I am not my hair?

This is a subject that has been on my heart and I felt that I had to post about it. I find it extremely divisive to debate the true and right-way to wear our natural hair. I recently read a post that discussed cultured dreads vs. manicured locks. This debate, to me harkens back to the light vs. dark skinned mess. Did we forget "Willie Lynch??? Willie Lynch Letter
At it core is the assertion that one is better than the other. As a creole woman born in Louisiana my mother has told me stories of brown paper bag parties and the things done to her friends to make them feel less than because of hair texture, completion or just the wrong pedigree or the way children and families were pitted against one another on the basis of outward appearance ( including hair texture, type, appearance etc)....I do not think we are naive enough to believe that these type of things do not still happen but, one would hope that in our community at least we could just accept the differences that make us beautiful...o-Kay I will get off my soap box:) Below is the post I wrote:


I am actually a sisterlocked sista and I have to say that I am a bit disappointed in discussions that have a premise around the “right way” to wear our hair. As a proud woman of African decent I have chosen a route that I deemed best for my hair. I would like to think that each of use has the right to choose what works well for our lives. I am not looking to win the “most” authentic title. I did not choose my hairstyle for the approval of anyone except myself. This discussion on hair seems to be as divisive as discussions of light skinned verses dark skinned in our community. What is this? Instead of being so critical about our natural hair choices it would seem to me that we would try to embrace one another. “Dread-yankee?” How is this label helpful? What purpose does it serve?

There are hundreds of women/men who have finally found a way to embrace their God given beauty. Who have struggled through and jumped over 400 years of brainwashing and negative self-imagery. There are more women/men who are looking in the mirror today and loving the beautiful black cloud that grows from there roots…who are we to tell them how to love it?