Any given Friday afternoon in my childhood, you could find me on a pillow in my living room. My patient mother bless her heart, carefully and firmly parted my hair into sections, put grease on my scalp, and styled my hair into a beautiful style for Sabbath.
Bless that woman’s heart for making sure her three daughters and one son always had beautifully styled hair.
When I got to middle school and wanted to trade the sweatpants she made me wear to school daily for “cool” jeans (I grew up in cold Michigan, by the way, she was being loving!), and I also wanted to have long braids, she learned how to braid hair using extensions and made me look fantastic.
And somehow, in high school, when I decided I wanted a weave, she found a local African braider who pulled my edges so tight I can still remember the tears welling in my eyes. My edges were snatched, but my prom pictures were amazing 😉
Hair is sacred;
doing hair in the black community is a powerful ritual that strengthens bonds, displays creativity, and is an amazing expression of love.
Every Thursday this month, I’ve highlighted something beautiful about being black.
I saw it somewhere that, “I’m black all year round, but in February, I’m blackity-black”.
Hair in the African, African American, and brown-skinned communities that all overlap is complicated but also very simple. It has been a long-held belief that the straighter, the looser the curls you have, the better your hair is.
Good hair.
It actually hurt me a little to type that – I just winced.
Because it’s such a LOADED term.
And yet, it does not have to be.
When my husband and I started dating a few years ago, early on we watched the movie “Good Hair” together because I wanted him to know more about this and for us to have a chance to talk about it more! He had no idea how big the hair industry is in the black community. There are some many staggering stats about hair and black women. Here are a few:
“85% of African Americans report using hair care products that specifically cater to their hair type.*
Black women spend approximately $1.7 billion annually on hair care products.*
Black consumers spend nine times more on hair care products compared to other ethnic groups.*” [Source]
All this money, to help have more good hair…
good hair days…
What is good hair?
Good hair is the hair that grows outta your head.
That is good hair.
It can be braided into rows of neatly plaited corn rows.
It can be washed, conditioned, styled with product, and picked out into a teeny-weeny-afro (shout-out to the early 2000s YouTube natural hair community for making that more common!).
Whether adorned with colorful beads, styled into elaborate updos, or left to cascade in free-spirited afros, black hairstyles defy a singular definition, offering a kaleidoscope of options that inspire and empower individuals to embrace their natural beauty.
I hope that today you’re having a good hair day, regardless of the color of your skin or the texture of your hair.
Your Friend,
Vimbo
P.S. ❤️ Treat your long-distance Galentine to a sweet treat AND give to a great cause by ordering online HERE!
P.P.S. ❤️ Finally, if you want to subscribe to my weekly Sunshine Emails that go out every Monday, click HERE 😊
