I am a proud black woman, always have, always will. My hair is beautiful, it saddens me to think that it took me so long to realise it.
I am turning 62 soon and only fell in love with my hair at age 56. I spent most of my life relaxing my hair, using dangerous and corrosive products that ruined my coils. A big regret of mine.
I am now glad to see my hair striving, its texture forming, this grey silver colour blooming.
Embracing our hair as black women is primordial, it is a political act if you consider the fact that during colonisation we were told to cover our hair, erase this part of us to please a system that wanted to erase our identity, step on it, and impose a so-called superiority and power.
These messages got internalised by all of us. We evolved thinking that our hair was actually something that shouldn’t exist and shouldn’t be praised. Look at us today though! Learning about it, cherishing it, being vocal about it.
This acceptance process definitely takes time and effort but like everything in life, if we don’t push for things to happen, they simply won’t. Just keep pushing.