Black Women’s Transitions
to Natural Hair
Transition: The filmmaker Zina Saro-Wiwa presents an Op-Doc on black women’s decision to embrace their naturally kinky hair, rather than use chemical straighteners.
By ZINA SARO-WIWA
Published: May 31, 2012
When I set out to make a documentary about black women who are “transitioning” — cutting off their chemically straightened hair and embracing their natural kinky afro texture — I had no intention of appearing in the film. I felt I was an objective observer and really just wanted to highlight a growing movement. (Of the 50 or so women I struck up conversations with randomly on the street, the vast majority had gone natural within the last three years. According to one industry study, sales of chemical straightening kits, which can be harmful, reportedly dropped by 17 percent between 2006 and 2011.) But including my own story forced me to examine how I felt about my hair with more honesty than ever before.
There are as many “natural hair journeys” as there are transitioning women. What I find remarkable about the movement is the way it is spreading through black women in America. Many are transitioning silently, without much fanfare. Some are inspired by friends and family members who have already made the switch. As Anu Prestonia, the owner of Khamit Kinks, a natural hair salon in Brooklyn, told me, “There’s been an evolutionary process that has turned into a revolution.” It is not an angry movement. Women aren’t saying their motivation is to combat Eurocentric ideals of beauty. Rather, this is a movement characterized by self-discovery and health.
But black hair and the black body generally have long been a site of political contest in American history and in the American imagination. Against this backdrop, the transition movement has a political dimension — whether transitioners themselves believe it or not. Demonstrating this level of self-acceptance represents a powerful evolution in black political expression. If racial politics has led to an internalization of self-loathing, then true transformation will come internally, too. It will not be a performative act. Saying it loud: “I’m black and I’m proud” is one thing. Believing it quietly is another. So the transition movement is much more profound and much more powerful — and I believe it offers lessons in self-acceptance for people of all hues and all genders.
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Five Steps to the
Emotional Side
of Going Natural
So you’re really going to do it. You’re going to do the “Big Chop.” Go natural. Embrace your inner afro in an outer most way. Marvelous. But before you tackle the final frontier of what your actual roots look like, prepare yourself for the wave of emotions you’re going to go through if this is your first time ever seeing what your real hair texture is.
If you’re one of the fortunate few who immediately fell in love and immediately found perfect workable hairstyles and a routine, that’s great. But you’re the minority. This post is for everyone else.
1. Throw away all preconceived notions! Before you let the relaxer go, you first need to let go of whatever you think your hair is going to look like once it grows out. If you’re going natural expecting your hair to grow out looking like Solange Knowles fro or Tracee Ellis Ross’s ringlets, divorce yourself of this notion now. No two heads of natural hair are ever alike. You may have more than one curl pattern in your head. Or your roots may curl up differently from your ends. Embrace the surprise because you are almost guaranteed to get one.
2. Acceptance. Did you take my advice on no. 1? You didn’t listen did you? It’s OK. Don’t feel bad if you have Natural Hair Shock Syndrome. For a segment of you, you will not take to your natural hair very well. You’ll start to wonder why you did this, but you’ll feel alone in your shame because to complain out loud will cause some judgmental people to say you’re a self-loathing, straight hair fetishist. You should ignore those people. Almost everyone goes through this: the initial shock of whatever your hair turns out to be once the strengtheners are gone. It’s just not popular to say “I had to learn how to love my hair.” But there are only two cures for Natural Hair Shock Syndrome. One of them is going back to your perms, wigs, and weaves. The other is number 3.
3. Experimentation! Your hair is an adventure you have chosen to embrace! Good for you. This is a magical time when you try different techniques and hairstyles and products and methods to find what works best for you. Like rocking the short cut, growing it out, molding loose curls with styling gel, using conditioners to make it curl up, trying locs, trying braids, trying two-stranded twists, trying twist-outs, blow-outs, and up-dos. Once you let go of any preconceived notions you can truly find what works best for you and have a lot of fun the whole way.
