If you are a black female, you have most likely dealt with a lot of ignorant comments and forms of prejudices throughout your life. Sadly, the subject of hair has probably been one of the topics to those conversations.
For some, their curiosity extends to numerous questions that frankly most black girls are tired of hearing. Personally, spending my adolescence in a predominantly white town, I constantly faced questions with a critical undertone. It has reached the point where I, along with so many other black girls, are fed up with having to explain the details of our hair to those who refuse to educate themselves.
Yes, different people have been exposed to varying amounts of diversity. This all boils down to the fact that although a lot of people mean well, most of their questions come off as simply hurtful and uninformed.
Just as there are a variety of hair textures for white women, there are a variety of t hair types for black girls. For instance, I have medium brown auburn hair and most of my classmates assumed that I dyed my hair because it wasn’t black. Although they did not intend to be hurtful, their ignorance to the point where they believe that black people can have only one type of hair color stings.
The big question most black girls like myself are tired of hearing is: “Can I touch your hair?”
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Upon hearing this question, it instantly dehumanizes us, making us feel that we are equivalent to an animal. When strangers are combing their fingers through your hair it just instantly makes you feel uncomfortable.
Black girls maintain and tame their hair through in a number of ways so to answer the second most popular question: no not every black girl has a weave. Also, not every black girl with either long or straight hair has a weave. I find when most girls comment about weaves, there seems to be a negative connotation as if it is a bad thing to have one. Perms, relaxers, and heat are all processes black girls utilize to keep their hair straight. To some people’s shock, black girls can even have naturally straight hair. The same goes for curly hair since not all black girls have tight small curls, there many kinds of kinks and waves.
The new trend of black women dumping their heat methods in order to wear it completely natural has brought the same amount of questions. When I have made the choice to keep my hair natural, I have heard all of the “Why?”s; implying that my hair does not look better natural or that I don’t have the means to keep up with my hair. None of those assumptions were the answers to my random choice, and most importantly I should not have to continue to justify my hair.
When black girls are continuously asked about our hair it make us feel as if we have to explain ourselves and defend the reasons why we aren’t “typical.” Our hair is just as beautiful as everyone else’s and at this point all we want is respect when we are asked about our hair.
words_makayla_manning, photos_sasha_manning, models_krysta_bennia