by
Black Girl With Long Hair
By Christabel of ChysCurlz
If you’ve read this post I wrote a while ago, you know that natural hair is not the norm in Africa and as much as that sounds non intuitive, it just isn’t. And boy, did my hair become an object of much debate when I went home!
There were the few who thought it was “cool” and “how can your hair do that”, “I’m sure you have some texturizer in it”, “oh it must be an American thing”, and “I can’t imagine not having a relaxer in my hair.” So, yeah, I got those responses for sure. What really threw me off though was the constant prodding by a select few to “fix” my hair or make it more “manageable”. Quite a few people thought it looked like locs and assumed that I never comb my hair and this in their opinion was unacceptable.
I tried as much as possible to educate people whom I sensed were genuinely curious and just let the haters hate. I also tried to play if off as nothing but the truth of the matter is that it really got to me how uneducated my fellow Africans were when it comes to natural hair. As in ZERO clue that natural hair can have a curl pattern that does not need to be combed out to ensure it’s manageability. What people are used to when it comes to natural hair is, chronically dry and damaged hair that is super un-moisturized and painful to comb through.
I went to both Nigeria and Ghana and I must say that the response was more favorable in Ghana than it was in Nigeria. I even went to a “natural hair salon” in Ghana where they did two strand twists and loc extensions ( the newest rage). But even here, it was apparent at how even the stylists were uneducated when it comes to basics of moisture + natural hair = best friends. Here, I witnessed torturous sessions with fine tooth combs being raked through dry hair with no moisturizer and women wincing in pain through the whole thing. But as I said before, there is some progress because at least these ladies had the courage to ditch the creamy crack in a culture that is so dependent on it.
Alas, I left really satisfied that I had equipped my mama with the tools of the trade to continue on her natural journey and my best friend is going natural. So, yeah, amidst all the negativity, there exists some positivity.
Now, onto my plans to take the natural hair revolution to my home countries!
XOXO,
Chichi.
203 Responses
I’m SHOCKED of the Generalization of an entire continent of over 50 Countries (54 Fully recognized countries) where you find Natural Hair the most; simply based on an experience in certain areas. At one point before the American enfluence (weaves/relaxers) that’s mostly all you saw. In many Countries in Africa the obsession with loose flowing curl patterns and BSL/WL hair is non-existant, but give it time.
Had to repost GenuineAfrican’s Comment below since I’m at lost for words; especially after the false statement: “If you’ve read this post I wrote a while ago, you know that natural hair is not the norm in Africa”
GenuineAfrican:
“Uhm… If anyone is ignorant it’s you. Next time do some research and double check before you shoot off with ignorant remarks that make you sound stupid. First thing is first, AFRICA IS A CONTINENT THAT HAS 52 COUNTRIES. Visiting 2 of those countries and meeting 0.00001% of the population of those 2 countries is hardly enough data to make such a statement. Proof: switch on CNN or google an African country and WHAM! 90% of those women are sporting natural hair. I’m born and bred black South African, my peers and I (as did previous generations and current generations) grew up with our natural hair even extension braids are only put in generally after a certain age to protect the child’s hairline. Just cause you didn’t get the reaction you were hoping for does not give you the right to insult our intelligence. So we don’t use whatever fancy product you use, so what? We have our own routines and you have absolutely no right to judge us.
Ps. Africa is also made up of different tribes with different characteristics. That the people you encountered “didn’t know natural hair curls” (which sounds dubious) may simply mean people of that region, therefore tribe, have hair that is a certain texture and probably haven’t encountered many “outsiders”. Also as a “naturalist” you should know that our hair texture is as diverse as our skin tones.”
Raw materials Africans use daily in their Natural Hair and have been using for thousands of years. This article is based on her experience in 1 or 2 areas in 1 of the many countries of the Continent of Africa. People do this all the time visit certain areas in 1-2 countries in Africa then Generalize the “Entire” continent.
I’m shocked by the IGNORANCE of this article. Of all the Travels to several countries in the Continent of Africa, all I see is Natural Hair or Natural Hair in Braids. Your experience in a certain area of a Continent with over 50 countries cannot be used to Generalize a whole continent. WOW.
You like to call people ignorant allot I notice. That’s pretty ignorant of you with statements like “but the statistics are coming from high crime ghettos. It does not represent the Black Race as a whole. Whites commit the same crimes that blacks do but get a slap on the risk (if arrested at all) with less prison time or just probation no jail time. Blacks are usually convicted of those same petty crimes committed by whites who only got probation.” you make. Conviction rates for suspects are almost identical across the board. If you actually did some fact checking you would know that white men are killed by police officers more than Black, Hispanic and Oriental combined. White men account for about 42% of violent crime while the combined of the other 3 is around 49%. White men are committing less acts of violence but are being met with deadly force around 7% more. When you also take into account that white men commit crimes at around 1 in 300 +/- and black men at around 1 in 14 that means white men are far less likely to commit a crime but more likely to be killed by law enforcement. Another interesting fact is that the top 10 highest crime rates by city in the US ALL have a majority black population ranging from 45% to 90%+. Faced with the incarceration numbers someone with perpetual victim syndrome would call it racism but an intelligent person would see that 1 in 14 black men are committing violent crimes while only 1 in 300 white men and that is why the incarceration rates are so much higher. When 13% of the population commits well over 25% of the crime and the repeat offender rates are 10x higher for black men than for white men that isn’t racism that is lack of good role models/parenting and lack of accountability as a community.
Who are you fooling? Native African people drank from the same koolaid that the black Americans did. You all suffer just the same, if not more…..I could always tell a woman was African by the condition of her skin and her receding hair line. Skin is gray from the bleaching cream and lips that do not match your new skin color. Maybe natural hair was around but when you drank that koolaid, it was no longer accepted.
Just wondering but have you been to any African countries or researched on African countries to the point that your opinion would be valid?
I don’t need to travel to African countries, I am surrounded by African people, I am approached by African men…..Africans do the same thing.
You may get the same reactions in South Africa. We do have programs to to discuss natural hair with other african women: http://www.naturalhaircarenews.com/2015/04/05/natural-hair-commentary-from-around-the-world-a-glimpse-into-views-on-natural-hair-from-south-africa/
I agree with you but you know sincerely it depends if you live in north nigeria with the fulani’s and hausa’s no one sees it as a big deal But when you go to the south, yoruba and igbos, people will look at you like you are Mad!
I think that when we write articles of this nature it’s important that we take into consideration the current cultural climate of the region we are referencing. Though you are Nigerian, you left at a young age and your current perception may not align with the reality of modern West Africa. Natural hair is not new to Africa. Women have been wearing their hair natural since the beginning in Africa. (Hair relaxers were introduced to the continent by American women). Braids, and cornrows IS NATURAL HAIR and it is very native to the continent. What is new to Africa is “loose” natural hair that shows the curl pattern. Natural hair that shows the curl pattern is very much an African-American concept; and actually having a curl pattern is like a badge of honor among some people. That is a part of the natural hair movement that annoys me, the obsession with “curl defining”. But in full disclosure, in my early days of my natural hair journey, I was obsessed with curl definition, too.
The question is were people shocked by your natural hair or your style of natural hair? There’s a difference. Don’t just write your experience off as “West Africans don’t like natural hair”; we can’t say that’s accurate.
An African speaking about African hair issues and some other Africans are getting upset? You all are in denial if you think natural hair is widely accepted there. You just don’t want non-Africans to know the issues or are just offended just to be offended. Speak the truth! Natural hair is a relatively new thing to certain parts of Africa and you know it!
Ummm isn’t it the opposite isn’t natural hair new in America cause natural hair has been in Africa since the beginning of time
Yes. The fine tooth comb remains a notorious feature in African braiding salons here in NYC. I take my own tools, but they still find a way to grab those damn combs. One of the reason why I rarely go. That and the aggressive combing and tight braiding. I love the braided styles, but the process to get into a protective style can be just as harsh in these places as putting a chemical on your hair.
i am nigerian but when i went i got my natural hair doneright and i was able to fing a nice hotel room
I’m Nigerian (specifically Igbo) and I personally believe that depending on what country you go to and what part of the country you go to, it can determine the reaction your garner from other people.
I went back home in 2010 with relaxed hair down to my shoulders. They had no idea that African hair could get down that long (now it’s bsl, time flies!)
But the point is this: it’s not that Africans don’t know about natural hair, they know, they just don’t have the accessibility to products like we do here in America or the UK.
And as to them criticizing natural hair? Well what do you expect? It’s the norm there. In Africa all women know is straight weaves,it’s what their sold. The beauty market in Africa is saturated with weaves and relaxers. It’s like poison. I personally believe that they are discouraged from wearing out their natural hair.
Straight hair in Africa is seen as a symbol of wellbeing, you know? They don’t regard natural hair as an enlightenment or a way of self expression.
As to them criticizing your hair? I’m sorry, but when you break down the situation, you can see why they’re like that. It will take some time for them to fully realize the natural hair movement and its beauty.
I am sure she is aware of why things are the way they are, that is why she is trying to change it.
Many of the natural hair products we use in the US are based on the raw materials you guys have in Africa (Shea butter, coconut oil, palm oil,…)
I dont disagree with those saying that people can take care of their natural hair. But in Ghana wer i live having natural hair is kinda associated with not having money to cater for urself. the movement is slow here. you go to a saloon and they dont even know that they have to put water in the hair to moisturise it. people ask why did u cut all ur hair. do u go to this……. church. so those criticsing the writer dont cos in Ghana having natural jhair means ur hair isnt beautiful
From personal experience, I really think you only saw a select people’s view. It’s true that we’re not as focused on hair care as you are here but it doesn’t mean complete ignorance. I had the healthiest hair in Nigeria, people always thought I had extensions in because it was so long. My dad the other day was just telling me all I needed was Shea butter. I always used wide tooth comb and my hair was in protective styling a lot.
Chichi right? So I’m guessing you’re Nigerian. And you made yourself stay in a dingy hotel while over there. That ain’t nobody’s fault. You could have stayed in a four star hotel if you could afford it, but you couldn’t. Still wondering what the purpose of that tag on your picture was.
