Do you ever stop and look in any given place where there happens to be a lot of black women and notice these days how many of us have finally decided to embrace our natural hair? I do, and it makes me so happy and proud to see this happening. The church I attend is bustling with "naturals". I have found myself from time to time counting the many women I see when I'm there. It's beautiful.
Sometimes I hear people referring to women embracing their natural hair. They say things like, "yeah, everybody is trying to be natural now". I don't guess they mean any harm, but it bothers me because when people say these things they are turning something beautiful and highly significant into something meaningless and nothing more than a fad. Not to mention, "you do know that's how her hair is supposed to be right?"
I'm sure that not everyone who decided to return to natural had some deep call to return to oneness with nature or whatever,(I know I didn't) but the mere fact that women are becoming comfortable enough to embrace what much of society calls ugly or simply not the standard of beauty is huge. Enough women embraced their hair that one woman decided it was okay to do the same and then another and another.
If you are a regular reader of my blog then you know that I have 3 daughters. I bring this up because I feel like the more we embrace our natural hair we show future generations that our coils, kinks, and napps are beautiful. Our daughters won't feel it a necessity to relax or straighten their hair to be beautiful. They'll be able to appreciate the differences in their hair and see it as beautiful.
In essence we are changing the standard of beauty. Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that straight hair isn't beautiful. I'm saying that kinky, curly, nappy hair is beautiful. Simple as that. Not too or also. It just is. All by itself.
I found a very cute little video that I just had to share. It is my hope and prayer that our little girls will truly grow up feeling this way.
