I Am Not My Hair...The Biggest Bullsh*t I Have Heard

Six years ago India.Arie released a song that took over the mindsets of so many women even to this day.  That song was "I Am Not My Hair."  I will admit that when that song came out I was one of the main people running around singing it with my chemically damaged hair, but when I look back on it that song is the biggest bullsh*t I have ever heard.  What Black woman can honestly say they are not "their hair?"  No, not Black woman but woman in general?  I'm pretty sure there is some girl out there saying, "I got natural hair so I know that I am not my hair!"  Please stop honey.  As I sit here scratching my scalp that needs to be badly moisturized and retwisted I know that this is all a lie.

From the time we are young girls hair is a HUGE deal to young girls in the Black community.  You either have "good hair" or if you don't you spend your whole life trying to achieve some form of it.  This can include getting relaxers, texturizers, sew-ins, etc.  When it comes to hair we will spend every waking moment trying to make it the best it can be.  When Chris Rock's "Good Hair" came out and revealed all the horrible things that come along with the creamy crack a group of Black women vowed never to deal with the long hours of sitting in the beauty shop only to suffer chemical burns so their new growth would go unnoticed.  When some of these women realized the difficulty that came along with the two textures a group of them said, "Let's cut this sh*t awf!"  The rest is history.

For so many Black women to say they are not their hair it makes me wonder why we are the leading consumers in the hair market of America.  Don't believe me?  When the natural phenomena took off only a handful of people made products that were targeted at the natural community, one of them being Carol's Daughter.  A year after I went natural (Oct. 31, 2009) I remember seeing new shampoo lines by big companies trying to cater towards naturals.  Big companies a.k.a. The Man knows that hair is a huge deal in our community and the majority of Black women will do whatever they believe needs to be done in order to make it look good for ourselves and our significant other.  Have I ever told you all about the TIMES I spend a total of $38 on bottles of My Honey Child Olive You and  Honey Love Moisturizer?  I got in my car feeling like the biggest fool!  I went natural to save money and get away from $60-70 touch-ups and here I was spending $38 on two 8 ounce bottles of shampoo (that I hated) and hair oil (I like it, just not $20 worth).  Target business exec probably jumped for joy when Miss. Jessie's, Kinky Curly, and Jane Carter said they could sell their products.  Why?  Because they know we are always looking for an answer to longer and stronger hair.

We spend all of this money because we want our hair to look fabulous regardless of whether it's relaxed or natural.  I'm more than ready to fork over $15-20 for a bottle of Jamaican Black Castor Oil since everyone says it does wonder for hair growth, thickness, and moisture.  I'd also probably try a $48 container of Miss. Jessie's if I weren't a poor college student.  Why?  Because I want to have some bad a$$ looking hair!  You do too!  Every last one of us wants hair like Beyonce, Curly Nikki, Naputural85, Hey Fran Hey, or that shit with the biggest afro in the world.  Our hair says something about our personality regardless of what you think.  I guess the best example of hair on a person would be any AKA with their long sew-in hair vs. present day Solange.  AKA's are known for having long hair they can just whip around at the drop of a dime.  Why?  Because I guess to some people that is prissy and they are known as "Pretty Girls" so walking around with dry damaged and lifeless hair would be a big, "WTF" to people who know the persona people associate with this group.  Present Day Solange on the other hand, well since cutting her hair off her I-Don't-Give-A-Fcuk-attitude has stuck out to everyone garnering her a whole new fan base (including me) because we want to be like "Fcuk it!" when it comes to people thinking our hair has to be bone straight to be viewed as acceptable.

So next time you say "I am not my hair" please rethink that.