“If you’ve read this post I wrote a while ago, you
know that natural hair is not the norm in Africa”
Uhm… If anyone is ignorant it’s you. Next time do some research and double check before you shoot off with ignorant remarks that make you sound stupid. First thing is first, AFRICA IS A CONTINENT THAT HAS 52 COUNTRIES. Visiting 2 of those countries and meeting 0.00001% of the population of those 2 countries is hardly enough data to make such a statement. Proof: switch on CNN or google an African country and WHAM! 90% of those women are sporting natural hair. I’m born and bred black South African, my peers and I (as did previous generations and current generations) grew up with our natural hair even extension braids are only put in generally after a certain age to protect the child’s hairline. Just cause you didn’t get the reaction you were hoping for does not give you the right to insult our intelligence. So we don’t use whatever fancy product you use, so what? We have our own routines and you have absolutely no right to judge us.
Ps. Africa is also made up of different tribes with different characteristics. That the people you encountered “didn’t know natural hair curls” (which sounds dubious) may simply mean people of that region, therefore tribe, have hair that is a certain texture and probably haven’t encountered many “outsiders”. Also as a “naturalist” you should know that our hair texture is as diverse as our skin tones.
Okay, I spent quite some time in SA and I think you’re misunderstanding what she’s saying. Yes women in Africa wear wear braid extensions (which to me isn’t natural hair, it’s not even your hair) but let’s be honest the majority of the people who can afford to do something different do not. Even in the shanty towns you’ll find a lot of women with their hair dyed red and straightened as best they can. The majority of professionals have straightened hair. I worked in Joburg for some time and I was def. an oddity with my big fro and a suit. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
I’ve been to Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, DR Congo, Nigeria and Niger and the same is true there. It is not an insult to anyone’s intelligence, it’s just a cultural shift that hasn’t happened there yet. It JUST happened here. It just wouldn’t be honest to claim that natural hair is considered beautiful. It is considered affordable which isn’t always a good connotation.
With that being said in South Africa and in Kenya I did notice a budding natural hair trend, but let’s be honest. It’s hardly normal.
You are acting like she is an outsider. She is an African speaking on African issues, you are not the only one who is allowed to speak on Africa.
See ehn, Genuine African and Ifie nwannem nwanyi, God bless you guys for your comments. As in, the way the girl just poured us on the ground, the tone of the article just felt off to me, these are your people, be more understanding abeg. First, she gathered her “observation” from very few people and then goes ahead to generalize, I mean, even if the “natural movement” hasn’t “caught on” back home why not try in your little way to gently educate people if you want to, because honey, it is not by force to be natural or relaxed, no be your decision. I don’t know how long you spent back home before you came here and suddenly became an onye ocha nna ya di oji, but you should know that unlike here in the states, our people are relaxed mostly because they feel relaxed hair is easier to manage and not from the discriminations black americans have been facing because of their hair, there’s nobody refusing our people jobs If their hair is natural or not or if their skin is dark or light, so please calm down, I don’t know where the “haters” is coming from, Nigerians are very vocal, and set in their ways, if they are ignorant of your hair it’s because they just feel relaxed hair looks neater, and not because they are “hating” nawa abeg. I’m natural and I dont get offended when my people ask me when i’ll “tidy or relax” my hair, I just smile and let them know our natural hair is beautiful too, with respect and no animosity. And the “dingy hotel” who force you go there? Na you carry yourself go, there are dingy hotels all over the world, so what’s the beef with the one in your home, especially when no one pointed a gun to your head and led you there? Hian. Please learn to accomodate your people and their characters, not because we are in the US we will now forget where we are coming from and be getting unnecessarily harsh to the things that make us Nigerians and pure Africans. I’m just happy you did not wag your mouth at any of those salon women because let me tell you, Nigerians don’t take nonsense. Now, rainbow, I doubt you are Nigerian because if you were, you would know that Nigerians don’t want to know if you come from the same country or village or family, if you mess up, they give it to you straight and keep you in line. And you talking about she’s trying to “change it”, change what biko? It’s not by force, natural hair here in the US mostly stands for breaking free of colonial ideas and loving yourself despite what the white man thinks of you, while for us Nigerians it’s mostly because people feel/felt it’s easier to manage, and so just got used to it, like I said most Nigerians can be pretty set in their ways, and more time is spent looking for ways to survive in our difficult country, so anything that “seems” easy is embraced. nobody is bullying our natural haired children in school, our light-skinned family members are not looking down on our beautiful dark-skinned relatives, it’s just not like that with us. Yes, some of us still subscribe to the European idea of beauty and bleach our skins or try to neglect our culture when we enter this country, but for the most part, light-skinned or dark-skinned, bleaching or weave fixing, relaxing or natural, we are not violent towards each other in our country because of hair preference or skin color, our situation is not about wanting to come out from under the white man’s ideals, it’s different. So, please, before you try to act like, oh she’s your fellow African sister, you should work together to bring change, natural hair means freedom and all that, take it into consideration that circumstances are different, thank you. This is the only thing i’ll say here, I just want to clarify some of this ridiculousness, anybody who feels they have to disagree with me, please just know now that I will not waste time to reply you, because I won’t even bother to read this condemning article and it’s comments again, I will be busy with important things, I just wanted to set some things straight and leave, I do not give one sky scraping damn about opinions from people who are not steeped in my culture, or who were and then chose to act all “free and self-righteous” because they are in america. I don’t entertain rubbish. It’s just sad that we will come here and just become so westernized with our senses and traditions flying out the window. God bless my beautiful Nigeria, Long live my great Africa. Goodbye.
As a Nigerian-American teen, I do know what you mean as for many Nigerians not understanding how to keep up with natural hair. My aunt, who is a hair stylist,constantly deals with customers who want their relaxer crack to remain on their hair for 4 hours at a time to get that “bone straight” look. However, there still are quite a number of naturals in Nigeria. Yes, they might not know how to do all the latest styles but they try to keep up with their hair. My Nigerian friends and I have transitioned back to our natural hair & we do not always get compliments from our community. Some people just have to realize that hair is hair and is beautiful no matter if its natural or relaxed. Going natural has been one of my best decisions I’ve made by far. Even though I’m the only natural in my household, I embrace it well.
I am from Sierra Leone but raised in London. I have noticed that in Sierra Leone, we may not be aware of the great products in our natural land, like coconut oil and other things but we are aware of how to take care of our hair. Wash and go’s are not the suitable thing but afros have always been a style staple if worn with a head band. BRAIDS are the go to style for most people because of the low maintenance of it, whilst moisturising when the braids are in. So I must disagree with you on that, relaxers are far too expensive so most opt for braids with a wide toothed comb.
So my natural outrage is coming to the surface…basically because I’m a Nigerian who lives in Nigeria.Let’s start with the dingy hotel room caption: that looks like a terribly cheap hotel to me ( blue walls?). I know there are quality hotels ( and not necessarily pricey) in every city you stay so I wish you found it. Or even posted your pending visit online. Someone would have been glad to offer free advisory services or even host you seeing how warm and hospitable we can be.
Secondly, the comment on our being ‘uneducated’ on natural hair. Uninformed? Yes. Uneducated? Patronizing/derogatory. If you go about the campaign that way, you won’t get a lot of followers.
Most of us do not discriminate natural hair, West African hair by nature is mostly coarse and painful. I was losing my 4B/C hair anyway thus my choice to go natural. By nature, my family genes makes us develop bald spots so I chose to go natural and lock my hair to save it from further thinning.
I mainly joined this group to learn to care for my hair. We don’t believe in relaxed hair because we think white hair is best-It’s more of a desire to look polished as evidenced in your tight braids and yes, manageability is important to us.
Furthermore there is an ongoing dreadlock revolution. Though my locs are still short, I have women approaching me for my hairdresser’s phone number. Nigerians are always adventurous on trying out new ways to manage their crowning glory.
So your report on your West African visit does not reflect us as a whole.
The information may be new but we’re certainly not averse to natural hair.
Its the dingy hotel room bit that got my hackles all raised up and my mind totally unable to process the rest of the crap that followed! What was all that about? There are soooo many hotels in nigeria and of different categories, who forced you to go stay in a dingy and obviously very very cheap hotel? Nobody! If you couldn’t afford a better hotel, the blame is all on you!
As for the rest of your story, I wouldn’t even bother to comment, its your opinion and you are totally entitled to it.
You said you don’t desire to look white when you perm your hair but look “polished” this is exactly why women disagree with perming why is it natural looking hair isnt considered “polished” looking. That’s rubbish.
you are in denial.
This post actually made me mad. Im from west africa too and as many many comments here says, we know how to treat our natural hair. African women also understand the versatility of their hair so please stop saying we ignorant.
But eyes will definitely roll if you mention waistlength when you’re not mixed/biracial.
I am in zambia and the view on the difference between natural and relaxed hair is probably the same as wearing your hair loose or in braids. When dd my big chop people were more of surprised that I had cut off all that length and not that I had gone natural. I have never heard of anyone calling someone names because of natural hair. My experience
hmmmm……im African from Ghana…..what the writer said is true…..im 8 months natural and it has not been easy…..i’ve been called all sorts of names bcos i wanna keep my natural hair……….m
ost people here know zero about natural hair..every girl gets a perm after high school, you r seen as an outcast when u wear natural hair…….its really a shame…..i get sad @ de ignorance of my fellow sisters
I had the same experience when I traveled to visit family almost two years ago. My hair was near APL and some thought I either did not do my hair at all or it was a weave. I can only imagine on my next visit what the reaction will be since I am locing my hair. I blame colonization for this.
I think what she meant was; when she visited the “motherlands “she expected everyone to automatically have natural hair, braids etc. And to go there and see that they barely knew how to manage it or get a welcoming response was shocking. Instead, the natives she met had the same feelings about kinky hair as the Americans.
Her experience doesn’t represent the entire continent. While that was her experience in the area she’s from and/or traveled, others have Visited the motherland and got the reaction & experience this blogger was looking for when she visited.
So I lived in Togo for 2+ years and while the women in the town where I lived weren’t two strand twisting hair or wearing wash n gos, I’m not sure that equals being completely ignorant of how to care for their hair. I’ve traveled to at least 10 African countries and hair styles and textures vary greatly from place to place. In rural towns it’s not uncommon to see mostly TWA’s because of their ease of maintenance. In big cities there is absolutely a wide range of styles; braids, weaves, relaxers, short cuts, TWA’s and the occasional sizable fro. It really just depends. No, there isn’t an array hair products marketed to women with natural hair on their shelves nor are there a plethora of natural hair salons but women still take care of their natural hair in a way that works for them. Our kinky, coily, curly styles aren’t quite the rage in many African countries but they aren’t the rage in many American cities either. I don’t know… I understand her experience is hers but who’s to say that our relatively new revelations about how we (westerners / Africans in the diaspora) care for our natural hair is THE way to care for our natural hair?
