Yesterday, I was walking out of Kroger and a woman honked her horn flagging me down. I almost dropped my groceries!! :) She was inquiring about my hair and the products I use. As she began talking, she was so sad and drepressed about her "grade" of hair....after she said "her grade of hair isn't good," I stopped listening, and just got SO MAD. I hate very few things, but this concept of "grades" of hair within the African American community is one thing I hate with every fiber of my being!!!! To say the least, I kept it together and told her her hair is beautiful and she should OWN it...I gave her some tips and products and she was on her merry way...I was sad that she was sad that her God given hair was BAD. What the heck!???
When one uses this language of "grades" you automatically put a spectrum or an abstract grade - A, B, C, D, and F in terms of ones hair texture. Society, and especially the African American community continues to perpetuate this CRAZY idea that the tighter the curl in ones head the more "nappy" and BAD...the "grade" of hair is...
I challenge this notion. Tight beautiful curls that grow from our head represents deep and beautiful roots. Why are we buying into a 'hair beauty' standard that is not ours??? We put chemicals and all kinds of things in our hair to get closer and closer to a "better grade of hair." This continues to put us in an inferior position because African American hair has a different texture and make-up!! Why can't this be beautiful?? Why can't we accept that our hair is our hair (and SO diverse at that) and move from this notion that to have beautiful hair it must be a good "grade"...in other words, it must be closer to that of straight, long, and silky. I think all hair is beautiful. Just own it...stop comparing and labling hair on a spectrum that is just off base.
Be beautiful people. Love yourself from the tips of each strand of your hair to your toes. No more of this...no more.
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