Are black women hair obsessed?

I've been looking at a lot of videos and articles about hair lately. There is a big "hype" or movement in the hair community about for women to "go natural". So for those who haven't been up on the hype, it's when you don't put a relaxer in your hair every time you see the curly new growth.



Well, there hasn't been a relaxer in my hair since my early 20's. Before it was fashionable for women to wear an afro, I grew one. In college, there was a group of us who majored or minored in African American Studies at Eastern Michigan University. Since the department is so small we tend to have a lot of classes together where we grew together. That meant we had the same professors over and over.





One professor I admired was Professor Peters. He was the TRUTH. He would tell us whatever was on his mind as it occurred to him. I learned so much in his class. He was also an English major who formerly taught in the Detroit Public Schools. I so wanted to be a teacher in DPS and we all know I was an English major. He also was from a small area right outside of Ohio. (Little known fact- my paternal family is from Portsmoth, Ohio) We had a lot in common. Well, in the university you meet a lot of characters. Universities allow you to explore who you want to be sans parental guidance. Students usually explore numerous lifestyles before settling into something they find "comfortable". (I'm getting to the point...) I was so done with my hair. I relaxed my hair for so long I had no clue what it looked like. I remember one of the guys I dated said, "Your hair must be curly because it curls up every couple of weeks." Thanks Benny-who was Caucasian- I needed that. Professor Peters had a talk with our class about the way women wore their hair. He said that you shouldn't down the way a woman wears her hair simply because of what you think. Women who wear relaxers don't do so to look more "white" or European. They relax their hair because it's easy to manage that way.

OMG! Let me confess this fellas! A relaxer is not easy to manage. If I relaxed my hair that means I spent every day in restroom ensuring that it was well moisturized with something.  On top of that, relaxing your hair means that you can't wash it as often. So there!- to the women in K-Mart who asked if I was taking out my locs because I was buying shampoo and conditioner. I cut all my hair off a week after Prof. Peters had that conversation with the class. I really didn't need my hair to be easy to manage. I just needed it to "be". I love to wash my hair because I have an oily scalp. It feels dirty every couple of days and I need to wash it!  I haven't put a relaxer in my hair since then. Dyes are a different story-not totally chemical free.


I had an afro for years before I decided to twist up my hair. My fro was off the chain and very versatile.  My natural hair was so much thicker than my relaxed hair. Then I met Denson. Denson convinced me to grow locs. I kept those for years. My hair grew down to my waist before I cut all my hair off again. Guess what!! Hair grows back. It doesn't define who I am. If I lose all of my hair I'll just will rock a wig. I do that anyway because this Texas heat is killer on the head and all my gray ages me by 10+ years.





So... If you want to relax your hair, do it. If you want to wear it natural that's cool too. I don't think it's anyone's business what someone does with their hair once they reach 18. Before the age of 18 is a different story.  I'm think about cutting off my hair and starting over again any way and if someone had something to say about it.... SAY IT TO MY FACE! j/k