This was my experience as well! I was in Ghana for six months in 2010 and my homestay family as well as the teachers I had at school regularly asked me when I planned to do something with my hair. To make matters worse, one of the other black girls in the program got her hair braided at regular intervals during the trip, so they were always encouraging me to be just like her. I eventually gave in to the pressure and cried, a lot, while I got Senegalese twists put in. I was crying because I had put so much time and energy into my hair health and here I was, in a small town on the coast of Africa, having all my hard work undone. It costs all of $20 for the twists to be put in but it made all the difference in the way people treated me. Men began approaching me, people told me I was beautiful, etc. It was mind-boggling and incredibly disheartening.
Nigeria and Ghana doesn’t not equal to Africa. So you can’t say Africans are not educated about natural hair.
do not *
“but the truth of the matter is that it
really got to me how uneducated my fellow
Africans were when it comes to natural hair. As
in ZERO clue that natural hair can have a curl
pattern that does not need to be combed out to
ensure it’s manageability.”
that’s downright bullshit. Sorry not sorry, Africans in Africa do know how to treat their hair & besides that, your statement is patronising. I’m from the DRC & I know so much about natural hair care. I live in South Africa now & people know so much about natural hair care. My buddies in Angola & Burundi wear their hair natural all the time. The people YOU met & encountered don’t know “much” according to you but maybe for them they do & so let them be. Whether it’s natural hair or relaxed hair, it’s all hair. How people treat their hair is their business, it’s like someone telling that you dunno how to shower because you opted for shower gel rather than soap. Seriously??
Bullshit. No, sorry that your sorry. Soap or shower gel, not even in the same LEAGUE as the choice of how to treat the living organ on your head, which is hair. How we were raised, todays’ perceptions, acceptance within ourself and community, this is the journey. Hair is not just hair. When you embark on this journey, these are the objectives to concur.
That is the same thing because depending on what you use it can dry your skin out. And hair is dead once it comes out your scalp so its not an organ but skin is an organ which is y its important to determine what hydrates it .
I totally disagree with you maybe it’s the people you know. In Nigeria Natural Hair is extremly unpopular. And it’s HER experiences and HER opinions…I live in South Africa and yes the natural hair scene is increasing but people still roll their eyes at me when i tell them i’m growing my hair to waist lenght and it is impossible unless u have dreads or are ‘mixed’
well that might be the case in WEST africa but here in EAST africa (and by that I mean Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya,Tanzania, Ethopia , Somalia etc) is natural hair pretty common , I won’t say that they know how to properly take care of it since I also got approached with a fine tooth comb in a salon BUT natural hair is accepted here and no one will judge you for the kinks or curls on your head.
xoxo – the netherlands
I am Nigerian and I didn’t know a thing about natural hair until I moved to France. For two years I didn’t know how to handle it so I braided alot until I started doing YouTube videos ! Alot of Nigerians are clueless about natural hair and moisture… and to think we have shear butter, coconut oil amongst other products that are cheap and good for natural hair.
Umm. No I think YOU were just clueless. Many of them do know about natural hair care products. They have to put something in their hair to keep it moisturized, especially with braiding. And then there are some Nigerians that are poor. They don’t have all the money to be relaxing and plaiting their hair so they are forced to have natural hair.
Are you sure you are Nigerian? Or are you just saying that in hopes of getting a point across?
I’m a Nigerian and what she says is absolutely true if not worse in some circles.keeping natural hair here is totally on popular and also d materials required to manage ur natural hair are so had to come by cos d hair salons and beauty stores wouldn’t stock up on what d general public don’t use.For example I’ve been looking for a sulphate free shampoo for ages and can’t get one. So my naija sis u speak d truth.
Oh well!
There’s a huge market for products or services designed to straighten hair. But while they can make our hair look fantastic, they may not be fantastic for our health.
Im very much aware. Thank you.
I really do agree with this author. i currently live in Nigeria, more than 80 percent of the Nigerian ladies don’t wear their natural hair. every day, i hear negative comments from both male and females on my hair.
i try to tell them that they really don’t need to relax their hair, but should get just a little education on how to take of their natural hair. but i am suprised that majority don’t want. they would rather have the sleek , straightened hair done with relaxers.
this worst situation of stigmatization.
today, i was called by two of my superoirs at work demanding i do something to my hair.
i put my feet down, and let them know i do take care of my hair, even more than the ladies with weaves . keeping natural hair neat, healthy and shining is work and takes commitment.
I was born in America but my parents are Nigerian and I have been there a few times. It just depends some women wear their hair natural some don’t. The ones that normally wear their hair relaxed, some of them dont have the money, are lazy, or are uneducated in the maintenance of hair. But notice I said SOME. Some of us know how to take care of our hair (like me).My hair is under my should It is not fair to judge a whole continent over one experience.And besides there are Black Americans here in the U.S. that I have seen with their hair dry as crisp and sticking out at at odd angles.Would you appreciate if someone said all blacks likes are stupid and illiterate, just because one person is? Someone should even have to ask you that question, you should already know this.
Whats the deal with the separation as if African Americans aren’t African? What is a black person?
As an African living in SA I’m not too sure this article is a true representation of the relationship between African women and natural hair. Loads of women wear their hair natural. In fact here we dont have this huge ‘conflict’ between natural hair
and relaxed hair. You wear your hair which way pleases you and it’s okay. I am a uni student so u see a mix of nationalities, honestly about 50 % of women are natural. Gorgeous, thick, luscious fros are found in Africa but more so are not viewed as a strange phenomenon.
I am really aware of what you experienced. I am from Ghana but now in the US and i cut my relaxed hair to grow natural before coming to the US. My parents were against it but my sister encouraged me. It is very difficult to keep natural hair so a lot of Ghanaians relax it. Women in Ghana need a little education on that. I am prepared to cause a change first in my family then the rest of my friends. Ghanaians would try anything that is nice. Just a little education for my people but I LOVE MY NATURAL HAIR!!!!
This indeed was and is still a hot topic. I understand that the author only documented her experience but she did imply that she thinks that African women don’t know how to take care of their hair and that was being judgemental on a vast continent that has different cultures and mentality from North to South and East to West; even within the same country we find big differences. I read lot of comments about Nigeria and Ghana and take those countries as references. Those two countries shouldn’t even be picked as such just like any other single country. Those two especially try to mimic closely hair style and trends from the U.S. and you can easily see it in Nollywood and Ghallywood movies where they showcase more and more married and adults women wearing clothes showing their body parts as if they were Beyonce dancers and making the outside world believe it’s the norm when most time it’s not.
Let’s not forget that today with Internet and the medias and because of the colonization, lot of people believe that everything that comes from the U.S or Europe is good to take and especially when it is fashion and hair care. Like I said in a previous post some African women will be surprised to see an American woman with a healthy natural head of hair, they will most likely expect to see long bone straight relaxed hair just like it is showcased in the medias. Mentalities are changing everywhere and in hair just like in everything Human beings want to feel a sense of belonging. I was lucky to met different people and learn about different cultures in Africa and around the world and can pretty much say that I’ve noticed that most little girls in Africa wear their hair natural in braids and those who don’t have parents who believe it’s easier to maintain a relaxed hair and have been influenced to do so by the western norms. Lot of schools don’t allow girls to have permed hair, it needs to be in a twa or braided. The Eastern part of the continent is the part that has the most natural hair and protective styles a lot. Many things can be said on this subject and according to their personal experiences some will say African women do know and some will say they don’t. Women brought their knowledge from Africa in Slavery time some of it was lost forever and some are still the rule in certain families. In the same way when Africa was colonized those who believed the western way was best forgot about their own heritage.Lot of factors must be considered before judging on this topic. And I would say whether one knows about natural hair or not depends on a lot of factors including the family background, cultures, knowledge, the list not being conclusive at all because sometimes living in an urban or rural area can influence your hair experience as well.
Oh i’m refering more to awusa. Most of us do not relax
Im nigerian and i can honestly say that moat nigerias do not have the time to be worried about thier hair since there are more important things to deal with. I am natural and have been for a long time. Every one in my family is. There are 170 million people in nigeria, it is wrong to judge a whole country based on one visit. A visit which will not have put you in contact with all the tribes. Awusa people in nigeria look somalian or ethopian and most of them have natural hair. Most of the people in places like ogun state also wear thier hair natural. Also do keep in mind these are countiese that invented protective styling. As well as this none of us refer to our hair as natural we juat say we do not relax it and most of the shock you recived was because of your hair style, not because it was natural.
Check out bassey akan she’s one of the girls in nigeria with waist length hair.
I agree with you that one visit does not an informed opinion make; however, I’m Nigerian and most Nigerian women I know do obsess about their hair…or their Brazilian/Indian/Malaysian weaves. And many of us do refer to our hair as natural. (I’ve also been natural a long time, as is my sister.) As you implied, Nigeria is a diverse and complex country; the decision to go natural or permed is therefore not related to only one’s ethnic group–in most cases, it transcends it. Other factors include education level, living in rural or urban areas and what part of the country that area’s in, upbringing, cultural perspectives, family/community/peer pressure, female role models, and (of course) personal preference. Just as in the West, hair is an important part of a Nigerian woman’s life. Women troop to their neighborhood salon or braiding place every week or two–whether it’s a sleek, upscale salon in Victoria Island, Lagos, or a tiny, un-air-conditioned room in the back of someone’s house in Oparanadim, Imo State–and many, if not most, have better relationships with their hairdressers than they do with their own hair. The many daily struggles of most Nigerians don’t stop most women from getting their hair did–just like in every other part of the world.
Also, I do believe that the negative comments the writer received were probably because of her hair being natural, not because of her hair style. They could also have been because of the length of her natural hair; if she had long natural hair, she’d still get annoying comments, but they’d be more along the lines of, “So when are you going to perm it? It’s long enough nah.”
So! Again, I agree with you that the writer doesn’t have the whole picture. Every African society is just as complex as its Western counterpart.
Btw, Bassey’s waist-length hair is relaxed (and she didn’t always have a lot of healthy hair. Not that relevant, I know LOL).
Thank You Deena, I’ll Definitely Try This 🙂
(For us Bock women to have*
If you went to east Africa you’ll notice that these women wear their natural hair and I’m talking places such as Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti.
It’s common for them over there but they wear scarves n their head also.
Not all Africans have this problem of not knowing how to take care of their hair, I’d like to assume that MOST African women have a “ritual” of moisturizing and conditioning their hair but it is not like this everywhere.
