Don’t Touch My Hair
There's an audacity that exists in people that most will probably never know about. And not the kind where someone asks you something personal in public or tries to embarrass you in front of someone you're trying to impress. It's the kind of audacity where they will stand behind you in line and stare at the back of your head in such amazement they decide to touch it. The excuse? Your hair just looks so soft and fluffy, like a cloud. I couldn't help it. And they laugh as if there's an understanding in their disrespect.
There seems to be an unwritten norm where palming a stranger's hair is OK because it looks nothing like your own. Your hair is just so nice you automatically qualify as a petting zoo. But this hair that grows out of people's heads, which can be braided, twisted, and loc'd, is not something to be touched. Natural hair is something to be respected and genuinely appreciated by the world at large.
Image Courtesy: CNN
Natural hair has too long of a history of being discriminated against and used as a political tool. Historically, it was first used as a means of erasing one's identity. Different tribes had notably different hairstyles that were associated with their respective cultures. So during the process of enslaving these people, their identities were stripped the moment a razor blade met their scalp. People who were already being stolen and enslaved could not find a community with others that may have been from their own countries. Those that were already slaving away in the endless fields of the south were planning their escapes by mapping out the fields with "cornrows": a braided hairstyle that, in this time, would also have rice tucked in so they would have food once they left. Eventually, as laws were passed and rights were granted, these extreme measures of erasing one's culture and using hair for survival would no longer be needed. The only difference now would be fighting the social expectation to adhere to European beauty standards. Hot combs, relaxers, and perms were used to try and turn natural hair straight.
This would slowly be combated with the 1960’s natural hair movement. The saying “Black is Beautiful” was coined and heavily applauded by activists such as Angela Davis and Marcus Garvey. Wearing your natural hair was heavily encouraged not only as a means of going against these standards but also as a way of loving oneself. As a result, lawsuits against employers discriminating against hiring workers that wore their natural hair followed suit. Court cases like the 1979 Jenkins v. Blue Cross Mutual Hospital Insurance would allow people to wear their natural hair to work. Even as long ago as that may sound, this kind of discrimination still finds itself present. In 2019, California created and signed the C.R.O.W.N Act, which prohibits discrimination against one’s hair in the workplace. Since then, it has been signed into law in 18 more states.
Even with these events, more hairstyles have been made and popularized through cultural markers and celebrities, allowing them to become more socially acceptable. Brandy Norwood, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and Venus, and Serena Williams can be credited for the popularization of Box Braids in the ‘90s. Musicians like Bob Marley, Lenny Kravitz, Lauryn Hill, and Erykah Badú helped normalize Locs. Even with these styles, different variations of it have been made: Box braids ranging from micro to jumbo with the option of traditional and knotless can be found as a common skill set amongst braiders; Locs are no longer just “locs,” coming in different looks like distressed locs, goddess locs, soft locs, faux locs, and the more popular butterfly locs; Cornrows are now one of many braided designs like lemonade and Fulani braids. This ongoing list of hairstyles is not only a celebration of what can be done with natural hair but an expression of oneself and identity.
In understanding this, this is not an excuse for you to put up a fist every time you see someone with an afro or anyone with their hair in the mentioned hairstyles. Their hair may have a political history, but they aren’t. After understanding this past and acknowledging its cultural significance, think three times before deciding to go up to someone and invade their space simply because you have never seen such a thing before. Natural hair deserves to be respected and appreciated accordingly. So don’t touch the hair.
Strike Out,
Alyssa Quarrie
Boca Raton
Alyssa Quarrie is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. When she’s not losing herself in another book, she’s working out with friends, looking for flights, and thrifting her wallet away. You can reach her at alyssaquarrie@gmail.com