Did the natural hair movement succeed?
Natural hair campaigners sold utopian narratives of how thick and long one’s hair can get.
As someone raised to not relax her hair, I have a very intimate and complex relationship with my natural hair. Sure, that’s how it grows out of my head, which is equal parts great and distressing, but that does not mean I have always been happy with my hair.
I watched the natural hair movement grow and thrive over the past decade, accepting there are lengths my hair would simply never grow to, heights she would not see and textures that will not be had. I also watched as not all hair erupted identically from different scalps.
This individuality being taught as a thing of beauty. Truth be told, despite the nobility of the movement and the wonder at all the amazing things Afro hair could do, it was not an easy journey for a lot of Naturalistas.
On the one hand, lies the inevitable success of the movement is encouraging women – and yes, men too, to accept and embrace their natural hair texture. That candyfloss look, the kinky/nappy hair (terms that are sometimes considered offensive) or the soft cloud framing the face were as varied as there were humans. In that context, there was self-acceptance, diversity, and inclusivity in beauty standards. So positive was this impact that it did lead to several good things.
The cultural shift: There is more than one blonde blue-eyed way to be beautiful. And that is that. The natural hair movement was phenomenal when it came to societal perceptions of beauty. Being beautiful was no longer limited to Eurocentric beauty standards. Hair did not have to be straight and silky when it could be any other thing. (I encourage you to insert as many attributes of Afro hair as you can think of.) It was spectacular, gazing into faces with familiar-looking hair. A new kind of beauty on black women’s terms. It gave rise to empowered, confident Naturalistas who could wear their crowns proudly, and that authenticity was quite becoming.
New faces: Did you notice those faces all around you? In mainstream media, advertising, and entertainment? Social media inundated us with natural-haired beauties unlike at any other time in history. It felt like the new black power. Natural hair on heads was featured in advertising campaigns, movies, television shows, and fashion magazines. Even better, it made money for those in the business of loving natural hair. It did cost the hair straightening end though so business was not necessarily good for everyone.
A strong community: We were legion. And marching to the same beat. Never have there been so many platforms, groups, events and opportunities to commiserate.
Money, power and respect: Naturalistas necessitated a shift in the business of hair. The demand for natural hair products and services meant the industry could not afford to stay the same. Shelves heaved with brands - new, old, reformulated, homemade, all inspired by the desire for letting natural hair do its own thing. Products directed at Naturalista individuals simply made good business sense.
Legally speaking: This was primarily American. The natural hair movement prompted legislative changes to protect individuals from discrimination based on their natural hair.
There are corporate employees and school children who have had a time of it, finding themselves on a discriminatory end. There are parts of the world where wearing your hair exactly as it grows on your head has meant less pay, fewer growth opportunities, to lack of self-expression. All for something you were born with.
The thing is there were, and still exist, aspects of natural hair that were, in fact, exhausting and crippling. For one thing, the language! So many words to describe the state of hair. It could be porous (bad), clarified (necessary), style-protected (critical), no-pooed (advisable), shingled (exhausting), second-day hair (ideal for afros), Typed (which kind of 4 are you?) to wash-n-go (freedom!)
The specifics of natural hair care were too specific. Wash day was turned into a nothing-but kind of day where the process was so involved it was memed to death. Videos on how to section and wash and detangle erupted. And we have yet to get to the product section riddled with product fatigue where products would be used for every imaginable stage of haircare from washing to styling. And, even worse, we were told we had to go through product exhaustion to get to the other side of hair care because finding what worked was a ‘journey.’
Then, of course, there was nature itself. There was only so much hair could grow. Only so much volume it could possess. But did anyone want to talk about that? Why, when there were products, regimens and routines for everything? Hair lengths came measurable from neck length to bra strap length to waist length. And it was all achievable. If your hair wasn’t growing, you were skipping a step. Or not doing something right. Or hadn’t found the right products. Or sucked at, or were lazy about your regimen. Or you weren’t consistent enough.
Or not using the right shea butter/grease or non-grease, styling product, length retention technique or trimming your hair too little or too much. Or using heat. Or not working your DNA properly enough to come to your natural hair sweet spot. Basically, it was your fault.
Finally, let’s be honest here. Not all natural hair was created equal. Some were more fabulous than others because she was thicker, bounced back faster from heat application, grew into a prettier-looking fro, had found the best hairstyle to showcase it or were just more versatilely styled. If your hair held curls longer or tighter, or it was 3b or 3c instead of 4c, it was a more acceptable, lovelier texture. One that you did not have to contort to alter its inborn state. Enter textureism.
The funny thing about the natural hair movement is the intense protestations that it was not a trend. And yet it seems that is precisely what that moment ended up becoming. A window into a time when the movement birthed aggressive ‘sheroes’ and gatekeepers. When you could be faulted and wronged for how you did your own hair and felt guilty for not having the wherewithal or energy to create a 97-step hair regimen. If you found the process of getting your natural hair ready for work tedious, you were not capturing the spirit of the movement.
Not to mention the hours spent intensively discussing your hair care with a hairstylist. And, Lord, the misinformation! To use or not to use sulphate-laden products. Heat or heat-free?
What kind of protective style? To manipulate or to not manipulate. And may the universe have mercy on you should you ever decide to relax your hair as a natural hair icon!
It’s been several years since I tuned into the natural hair movement. Which can for me be surmised in one word - exhausting. I can’t even anymore. But I would love to hear about your experience of, and with, your own hair.