Our hair is very delicate so we must moisture and condition it on a regular basis. Otherwise you will never see the full potential of your hair.
I myself just shaved off all my hair in mid April and now its almost 2 and a half inches long, my hair was permed. And i wanted to get rid if it.
(I should have listened to my mom about not cutting it)
and I’ll be turning 25 in November so for me as a black African American women to start taking care of my hair is a big deal. I just want the hair God intended for me (us black women) to women. Natural hair is my destiny.
I have shaved off my hair 3 times already and I believe this will be the last time. I’m just gonna let it grow forever now lol
I Think She Is Totally Right, I Don’t Know About Other African Countries But In Ghana And Nigeria, Women Don’t Know How To Take Care Of Their Natural Hair. They Are Practically Taught How To Relax Their Hair At A Very Young Age, Thereby Ignorant Of How A Natural Hair Looks. My Hair Is Permed, And Even Though I’m In Nigeria, I’m Planning On Going Natural. I Don’t Want To Do The Big Chop, And My Natural Hair Is Only Two Months Old. I Know It Will Be Difficult Finding The Right Product Since Its Not Widely Known In This Part Of The World, But I’ll Appreciate Some Suggestions. Even Home Made Recipes Also, To Add Moisture And Shine. Any Comments Will Be Appreciated ! We African Women Need To Embrace Our Beautiful Hair.
Sis you can use many natural oils for you hair.
This is what I use everyday,
Castor oil, olive oil, coconut oil,jojoba oil,
Shea butter.
And last but least WATER WATER WATER lol
Now you can choose any of these oils to moisturize and condition your hair.
I personally like coconut oil and olive oil
And I basically just get a tiny clear spray bottle (unused) and pour in a few drops of my favorite oils, I also use a separate bottle for just pain water. Spray your hair just little bit bit with water and then add your oils to your hair, now massage your scalp and hair and make sure you get the ends of your hair.
I do this in the morning and before I go to bed everyday.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask me 🙂
Now that is plain wrong. instead of saying women in Nigeria and Ghana don’t know how to take care of natural hair and don’t even know how it looks… that is wrong. some don’t and that is true but i know a lot that do. and don’t forget our public school system INSISTS that students keep their hair in a TWA. so we actually know what natural hair looks like.
As some African commenters have pointed out, this natural hair ignorance is not the norm where they’re from, and I can bet you that even that depends on what part of the country they’re talking about. I’m Nigerian. Is natural hair accepted? Not really. But my Tanzanian friends have better luck in Tanzania.
People really need to stop viewing Africa as one homogenous blob of “ancestral” blackness and start seeing it as numerous countries with numerous cultures within each country, with numerous socioeconomic levels, and with numerous urban and rural areas–all of them pretty different. It is not and has never been a one-size-fits-all candidate. Also, being shocked that natural hair is just as unaccepted in parts of Africa as it is in the US is patronizing: it says that one just assumes that the lives of African women are not as complex as their American counterparts, which says that deep down (or otherwise), one still views Africa as said primitive homogenous blob.
Once we can all do this, we’ll stop dealing in such sweeping statements, stereotypes, and misrepresentation.
BTW, there ARE proper natural hair salons and stylists in Lagos. Not many, but they exist.
let me tell you something ladies! I live in central africa (Cameroon) andin here ladies and even young girls do not accept that! They actually don’t know how to manage and don’t even want to learn! They take us to be rascals and what so ever! I have my own hair stylist and does as I wish! For the rest I pray that one day my fellow sisters will understand why we make our best to be natural in order to protect ourselves
Sadly, the author only visited countries where natural hair still wasn’t being embraced. Where am from (Malawi) most women 35 and below are embracing natural hair. And maybe its just a fashion trend or people accepting who they are, but most of my friends and even myself decided that upkeep for natural hair was cheaper than relaxed hair. And everyone knows for sure that even though that’s true to make it look good you have to take care of it and invest in it but still its pretty cheaper, even with getting protective styles. But I believe the reason why people think “we have no clue about taking care of natural hair” is because we learnt it and seen it from the West. As sad as this may be, Africans still feel the need to do as Romans do. Even when the Romans are kilometres away and aren’t really putting a gun to our head.
An African sees an African American woman with relaxed hair and think “she calls herself African American but her hair is relaxed or in braids or a weave. I guess that’s how things are. Having natural hair is probably not ok”
Then if the African Americans come to Africa with natural hair, you’re right it does seem that we go a little crazy but then some people can become lost, confused and even angry because its like “at first you told us this is not ok. Now you’re doing it. What does it mean?”
The author did imply that she thinks Africans don’t know how to take care of natural hair. Go to rural areas. People Will have the strongest natural hair. Most of them never having a tv or care to know about relaxers .
People are still educating each other how to take care of natural hair. Some have been doing it on their own even before it was a trend, this is in Africa. Its still sad to see though that we reject our own identity even when an outsider wears it right in front of our face.
Lol, I was born in West Africa raised in Europe and I tell you when I went back for a visit with my natural big afro I got the same reaction. I’ll tell you the reason my African friends gave me as to why natural hair isn’t exactly the raving thing it is in America/Europe.
The girls aren’t allowed in some of the schools to perm their hairs (The focus is placed on learning and not appearance thus the uniforms as well; also to equalize all, but I’m off topic). They usually get to do that once out of school and about to enter college. Almost as a rite of passage into womanhood. Mostly because the women either have perm hairs, braids, or weaves as hair styles (school girls have bob cut natural hair). Also if your hair is perm or you wear an Anglo style weave it means you have money to get these done. The women who come from backgrounds without money wouldn’t necessarily have these availability. It’s interesting how outside ideals of how women should look has even penetrated Africa, but then we have colonization to thank.
But you’ll still find some in Africa who really appreciate a woman with natural hair. I remember walking in the park and these two African guys noticed my afro and commented, “I wish more ladies wore natural hair like her (me).”
@Linda I did not see where she said everyone in those countries knew nothing about natural hair care. She simply documented her experience.
From MY experience, the majority of Africans I HAVE PERSONALLY met from Liberia and Nigeria knew very little about natural hair care. When I took my natural hair journey in 2010 I went to the African salons first and the experience was less than okay. They tried to use small tooth combs on my 4a/4b hair. They braided the hair way to tight and from MY OBSERVATION, these women often wore perms, wigs and weaves in their hair and often times their hair was noticeably damaged. My best friend, Liberian, had long permed hair as did her mother sister and cousins. In fact just the other day at work an African woman came up to me and told me how brave I was to rock my long kinky hair out. She told me she also had long kinky hair under her wig but was not brave enough to go without it.
I don’t think the author is picking on Africans. I think SOME of them are simply in the same state of mind about hair as many Black people in the US were, especially before Obama became President and this natural movement started. #NoShadeThrown
Also let’s not forget that because of the way African American hair is projected in the entertainment business as being straight, most Africans will assume that African American women wear their hair that way and will be surprised to see that they actually have natural curly hair just like them. And that is the very same way,most African American will assume that African women wear their hair natural and not relaxed or weaved and will be surprised to find out that in some part of the continent it is now considered the standard (because among other reasons, women with naturally straight hair tend to make it look like a very easy manageable hassle-free hair style). But just like someone already pinpointed,there is nothing lost at explaining and answering questions with a smile.
Really,I don’t understand how from 2 countries that the author didn’t even visited from north to south and west to east can so easily conclude that
all Africans have zero clues about how to take care of their hair. This is simply not true. Lot of Africans have natural hair and know that combing is easy when the hair is wet. Most women simply find it more manageable to have relaxed hair to save on time and the practice of roller setting relaxed hair is common contrary to the one of flat ironing. Also it’s common to see women rocking extensions plaits or twists during colder months (usually corresponds to summer holidays in the central part of the continent and most west african countries as well). Also because of the influence of Europe and the USA inthe entertainment world,most young adults and adolescents relaxed their hair because that became the standard of beautiful hair. From my own experience,we have long hair running in my family whether relaxed or natural.most of my cousins,aunts have pass shoulder,apl,bra strap length hair that they keep that way because its more manageable. Also,lot of women weave or use extensions to grow their hair or just give their natural hair a rest. Eventhough most don’t know the science of their hair care most know that “when you wet your hair and braid it to leave it alone,it grows”.
The author also says she doesn’t know why the TWA for school. Well the main reason was to help little girls have more time to focus on their studies instead of spending hours braiding their natural hair even if once braided the style could be kept on for3-4 weeks. For those who ignore it,girls were not allowed to atend schools for a long time in West African countries,the reason being that they had the chores to do and were not smart enough(sad…),the man being the one to work and provide food for the family. So once the girls were able to attend school,on top of their chores,they had to study and cutting their hair was one way of helping them although it wasn’t always accepted that way.once the passed that stage,they were free to do whatever they wanted on their hair. Today,African women rocks all kind of hair from natural to relaxed,some families even have long time proven secret of haircare that they pass along from mother to daughter. But the big difference with Europe and the USA is that in Africa we don’t always try to understand the science behind healthy hair practices while here in America and Europe we do.
“If you’ve read this post I wrote a while ago, you know that natural hair is not the norm in Africa and as much as that sounds non intuitive…”
I also can’t understand how she came to this conclusion. I’m from Luanda/Angola and most females there wear their hair natural. Some straighten it, some have locs and others have a Fro or Curls. In Angola it is not something out of the ordinary.
I am aware that some part of Africa, women tend to embraces their natural hair however, most Western Africain countries are exposed and influence by Western European and americain culture.
I have to disagree with you on that.I am also from Angola and the norm there is weave.
At the moment I am living in Amsterdam and also here the norm amongst African women is weave.
And even though the number of women rocking natural hairstyles is growing,you don’t see that many Afros,twists or any sort of natural hairstyles around.
Yes, you are absolutely correct. And in no way am I disagreeing with you. Even though I have never visited Angola, it is the same in Nigeria. I was referring to the females that do wear wear their hair out. Your correct. Infact, when I came back to America after visting Nigeria again I got my hair braided.
