Hair as Resistance

I have been on my natural hair journey for five years now. Through this experience, I have come to appreciate how my hair symbolizes my spirituality, especially as a Black woman. Going from completely bald, to experimenting with natural hairstyles, to now choosing to embrace locs, let’s unpack what I’ve learned through this process.

I decided to go bald when I was 20 years old which was one of the lowest years of my life. As I reflect on that period of my life, I realize that cutting my hair was a subconscious form of release. It was a way to let go of the pain and hopelessness I was feeling inside. At the time, I thought my decision was due to the frustration of having to style my hair monthly, but it was much deeper.

Eventually, when my hair grew more, I decided to opt out of getting my hair braided to save money. Instead, I practiced natural protective hairstyles on myself and embraced learning to be comfortable with my hair. This is a continuous internal struggle because of texturism; the systemic discrimination of people with afro-textured hair.

Around this time last year, I decided to lock my hair due to growing tired of always having to style it. I had an awakening regarding why Black people are expected to have their hair look “presentable” instead of letting it naturally exist without any manipulation. Non-Black people are afforded the luxury of letting their hair just be, so why can’t I?

The reclamation of my hair has been a transformative experience of healing by unlearning internalized texturism. It has been revisiting my ancestral history and learning how hair was weaponized against them. It has been learning how Black ancestors resisted enslavement using hairstyles as a means of communication and escape routes. With that in mind, I can conclude that my hair is not only a spiritual connection to my ancestors but a resistance to anti-Blackness as well.