarely will I need to use anything but my fingers to get though my hair. See ladies, there is actually some benefit to rocking your natural hair. And when I say 'ladies', I mean my sister, who upon learning of my new adventure, she proudly proclaimed, "Pshh, get out of here. Perms for life, yo."

Now, I am really thinking. How odd it is that I can't recall not once potentially derogatory term for Caucasian hair? Asian? Hispanic? Surely there are some out there, but I certainly could easily identify them as anyone can identify Nappy, Kinky, Rough, Peasy. Like I said, these are only potentially derogatory; however, for as many times as 'nappy' has been used in an affectionate way, it's been used twice as many times in a negative, offensive one. And that needs to stop. There not enough "ups" in African American culture. At this point, Obama doesn't even count- way too many people believe that all is well now that a Black man has reached the nation's highest office. Obama was just the tip of the iceberg. That aside, you can find something negative to say or be said about pretty every part of a Black body:

Skin's so dark. Ashy looking.

Lips are so big.

Hair is so nappy.

Big, fast ass. Ew.

Her hips are sooo wide.

And so much more that I won't even deign to get into.

I think we've all had enough of that, haven't we?


Hopefully, when I write, I don't come across as some snob who looks down at everything. I am going on one of the biggest adventures of my life and I want nothing more to share. With each day, I am finding that this hair project is more than just my hair's roots. It's knowledge, perspective, confidence, and so much more, reaching down from the roots of my scalp into the roots of my being. Yes, a lot of feeling there, but it's real feeling. And it's not exclusive to me. I don't see myself as any better than the next, some neo-soul type secrecy, as lots of these sorts of Black-themed introspectives go, I just wonder why so many people are missing the boat- as I once was- when the boat has been anchored down at shore the entire time. Hm.


SG