I’ve been reading all of the comments, and as an older woman (58 years old) who has been natural for the past 30 years I find all of your comments intelligent and interesting. I’m loving the fact we’re learning to agree to disagree. Having said that, I think that if an experienced natural hair care professional were to go to Nigeria, Ghana or some other country in West Africa and commit to living there for 4 to 5 years they could start a real natural hair care revolution. I think it only takes a committed person to devote a few years by opening a salon and working with and training other native stylists. I’m sure together they could change the entire dynamics of hair care in those countries. I think woman everywhere in Africa want to look good and want healthy hair. But like someone else mentioned, they either don’t know how to keep their natural hair healthy and protected or they’re still under the impression that they must have permed hair in order to look good. My family is from Jamaica and even in such year-round hot climate (just like Africa) so many woman there have permed hair. I also think that many of the hotels, restaurants and places that cater to tourists require the Jamaican woman to have permed hair in order to work there. I really think its totally crazy to demand that woman have permed hair in tropical climates like that. I also think it’s crazy because this is a completely unnatural state for their hair. They must spend a ton of money each month on keeping their hair straight. And I don’t think most tourist would care one way or the other whether the Jamaican women had braids, twists, TWA’s or whatever. I’m sure that the natural hair care revolution will eventually take root in Jamaica as well. But just like Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa it will just take time. Frankly I’m going to love seeing those perm companies go out of business.
I really enjoyed reading this article. I’m African American and Ashanti and even though I don’t know my biological father’s side (Ashanti) I once romanticized everything about Africa. As I’ve become more knowledgeable about African history, West Africa in particular and how colonization has changed Africa, I understand the lack of understanding and appreciation for rocking natural hair as the norm in some cities. I just set an example for myself as an self identified African woman and follow through when it comes to my hair.
I actually think the LOOSE (not braided or twisted) natural hair movement was popularized in Black America, if you look at history. It started with the Black Power Movement of the 60’s and 70’s – the Afro or the Natural. Then Black women generally (not all) depended on relaxers, Jherri curls, weaves and extensions until the Afrocentric and Neo-soul movement emerged in the late 80’s and the 90’s. Enter De La Soul, Arrested Development, Lauryn Hill, Jill Scott, etc. Then in 2007 or 2008, the YouTube, Curly Nikki, BGLH, etc. natural/curly girls movement started and many new techniques, products, and jargon developed. Now not only can you be natural but you can be natural with curly hair or waist-length hair!
I have never been to Ghana, Nigeria, or South Africa. All I can go by is photos and videos I’ve seen and friends I’ve had from those regions. What I’ve noticed generally is that the women who wear their hair natural have it in braids, twists, extensions – some covered with scarves. Some not covered with scarves. A couple of women from West Africa told me that from their experience in their culture loose, big, puffy hair is seen as not groomed, unfinished, or unkempt. Not so much braids or twists, updo’s, but twists-outs/braid-outs, Afro puffs, etc.
SOME (not all) of the African women with straightened hair usually have short or broken off thin, dry hair. I’ve seen over a handful of Black women from West Africa with long, well-moisturized natural hair on YouTube and on blogs such as this, but not in the overwhelming numbers that I’ve seen in the Black American female natural community.
Then of course there are a lot of natural-hair women in West and South Africa who simply wear short naturals and pick it out. I’ve seen video of them using picks not fine-toothed combs to groom what we American naturals call TWA. But the hair is not grown past that for probably very practical reasons – climate may be one.
Just my experience.
I found the authors piece really undermining and quiet frankly blantantly ignorant.It also showed me how much she has travelled and came with her own preconceived ideas. As for “teaching” African women about their hair dont let me get started. I am a South African woman and found while I was in the US how a lot African American women wouldnt be caught dead with their natural hair and how the majority didn’t see beauty in being natural. That didn’t make me say how clueless they are its not an African or Africa American but rather a personal choice by the said individuals. Please read a poem by Dr Gloria House “Whats hair got to do with it”. Oh and another thing when you are raised in a home where self love is taught, what it is to be a woman then you’ll realize that Africans across the diaspoara come in different shades of brown and with different hair textures. Dont let the hair define you the hair doesnt maketh the woman!
Yet another article that lumps all 54 COUNTRIES into one country called Africa! Eish, come on people Africa is a continent!!! Go to the southern part, Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe you will be very surprised how well sisters rock the TWAs, Afros & locs & make no apologies for it. Google Lira, Shingai Shonhiwa, Lebo Masile, Claire Mawisa or Chiwoniso Maraire notable celebrities who embrace their hair. Africans are not as ignorant as you try to make them….. Give us some credit geez Louise
I’m from Senegal and I notice that the only people who gave me strange looks were young people. My parents didn’t say anything because they wore big afros back in the day and they had Angela Davis as a role model. Young people will tell you that afros are out of style and that it’s not pretty. These are people who had their first relaxer at a very young age. I had my first relaxer at a very young age too. I thought having relaxed hair was the norm. My best friend was the first girl I saw with natural hair and I always wondered why her hair was not relaxed because every girl I knew had relaxed hair. I agree on the fact that people need to know that African people were as brainwashed as African Americans and were taught to hate themselves. Even though we’ve gained independence, it will take a long time to undo what centuries of slavery have done to us.
People just need to be a little bit more educated on how to take care of their natural hair. I’m 3 years natural and people who were skeptical at the beginning of my journey now ask me for advice and I help them, knowing that if they succeed, it will convince other people too. My sister and I are natural but my older sister still relaxes her hair because she lives a very busy life. But I still give her tips to take care of her hair.
I am 16 and lived in Ghana for 10 years and this article was completely truthful. My hair was permed from the age I was old enough to get a perm to till 14 when my mother decided my hair was too damaged to keep up with perms. I started transitioning during the summer when I went to Ghana to visit my grandparents and most of my family in Ghana were very un-supportive. The doubted that the curls I had coming out of my hair was actually real. To be honest, I even doubted it because I had never seen or felt what my natural hair looked it. This was all due to the mentality that a perm was the only way to look beautiful. I tried to explain but it was no use but now most of my family and friends in Ghana are natural. Thanks to the change I made. The perception of natural hair in Ghana is becoming accepted as far as I know. Recently I was surprised to see a picture of one of my Aunt’s wedding in Ghana and noticed most people there were rocking their natural hair. I am glad I was able to help change the perception one person at a time.
—A Proud Ghanaian & Togolese Person
I’ve experienced the same thing when I traveled to Nigeria around the holidays. Some of my relatives thought that my natural hair was fake. I saw young girls about 5 or 6 years old in sew in weaves. I mean however you choose to wear your hair is your preferance but it disturbed me how much natural hair is not accepted there. There were stores that sold nothing but hair weave. But again how you choose to wear your hair is your preference. I was just shocked at how much natural hair is not accepted. Some of my family thought I didn’t put any effort into doing my hair at all. Keep in mind I was wearing a twist out. Any who, I blame colonialism for it all. We’ve been taught from an early age that our natural hair is not acceptable. Again, I repeat before anyone jumps on me how you choose to wear your hair is up to you but don’t teach our young ones to be insecure about how God created them to be.
Amen!
I am Zambian. I agree with the other Amy (Nigerian) about girls being expected to relax their hair when older. It is the same here. In southern Africa I think most naturals have locs. When I told people in Zambia I was going natural a lot expected me to get locs. When told intention many asked ‘Why?’ Generally, the reaction isn’t negative just perplexed and then there is the notion it is difficult to care for. Still, I am loving transitioning and spreading the word about how beautiful and not too difficult to handle African natural hair can be 🙂
We have over 50 something countries in Africa! It makes me soooooo mad when people generalise and say when I went to africa…naturalista please, say u went to Nigeria and Ghana and that is the view over there! Just like the girls in The U.S slowly learnt about proper hair care, so will we. Proudly zambian!
I stopped relaxing in June/July 2012. I did my own bc in 12/12. While my twa was cute, I took color out by bleaching, to each his own, I know what I am doing. I needed a little more motivation, and color motivates me. I use sulfate free shampoo, because unlike some my scalp needs it. I condition after and also deep condition, weekly under a dryer. I moisturize with grapeseed oil, body and hair. I have a protective style in now called fluffy twists, and their done with hair from Nafy collections. I love my hair. It’s big, poofy, me, and most of all protected and mines. I intend to use the hair for the rest of the year. I am committed to growing my hair, at least to the middle of my back. I never knew my hair type and am actually liking it. I maybe a 4b,c,d, whatver it is I like it and so does my man.
Interesting article! I have to say, I’m not sure why some of the comments are discussing the author as if she is African-American when she clearly states that she “went home” and is therefore from West Africa. Also, I have read other articles from African-Americans about their surprise at the reactions to natural hair when they went to various parts of Africa and in those articles it did seem like the author was generalizing Africa. In my opinion this article is very different from those others because the author is from West Africa AND she is talking about specific countries. I mean, it’s not like she was just some tourist passing through who didn’t actually know anything about the society/culture she is discussing…
I’m Nigerian and colonial mentality aka slave mentality is very much alive in Nigeria. As a child, I NEVER saw any Nigerian woman with her natural hair except for those with closely cropped hair. Little girls wear their natural hair but once they get older, they are expected to get a perm. Natural hair is very much frowned upon by Nigerian MEN and of course women will distort themselves to fit whatever they think beauty is. I am not surprised by the reaction you received in Nigeria.
WOW I never thought I’d read about continental Africans responding to natural hair that way…”oh it must be an american thing”…really? I remember reading on another blog that some of them believe natural hair symbolizes poverty. It truly saddens me sometimes, how brainwashed SOME of our people are. And not just brainwashed, but closed minded. Even when I was relaxed and knew nothing about natural hair I still was very open minded about it and didn’t look down on someone who was natural. Being ignorant of something is one thing, but not even giving it a chance is another and that’s where the problem comes in.
Natural hair symbolizing poverty huh? Thats actually kinda funny, shooot, as much money as I spend on my natural hair and happy to do it!
IMO, the ignorance and intolerance of natural texture hair, or hair textures indigenous to the region, seems to be more apparent in more westernized societies. It seems that the African people that are more tribally, traditionally, rooted in identity and lifestyle have less of an ignorance, intolerance, for natural hair.
Seems like when relaxers, hot combs and other styling utensils/techniques came of age, many Africans saw the old traditional view/techniques as un-modern and started leaving them behind.
