For a long time, I told myself that I was not going to write an article about the hair that grows out of my head. It seems like a direct juxtaposition to the way I want for my natural hair to be regarded. What sense does it make to assert that my hair is ‘normal’, but special enough to have articles asserting that the fact that I do not straighten, cover, or otherwise change it is a political act. To act as if it isn’t, however, is misconceived. The truth is, in America, the “melting pot” is really a phenomenon in which other cultures are expected to be melted down to their ‘white core’ in order to be accepted by mix with the other ingredients. In reality, other races are held to the white standard and expected to be compliant, and because of this, assimilation extends further than language and culture to include physical traits.

This phenomenon is highlighted by the stereotypes and language utilized to describe other cultures of people that highlight the differences from the white norm standard; hence the focus on “chinky eyes” or “Jewish noses” or “Black booties”. It even goes so far to create dichotomies, lending towards “Black people” to be regarded as the phenotypical opposite of ‘the norm’. As a result, everything from our skin to our body types have been under scrutiny for hundreds of years (see ‘slave auctions’ or ‘limited opportunities in the modeling industry’). In response to this scrutiny, we have gone through periods of acceptance and defiance, and the natural hair movement is a direct component of that defiance.

So I sit here, reaching up to caress the curls that create my crown. The curls that make people stare in awe or disgust. Thinking about the way in which my audacity to wear them is a metaphorical middle finger to those who are disgusted and a unique point of reference for those that are not. In this position, I feel as though it is my job to educate them. How can you expect anyone to accept something they do not understand and to find the beauty in something that is off limits when they are made to feel as though it is a sensitive topic? With so much anger directed towards people for their genuine curiosity in the name of past transgressions or exclusivity, why would we expect for something treated as abnormal to be considered normal?

I have increasingly come across people who would not allow people to touch their hair even after being asked politely for permission, an occurrence that usually runs parallel to the belief that people are treating the person and his or her hair as if they are petting some exotic zoo animal, the general belief that one’s differences cannot be accepted without being exotified, or that one’s inexperience and curiosity can only come from a negative place. I do not understand this logic, as people can learn other languages, receive fake henna tattoos, and participate in the cultures of others in the name of appreciation. Not only does this assert that appreciation and black hair cannot coexist, but it also asserts that one may have knowledge of the intentions behind someone’s actions without asking or knowing them. Somehow we expect acceptance without believing that acceptance can exist in the form of curiosity.

So. Yes. You can touch my hair (as long as you ask first; I am still a human and deserve to have my personal space respected regardless of your awe or disgust). And if you’re willing to admit that you don’t know something, I will hold your hand and walk you through the history of black hair as I know it. I will show you Youtube videos of techniques and styles and textures. I will teach you so much about natural hair that you will know more about it than people who should. Hopefully then, you will realize that my hair is no different from yours. Well. It is. But it should not be regarded any differently.

P.S. You still can’t say n****, though.

Awesome art piece can be found at this URL.