Welcome to the #BlackBlogsMatter challenge! Throughout the 28 days of February, my posts will not (necessarily) be about HR, Leadership or Management topics.

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I’m not sure if any other race of women have as much controversy surrounding what they do or don’t do with their hair than Black women. And Black hair is a multi-billion dollar industry — but most of the people getting rich from it are NOT Black … More on this on Day 22 of the #BlackBlogsMatter challenge tho.

I found this infograph/meme online about Black hair that pretty much captured everything I wanted to say on this topic.

 

It is amazing how so much is ascribed to a Black woman’s self-esteem, self-love, character and professionalism based on their hairstyle

• If you color your hair, you have self-hate issues and/or want to be White.
• If you straighten your hair, you also have self-hate issues and want to be White. AND you’re lazy for not wanting to put forth the effort needed for natural hair maintenance.
• If you wear your hair in it’s natural texture (whatever that may be), you’re an angry pro-Black feminist … which isn’t a bad thing, in my opinion … Or worse — you’re only wearing your hair that way because it is trendy now so you’re a follower.
• If you wear braids or cornrows or finger waves, you’re ghetto … even though White women in these styles are edgy and fashion-forward *cough, cough* Cultural Appropriation *cough, cough*
• If you wear extensions, weave or wigs, you are ghetto and self-hating and lazy all at the same time.

I am not my hair. 

All this talk is ridiculous. And racist. And sexist.

I’ve said it several times during this Blog Challenge and I’m going to keep saying it …

 

Black people have the same ranges of humanity as everyone else.  

We should be allowed our humanity without criticism, judgment or stereotype.

 

We should be allowed to experiment with styles and trends and curiosities about our hair and our bodies without being permanently assigned negative character traits.

We are not all one style. We do not all like one style. If we choose a style and later feel it no longer suits our needs or level of maturity, we get to choose again.

We are just like everyone else.

Let us be. Let us do. Let us have. Let us live.

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Tune in tomorrow for Day 9 – Team Dark Skin