I stop relaxing about 4 months ago and ever since I’ve been in LOVE with my natural hair. I never thought about not relaxing. Relaxing it was something that came naturally to me every 2 1/2 to 3 months. I was just not aware that I could have natural hair and style it too. I think that is the biggest problem, ignorance. People just don’t know and it will take a while for people to get educated. My family thankfully was very open to the idea, my mom is a natural although her hair is only curly and very soft, nothing like mine. I tried to convince my sister but she won’t go natural, at least not yet. The bottom line is that I am so happy of going natural, I love my natural hair something that I never did when I was relaxed. I hated going to the salon and putting heat in my hair. Now I feel liberated. 🙂
I know many would expect natural hair to be the norm back home (I’m Nigerian) but, unfortunately, it’s not. The good news though, is that more people are realizing that relaxers and weaves can be damaging and choosing to go back to their natural state. The writer is surprised that people she met didn’t know about how to care for natural hair – that surprises me. I’m sure, she, like many of us who are natural now, hasn’t always known how to take care of natural hair. Most of us learned recently. We’re still learning. It’s a journey everywhere.
I think the shock comes because african-americans often view Africa as the ideal of our naturalness. So , to go back to the place of ones origin and not find it in its original state is surprising. I think people don’t fully realize although they know, how colonialism has affected other africans in the diaspora. People here always reference back to slavery being the cause of this and that, but slavery is not the only way to rob a people of their culture and self awareness.
^^^^^^^Story of my life!!!!
I am of Ghanaian and African American descent currently living in Ghana, I thought that living here with my hair natural would be great and that the response would be perfect but I found myself personally frustrated with the response of people, even my family. I expected reactions to be positive but it was just the opposite.
It takes alot of courage!
Cat and Stacey you made great points. Going back to natural hair is a process that goes beyond the superficial. It is really gaining speed in the U.S., but that doesn’t mean that it happened over night. Some Nigerians do have negative ideas about natural hair. I’m Nigerian, and my grandmother and mother did not have the nicest things to say about my natural hair. However, it doesn’t come from a place of self-hate. To the contrary, Nigerians are extremely proud of their culture and country. The dominance of western and Anglo culture and fashion distorts their ideas of beauty, just as it has affected all peoples of the diaspora. It’s not fair to judge them. Instead, be a leader. Remind them that our hair is beautiful and not “hard to manage”.
The natural hair topic is real. Today at campus, I was sitting with 6 fellow classmates who are naturals (60% of the ladies in my class have natural hair) and they have really beautiful hair. As much as they love their natural hair, they did not believe it could actually grow past the shoulders. I showed them the pictures of the style icons with long hair from this website and they were in disbelief. Then I realised even though their hair was growing, they did not know how to retain their length and what they should do to keep it from breaking. Simple things like when and how long to DC, taking care of hair while braided or combing. One girl said she had a ball of hair after combing it, EVERYDAY & another kept braids for 6 months :o. Needless to say, now they know it can grow longer, they just needed to be educated in taking care of their hair. I referred them to a few blogs to visit so they know what their hair needs and how to care for those lovely afro. As a young South African (& a natural), I don’t believe all of us don’t like our hair, we just think its too much to handle and a relaxer becomes an easy way out. Mindset and knowledge is key. Have a lovely day/night ladies :).
A lot of the comments on here raise valid points but as a Nigerian who was relaxed and now natural, I think I could add some points too. It is only normal that people would question your natural hair because some of them have become used to the “norm” of using chemicals in their hair to make it more manageable. Note that not even quarter of nigerian females put chemicals in their hair. In northern Nigeria for example, a lot of the women wear their natural hair in braids and wear scarves to protect it from the elements (I.e. The fulani women). Please be reminded that colonialism and mental slavery is still very much alive in the minds of a few females here as they were taught to believe and see daily and also please try to keep an open mind when dealing with people irrespective of who they are or where they are from. No one is “hating” on your hair. Explaining your reasons to go natural with a smile can work wonders. Every woman have their idea of what is beautiful which may be having straight hair or whatever. It is their choice. African american ladies didn’t all go natural in one night. It took and is taking time and hardwork. I don’t know about you but one reason for my going natural was to be more accepting of who I am in totally. If you are to bring change, you should also change your mindset. It doesn’t happen overnight. It will take some time. Cheers.
Exactly! Well said. “African American ladies didn’t all go natural in one night”
Thank you glenny!
“…it really got to me how uneducated my fellow Africans were when it comes to natural hair. As in ZERO clue that natural hair can have a curl pattern that does not need to be combed out to ensure it’s manageability.”
That comment…It really irks me when someone goes to 1 or 2 countries in Africa and compares the entire continent to those 2 countries. It should be noted that looser curl textures do exist in other countries. So, stating that an entire continent is only used to dry and damaged hair is narrow-minded. Fatima from ANTM is a good example of that.
Being in one or two states in Nigeria doesn’t mean u have studied all the Nigerian women. In the northern part of country being natural rocks n we have little tolerance for artificial beauty n also in some other parts of the country. We are comfortable with our skin n hair and we have our ways of taking care of that but the African Americans are always trying to tell us who we are,what to do or how to do it. Well we know better, they r mixed up trying to find out who they really are. african women r 100%, r u???
lol and you here go trying to pin Africans against African Americans.
First of all where are you getting the idea that Blacks in America or telling you what to do with your hair? Secondly if blacks are concerned with anything having to do with Africa then it’s because we are worried about the wars and famine.
And thirdly,THE MAJORITY of African women don’t have a single clue on how to take care of their hair. MOST African style hair DRY without any moisturizing and they rake combs through their hair.
Just because black women in America understand how to take care of their hair doesn’t mean that you have to be a hater. I think your delusional to make assumptions about black women telling you what to do with your hair. Oh and by the way African/African American? Who is 100%? lol we all hail from the motherland rather it be ourselves or are ancestors. We are one! Really do get over yourself and stop being paranoid.
That was a FALSE and Ignorant statement you made about THE MAJORITY of African women don’t have a single clue on how to take care of their hair. That can be said about Blacks in the U.S. as many haven’t learn how to grow their Natural hair or still wear Relaxers.
Hey,I’m South African and I’ve found that we are more accepting of naturals although a majority of us opt to relax and weave our hair because he have no clue how to take care of our hair, Most hairstylist have no clue how to take care of hair,I mean conditioning hair is a foreign concept to black South African woman(it’s seen as something white woman do) and there are very few, almost non-existent products for our hair.I will admit that we have also been subjected to the same distorted ideas of beauty that have led most black woman to believe that their natural hair is not beautiful. But our biggest problem is that we have no idea what our hair can do or look like if taken care of properly or even what it means to take care of our hair.
Thank you so much for your post. I live in Ghana and I can attest to what you are talking. I returned to my natural hair 2 years ago and was inspired by most you guys in the west to start my own blog and youtube channel where i use local resources for my hair.You will find my blog http://www.ghanaianemprezz.com and youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/afrodivadairies?feature=mhee
hey, great article! as an eastafrican who’ve grown up in north europe, partially in a white neighbourhood, partly amongst eastafricans, i’ve always been the outcast. i’ve had a relaxer twice in my life, i wish i could say it was because i’ve always been so concious about my hair – it wasnt. because i grew up with a white family, a very sporty and active family, i was told repeatedly to spend a lot of time and money on my hair was just stupid and wasteful. so most of my life i’ve had a twa. and trust me, the eastafricans would *never* miss an opportunity to tell me my hair (to them) seemed “unkempt”, i needed to relax my hair etc. i’ve also traveled extensively abroad, to both westafrica, uk, usa – and in my opinion and (limited) experience is that most blacks are not aware how beautiful our hair can be when treated properly -even me, almost 40 years old, jsut recently learnt how to take properly care of it. my hairdresser, a stunningly beautiful senegalese woman, is the best braider ever, but to trust her to comb my hair or to anything else but braid it? hell no, she is just incredibly harsh when treating natural hair. i had to tell her “if you want my money for doing my hair you have to do it my way and stop telling me to relax it – its just never gonna happen!” so, the point is; blacks most anywhere, its like we treat ourselves including our hair as harshly as we’ve been treted ourselves by our former slavemasters/colonizers.
thank god the times are a-changing!
Those braids are really cute though. How did you find the braiding experience? I would have loved to see some positivity on that at least, because those braids are really lovely.
I really agree with the ladies where are of the opinion that people shouldn’t go to a particular country and re-label the entire continent. Maybe the author of this article should have rather mention it as her experience in ‘West Africa’ and not Africa. I’m South African and natural hair (short hair, dreadlocks bald etc.) has been a trend we’ve rocked for ages, I work in coroprate environment and I rock my natural and it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We embrace all hair trends in South Africa. A women who can express yourself in her mother- tongue (include reading and writing)knows her linage, the praisesongs and traditions but rocks relaxed hair, could be seen as more African and intouch with who she is, than one who Westernised in her thinking and way of live, but has natural hair.
i am sorry sister but you cant base your “west african” experience on an area. As we all know Ghana and especially Nigeria are big countries so maybe the areas you been to are like that. But i lived in Ghana for so long and people have been natural for forever… it depends on where you went sweety
Hmm okay, now that I’ve gone and read Christabel’s post I see she actually does confirm some of my theory that people relax/perm but don’t conciously think about the race aspect. I think I should clarify, I’m coming from a “caribbean” perspective. Having seen what family and others do back home kind of made me have a similar ephiphany since both are largely black countries.
This is an interesting article that doesn’t surprise me at all. Aside from the Nigerians I have met, I think it’s clear just from Nollywood films (I’ve watched a few of them) that there is a fondness for trendy hair styles which includes dyes, weaves etc. My Nigerian hair braider is horrible at hair care although she is great at styling. I mean I had to comb my hair too–mostly because (she used a fine tooth comb) and cause she couldn’t handle my hair. Even my Nigerian friend (who recently went natural) told me she didn’t believe Nigerians could grow long (think apl+) hair even when i showed her a youtuber who did. BUT I think we are overlooking some things…
I think there is some level of ignorance regarding haircare that has everything to do with colonialism, but perhaps (my theory) the perspective of natural hair not being good itself has less to do with self-hate and more to do with not taking hair too seriously on a conscious level. Since black Africans are the dominant race in their respective countries it can’t be comparable to blacks in America for example, who may actively view their hair as a racial signifier and are constantly reminded of this.I know for a fact when I went to Guyana (with blacks and indians being the majority of the population) I fully expected alot of support for natural hair. Nope. Most are relaxed and family members were asking me why I was natural, nobody does that anymore…etc. In this case and maybe in others, I think a perm is supposed to be symbolic of class/status/high fashion at times as opposed to JUST insecurity. Though fashion really is all about insecurity when you think about it…
One thing no one should overlook is the effect corporations have in all black countries. The beauty supply store is everywhere,and the same mineral oil laden garbage and wigs are being sold to all of us. Given how huge the hair industry is any black market with substantial wealth is a ripe target. And Black Hollywood’s weave parade is all the advertising needed.
