I ran into a little trouble before my trip to Brooklyn, New York, where I am attending the Black Girls ROCK! Leadership Conference. I talked my mother into allowing me to take down my box braids and get crochet breads. Of course, I wanted this done before I left town and before cheerleading camp started. My flight would leave on Wednesday afternoon, and I would return Sunday. Cheerleading camp and pictures would be the next day. I took down my hair. I had lots of new growth and my hair is very super naturally curly and thick. I managed to get it into a puffball.
My mother and I were on the way to get my hair done Tuesday, and the braider said she could not do it because she was in the hospital. I broke down into tears. Now that the situation is over, my mother and I can both laugh about it, but it was not funny at the time. Nevertheless, my braider did my hair right before I flew out on Wednesday.
This experience made me realize how much stock we put into hair. I still hear terms like ‘good hair’ and ‘bad hair.’ Unfortunately, when someone has a certain type of hair, it is referred to as ‘nappy’ and other terms that if not spoken in the right context could hurt someone’s self-esteem. Although my hair has its challenges, I still believe that I have ‘good hair.’ Good hair is not based upon texture, length, or color.
Listen to Lizzie. Good hair is defined by how well you keep your hair.
We have to appreciate everything about us, including our hair. If we do that, we can still feel beautiful, even if we are having a “bad hair” day. Can’t wait to share about the Black Girls ROCK! Leadership Conference. Stay tuned.