4. Confidence is your friend. If you go natural, you’re going to need lots and lots of confidence as sometimes people will make rude comments like, “You need a perm;” “Your hair looks nappy;” “You don’t have ‘good’ hair like Cousin So-and-So;” or “You’ll never get a man with those locs in your head.” Whether it is strangers or loved ones who say these things, you need to ignore them. By choosing to go natural you have chosen a path they still find strange and scary. While it may be best to ignore these folks, it’s always good to have a few comebacks in your arsenal. For instance, if you’re a God fearing woman, I suggest saying, “I am simply embracing the hair the Lord gave me rather than trying to perfect His perfection.” If not that, try any variation of these: “It’s a recession;” “It’s just hair;” “I’m not wasting $100 on a perm. That’s my new shoes money;” “If all a man cares about is hair, that’s a man I don’t want;” or “I lead an active lifestyle. I can’t afford to lose any training days for my decathlon because I can’t sweat out my hair.” But honestly, you don’t need the comebacks. You just need the confidence.
5. Be A Hair Ambassador, Not A Hair Bully. Once you’ve come full circle and are now a master of your curl domain, it’s important to not let your love turn into a love most foul and judging. Do not try to convert other women using the same judgmental tactics people used on you to bully you into getting a perm. No accusing women with perms, wigs and weaves of “hating themselves” when they’re just still doing what you used to do. Remember how you felt early in your hair journey. That nervousness. That frustration. The disappointment that your hair looked nothing like Lauryn Hill’s locs from 1995. Instead, focus on the positive. Be helpful with those who are curious about going natural. Celebrate your fellow afro people. Don’t waste your time getting into petty debates over what is better or easier. Focus on what was better or easier for you. Now go out and have a grand ol’ natural time.
Danielle Belton is the creator and editor of the blog blacksnob.com and has been natural since 2001. You can read more about her persona hair journey here, here and here.
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Black Women's Natural Hair
Inspired Photographer
Glenford Nunez To Shoot
'The Coiffure Project'
Every historic moment needs its recorder. The natural hair revolution now has the stunning photos of Glenford Nunez.
Nunez, the 25-year-old Baltimore-based founder of TYP Photography Studio, is the man behind "The Coiffure Project," a collection of portraits celebrating the beauty of black women and their magnificent natural hair.
Shot in both black-and-white and color, Nunez's work is simple yet striking -- and to think the project only started by accident.
Looking at the extensive collection of pictures he'd taken of his natural-haired assistant one day, Nunez decided to run with the idea of photographing curly maned black women.
Sounds like a brilliant idea when you consider the current trend toward natural hair.The New York Times has covered the movement, countless YouTube tutorials provide tips, and celebs like Solange Knowles and Viola Davis have become official and unofficial poster women for au naturel awesomeness.
Surprisingly, Nunez wasn't hip to the growing number of black women embracing their curly manes -- but he's a guy, so we'll give him some slack.
"I had no idea until I started putting the photos together," Nunez told The Huffington Post. "People have thanked me for what I'm doing for natural hair and black women, but I genuinely had no idea. It's a super awesome feeling though."
So far Nunez has captured the bountiful beauty of 10 subjects and is on the lookout for more curly coiffed ladies to photograph.
"I find women just walking down the street, and I use models I've worked with in the past," he said. "There's always a certain essence and style I'm drawn to."
Anyone who has second-guessed going natural -- whether by slow transition or big chop -- will definitely find reassurance, excitement and plenty of inspiration when looking at these beautiful images.
While the portraits currently reside on Nunez's website, he hopes to turn them into a coffee table book in the near future. Yet another gorgeous volume we'll place on our must-have list.
"Now that I know about the movement," said Nunez, "I'm hoping this project will really bring the beauty of natural hair to the forefront."
Here's a look at "The Coiffure Project" thus far. What do you think?
“The Coiffure Project” By Glenford Nunez
Posted: 05/30/2012 12:35 pm Updated: 05/30/2012 11:18 pm