Third post but I thought it would be equally important to highlight that I know A LOT of Ghanaian and Nigerian and African women in General who wouldn’t go out of their way to look more westernised.
Excuse my poor grammar in my last post.
And I personally know young, educated and wealthy women who bleach their skin. Even the wealthy and educated succumb to the pressure to be mainstream beauties.
I’m a mixed heritage Ghanaian woman from London (born in Ghana) and I think many people of African descent from the Diaspora, forget that the effects of colonialism are just as severe in almost all African countries when we hold this idea of Africa as our paradise homeland. Women in Ghana face the same battle within themselves over what is beautiful by western standards which they aspire to, and what they are naturally blessed with. The only exception to this I can think of is the shape of a woman’s body being celebrated for having the curvier qualities African women are famous for.
Change in this area will trickle down from the west as we in the diaspora slowly learn to embrace and celebrate our natural selves, not the other way around, although it is understandable when people make the assumption that it would be African men and women from back home who would lead the way.
One would think in the homeland they would have all the answers to all things natural hair #strange
Your braids are cute though!
nice article. eye-opening.
ummm im nigerian nd wud like to ask where u went to in nigeria. because if you went to an area more ‘affluent nd educated’ natural hair is becoming more popular and i know salons r starting to understand kinky- curly hair.
But this is typical Western ignorance, isn’t it? What makes you think that Africans have not been subjected to the same Western poison as we have here in the West? Did you think all the women were going to be natural? And that they’d have zebras for pets? Racists went to Africa and colonised many Africans bringing with them their Western beauty ideals. Many Africans still embrace their identity and culture but many do not. Not to mention, skin bleaching is rife in Western Africa, too!
The author is African. She is from Ghana.
The author’s name is ChiChi. She’s Nigerian.
I’m both Nigerian and Ghanaian 🙂
If you are both Nigerian and Ghanian why were you surprised about their reactions? Don’t you know anything about your people. I’m half ghanian and west africans strong distate for natural hair is well known. So your surprise is shocking
Why do people get so easily bent out of shape? She is giving her personal experience of when she went to Africa. She is telling Her experience of when she went home to Africa, in paragraph 1, she also talks about her fellow Africans in paragraph 3 and also talks about leaving her mother with enough tools to continue her hair journey and concludes by saying that amidst the negativity there is some positivity. She is telling things from her personal viewpoint.
I must say that KC has made an excellent point, ‘Africa’ is an incredibly diverse continent and just as there a varying opinions on natural hair in the US, same with in Africa.
That being said, no one can deny that wearing afrotextured hair in its natural state is a growing trend in the US and in the Caribbean. I’m Cameroonian -american and have had similar experiences as the author. I have no doubt the natural hair trend will eventually catch on there given the digital age we live in. i do think that worldwide (as many have stated in prior posts), we/black women have not been taught how to care for or socialized to love our hair- whether natural and relaxed.
I wonder why when someone goes to an African country he thinks all African countries have the same habits.when you go to China you do not tell the whole asia is like China.do not forget Africa is not a country.For instance Nigeria is very different than Congo.
But she never mentioned Congo she said Ghana and Nigeria so why get offended. By the way am from Ghana and am not offended because all she said was true.And Congo is known throughout Africa for their weaves, wigs and excessive bleaching.
Like we seen so many naturals in those Ghanaian movies don’t we? Why are you getting so defensive the point she was trying to make is people like to act as if Africa is one country where all cultures are the same calm down going in on Congo like that? Why do you assume she’s from Congo?
She specifically limited her comments to West Africa and two countries specifically.
I thought this was a really interesting article and I appreciate you talking about different cultures that aren’t as different as I thought. 🙂
Well, to each their own. But where i come from in Africa, southern Africa to be precise, we rock both. Look @ Lira the musician, Kaone Kario the Botswana model. We cut when we feel like. But yes, there are women stuck on weaves and perms. But there are well educated, classy women who are natural. I being one of them. From afro to locks which are very popular. So to some extent i disagree. Africa is a very big continent
these articles tagged with “culture” are REALLY hard to find. I’m finding a bunch of articles from the past couple of months that I’ve never seen before…
More women in W Africa have natural hair than relaxed. Those women are often the traders or market women however, most of whom are of the struggling class. The hipper, more educated class are often more western than the Americans if that’s possible. They follow the trends as seen on US tv via cable . Most of the naturals I’ve seen when I’ve visited home often live in the Diaspora.
We have to also accept black women throughout the world face the same challenges. We were ALL conditioned to envy long, straight hair, noses, slim bodies and lighter hues. The majority of us never learned how to take adequate care of our hair. My hair never grew mor than five inches as a child only now I know why. My hair is uber fine and was yanked out and broken every time it was braided, which was every week. I can still envision the hair balls being pulled from the comb.
Let’s also not forget most African countries gained independece from colonists only in the 60s, around the same time of the civil rights movement. As a people, all of us have baggage from centuries of colonialism, jim crowism and mental slavery. The more educated we become as a people, the more purchasing power we have, the more we’ll be able to become the trendsetters ultimately redefining what is beautiful.
Meant to state: *most of the educated naturals I’ve seen have lived in the Diaspora*
More women in W Africa have natural hair than relaxed. Those women are often the traders or market women however, most of whom are of the struggling class. The hipper, more educated class are often more western than the Americans if that’s possible. They follow the trends as seen on US tv via cable . Most of the naturals I’ve seen when I’ve visited home often live in the Diaspora.
We have to also accept black women throughout the world face the same challenges. We were ALL conditioned to envy long, straight hair, noses, slim bodies and lighter hues. The majority of us never learned how to take adequate care of our hair. My hair never grew mor than five inches as a child nut only now I know why. My hair is uber fine and was yanked out and broken every time it was braided, which was every week. I can still envision the hair balls that was pulled from the comb.
Thank goodness black women are reconditioning our minds on what is beautiful. Let’s not forget most African countries gained independece from colonists only in the 60s, around the same time of the civil rights movement. As a people, all of us have baggage from centuries of colonialism, jim crowism and mental slavery. The more educated we become as a people, the more purchasing power we have, the more we’ll be able to become the trendsetters ultimately redefining what is beautiful.
Being a Liberian-American, I believe it depends on which African country you go to.Yes there are Africans who are westernized.At the same time we do embrace our Traditional side also. Recently, I have seen a lot of African Americans wearing African prints, head wraps and Ankara. We both learn and copy from one another. I am going to travel to Liberia in December and rock my natural hair and I will see what reaction I get from the Liberians in Liberia. On the other hand; in America I have gotten positive feed back from Liberians I have interacted with, family, and friends about my natural hair.
I, admittedly, have not read through the entire response thread, so forgive me if someone else has already made this point. It’s important, in general but especially in this context, to avoid generalizations. People often discuss “Africa” as if it were one place, with one mind. Africa is an incredibly diverse place! There are over 50 countries in Africa, with an estimated 8,000 dialects spoken! There is no singular prevailing African attitude toward natural hair. I lived in Tanzania for over a year and my experiences with natural hair were exactly the opposite of the author’s. I was consistently told that my (4a/b) hair was beautiful and encouraged NOT to relax it. Yes, I saw plenty of women rocking relaxers, but there were just as many juicy puffs. In Africa, just like in America, opinions on natural hair vary.
I am a Nigerian and still live in Nigeria. I find it quite upsetting when people make assumptions based on other people’s natural hair experience in Africa. I follow most blogs closely and I’ve also read of similar experiences by our African American sisters. Yes, we may not have as many natural hair women or women educated about their natural hair texture in Nigeria but that is slowly changing!
I remember the jolt of shock I felt following my big chop. If it took me a while to accept my natural hair for what it is and represents to me, I think it seems unfair to expect a sudden change of perception by a majority who are used to seeing themselves as ‘straight haired’.
ppl should nt go to lagos or abuja nd say we do not have naturals!!! go to my state osun! you will see naturals well well! lol
Honestly, so what? Anywhere in the world naturals get mixed reactions
Yes! =)
I read this and find the humor in it. Growing up in Nigeria and then moving to the states natural hair as the other ladies stated is accepted differently. The more money you have the more tour are responsible for maintaing your hair. If you have natural styles such as mini fro’s threaded and yarn styles they assume you are poor or come from the deep village. The more wealth the more weaves.. I think they are changing but it is very slow. As most of us Nigerians and Ghanians know about each other Nigerians are known to be a bit more conservative then Ghanaians hences the more acceptance of natural hair.. We are progressing tho.. ????
Agree with first part but don’t get the bit about “Nigerians being more conservative than Ghanians”. In my experience, the opposite is true…Nigerians are generally much more flamboyant than Ghanaians and this is from someone who has both sides in her family!!! Not sure about the connotations for the natural hair movement but both countries have some way to go.
if my family is an indication, Nigerians are as conservative as they come!
I just find it funny how “surprised” the author is at the fact that her hair was not received in her “home” land. Wake up America and go gain some knowledge. My room mate is African (from Cameroon to be specific) and I happen to believe she would be quite confused and offended at the fact that anyone would assume that natural hair is the norm. I guess beating bongos and chasing lions must be the norm too? We live in a new age where technology and trends are moving almost as fast in other countries as they are here in America. What I find even more funny is the way black people claim they want to get back to their roots by automatically assuming they are from Africa… This is too funny if you ask me… And I’m pretty sure it’s hilarious to the true Africans who actually immigrated from Africa to the U.S. Anyways, I’m not here to bash just spark a little reality check into the foolish mindset of this ignorant society.
Africans do not chase lions!! Get your facts right before running your mouth!!
Read my response correctly and you’ll understand what I was trying to say. I know Africans don’t chase lions, I was eluding to the ignorance of society’s thinking
why do you equate beating bongos and chasing lions (being backwards) with being natural. but technology and trends with the opposite?
and anyone who assumes you wear your hair natural because you are in cameroon or any other african nation is not thinking you’re backwards. it’s assuming you embrace yourself. imo, this happens to be a very modern concept. tell your cameroonian roommate.
it’s not an insult to think you wear your hair natural. it’s a compliment.
the funny thing is i’m from cameroon too. well i haven’t been there for ten years but last time i went there it was not an insult to have natural hair many aunts of mine had natural hair. in fact the norm was braiding and threading your hair (of course there were relaxed heads and weaves but you got my point) maybe it has changed since then.
The black Americans in the US do have roots in Africa. Where else would we assume we were from?? There may be European Native American ancestry in some is us black Americans, but we do indeed have roots from Africa.
I’m confused. Where are they from if not Africa??
we’re not expecting all Africans to have natural hair, but we were expecting them to get its beauty and be accepting of it. After all, it is the “mother land”. If you are proud that this is not the case, that says more about you than about us. You are offended by the wrong stereotype. The stereotype that is offensive is the fact that too many Africans, my mother included, think that the only “kempt” hair is straight hair. I should have learned the opposite from her, instead she is trying to force the Eurocentric standard onto me, all the while gaining bald spots on her once beautiful hair because she’d rather wear weaves than learn to manage her own hair.
There is no need to put the “home” in homeland in quotes. I gather from the article that the author is from Ghana and her mama still lives there, so it is literally her homeland and her roots are from Africa. So she actually *is* one of those “true African who actually immigrated from Africa to the United States”. Maybe you should have read more carefully before you started throwing around the word “ignorant”.
Having natural hair isn’t backwards so idk why she would be offended, and WE ARE FROM AFRICA, wth? lol
erm…where else would they be from? idk about you but last i checked most black people have a minimum of about 80 percent DNA linkage with people from the african continent. instead of being snarky you could aim for being a presence of enlightenment to those of us who are members of this apparently so-called “ignorant society”. i’ll warrant, right along with you, that our society is ignorant at large, but certainly not for the reasons implied in your statement.
As I have said previously, I am African from Africa and have been in the states for only 7 years. So your theory does not apply at all
Why don’t you read? The author is Nigerian.
“What I find even more funny is the way black people claim they want to get back to their roots by automatically assuming they are from Africa… This is too funny if you ask me” …
Dear Sweet Baby Yashua….uhm..ok….WOW.
I think people forget that all of sub-Saharan Africa was colonized and only started to gain independence within the past 50 years or so. Many of Eurocentric beauty standards that exist in the U.S. and other Western countries exist there. It’s just more jarring because the majority of people are Black and you’d expect that they “get it.” It shouldn’t be surprising that relaxing hair isn’t as prominent in East and South African countries because they’ve got that “good hair” compared to folks from Central and West Africa. Sound familiar? And even before perming was introduced in these countries, the type of natural hair styles worn were different. In Ghana for example, people kept their hair cut in styles that represented something in their tribes or threaded it or braided it or something. My 70+ year old grandma was amazed by my curly hair because even though she’s had natural hair for decades, she (like most of the old timers) keeps her hair cropped (by a barber) and combed through. And certain natural hairstyles (like dreads or anything that resembles dreads lol) have negative cultural connotations.
Rocking a big fro only became popular in the 70s because it was popular in the U.s. Similarly, the current natural hair movement is greatly influenced by what’s going on in the “West”. More and more young Africans are trying out different ways to wear their hair naturally and are getting fewer side eyes and more smiles. Just as it took time for hair professionals in the U.S. to step their game up, it will take time for stylists in West African countries to expand their knowledge base.
East Africans and Southern Africans aint got no “good hair”!! The only exception to this are the Somalians, Ethiopian and Eritreans. Kenyans, Zambians and and the rest have the kinkiest of hair types!
TROLL ALERT
Diversity of hair types exists everywhere.
y so bitter?
A lot of East Africans are mixed with Italian and Arab but there are Somalis with hair kinky like mine. Likewise, a lot of them like to straighten their hair too. So they can have the same self acceptance issues as West/South/Central Africans.
italy colonized only libya if my knowledge is correct? not ethipia nor somalia nor erithrea. if there might have been some admixture with arabs, it’s a mistake to assume a wide number of ethiopians and somalians descend from arabs they’re black.
my point is for instance cameroon was colonized by germans french and brits for centuries and you wouldn’t assume they’re mixed because there was a foreign presence in their country right? there might have been some admixture for sure but for the main part they’re black. i don’t know if i understood you well but that’s a common mistake people make when it comes to east africans they assume they have different traits because they are mixed. truth is once for all africa is the continent where you find the most diversity of features, skin color and shapes that’s all.
“Where you find the most diversity of features..” needs to be screamed from the rooftop. Africans are the most genetically diverse human beings on the planet-biological goldmines!
And remember friends: Colonized minds all think alike. Whether it be in a country/city/state in Africa, South America, Philippines, etc. The good news: Knowledge of our beauty, history, cultural contributions, etc are spreading and souls are awakening from their deep slumber. RISE UP! =)
preach!
@BrinkyDinks – Very few Somalis are mixed with Arabs and even fewer are mixed with Italians. There are specific ethnic groups who have Arab heritage but the vast majority of Somalis are not mixed and are black. I don’t mean to come across as attacking you or anything but I am Somali and it bothers me that quite a lot of people think that most of us are mixed because it suggests that black Africans can only have one look and any variation from that regarding facial features, hair textures etc. HAS to be a result of mixing with other races. I do agree with you regarding the self-acceptance issues though. That “good hair”/”bad hair” issue does exist within Somali society unfortunately.
agree! thanks for clearing that up from a somali point of view!
and not to sound dumb but africans can have the same twisted mind when it comes to natural hair: a short haired girl could have a harder time to make the others accept her mane when a long haired girl will be asked if she’s mixed lol. i have had friends and hairstylists telling me i have beautiful hair (mind you i’m a 4C with medium lenght hair) and yet they still relax theirs and wear weaves. i’m sure as my hair is growing i’ll get the “are you mixed” question soon enough
I had similar reactions in Ghana, Kenya and Mali. I haven’t had a perm in about fifteen years and I wore locs for about 6 of them. My first trip to Africa I was about 20 and was surprised because for some reason I thought I would see more people rocking naturals like me. That was my own ignorance and stereotype. Instead I was met with the same glares that I received in my own Southern hometown in Alabama. Like…what did you do to your hair? I realized that they too were using perms but you’re right the hair “care” part was not a part of the equation. Broken edges, split ends were the norm. Even in the USA when going to braid shops, I would get taxed significantly for having natural hair and always asked…”why don’t you get a perm?” …as if I was just really irritating them. I would love to see more women put the relaxer industry out of business whether they are rocking it straight or in some natural style…I vote for healthy hair.
I’m from Ghana and growing up, getting my hair done created anxiety. It was painful to get it combed and styled in cornrows or threading. Moisture retention isn’t part of the process and that’s why people get relaxers. My mom gave me a kiddy relaxer when I was five/six years old to make my hair more manageable. After that, my hair was kept short. I got a Jeri curl when we moved to the states when I was 15 then a relaxer in college. I have two girls and they’re all natural and plan to be because they’re educated about the pros and cons of relaxed hair. Even though their hair is natural and I’ve maintained it, I was still getting relaxers until 16 months ago. It was exciting to do the BC but after my hair dried, I was scared and had flashbacks to when I was a kid and cried through hair combing. I immediately read up on all information regarding retaining moisture in my hair. That’s helped me enjoy and continue my process because I won’t get relaxers again. Educating myself has helped me have the healthiest hair I’ve had since I was a teenager.
I went to South Africa last year. I thought everyone would have natural hair… but it turns out, I was soooo wrong. It looked just like Philly, a little of everything but more weaves than anything. I was actually the odd person out. I expected everyone to have braids and afros but the same media that is pervasive in the states is also throughout the world…
with the rise of tv and magazines african countries have been as influenced by the western standard of beauty as the black diaspora around the world. they see all the beyonces with wigs on and think that’s what you have to look like to be considered beautiful hence the problem of skin bleaching in some parts of africa. tht makes me really sad but the positive point is with the ( still small but hey it counts)development of their countries africans are becoming to see things a bit differently and affirming themselves in their own identity. the natural hair movement really concerns every black woman on this earth african, african-american, african-european, black latinas and carribean girls. i really hope we will manage to make it to a higher level and make it the norm in the future. well, at least manage to make it viewed like a normal thing.
I actually think it’s the opposite of what you described. Straight hair/ relaxers have been popular since the colonial era in most of these countries; people would be more accepted by European administrators in power and could open themselves to opportunities by straightening their hair. Sound familiar to what happened in the US? Yep. Sure, seeing African American celebs with straight weaves don’t help the standard in these countries; but if anything, I feel like it’ll become more prevalent with more naturals repping in the media.
what you say is actually true
I agree with Gigi! I assumed that for years until I got some friends from various parts of Africa. I went to Nigeria at the end of 2011 and was advised to braid my hair and not rock an Afro if I didn’t want to scream “American” in Lagos. I was shocked to see even small children with little straight wigs and hair pieces. Locs aren’t common and were frowned upon by many–especially the older generation. I have kinky hair and back in the states Nigerians and many other West African women often compliment me on my hair. When I encourage them to go natural, they say their :African” hair is too nappy for it! And I cannot convince them otherwise. I’m going to keep trying though!
What I find funny is that afro wig is seen as stylish in Ghana & Nigeria but not their own fro – which the wig imitates??? Lol
For a long time African women have been influenced,just like American women and European women that straight hair is the best.With media from the west being abundant (Personally as an African girl growing up I always wondered how singers would have long hair in one video and chop it all off in the next,my friends and I would talk about it and it was concluded that some people were mixed race and their hair grew better (surprisingly what many black women all over the world think!)
So as African women we are having to rediscover our love for natural hair as well.We have been thinking the same thing as you,that straight is best.Give u a chance to catch up,for people to become more accepting.As is the problem most of the time as it relates to Africa,we are expected to be where you are,but we will get there!
I do love to see the rise in naturalistas in Africa though,many mushrooming blogs,meet ups etc.
As African women we look to our African American sisters to support and understand us,as we are going through the same thing,lets be there for each other,and teach each other.Together as black women we are strong.
Viva sistas.
xoxo
I went to West Africa with a big beautiful fro. It’s gone now. It was first damaged by braiders who didn’t know what to do with it. And then my family forced n to relax it because it was ‘too unseemly’ and it apparently made me look ‘lower class’. I have to start from scratch. Makes me really sad. Thank you for haring this. Interestingly, though, it was all women. Men LOVED the fro. They said they loved how natural it was.
I’m so sorry Mimi. Hang in there!
I like your hair in both styles. I’m sorry that you had an awkward time there. I have come to the sad realization that no matter what we do to our hair, people will always disapprove somewhere. So I say screw that noise and whip your head back and fourth.
LoL..I laughed throughout!I live in Nigeria,newly natural(big chopped in feb)..people ask me DAILY when I’m going to “make” my hair.I just smile&say I like it like this :).I hope you enjoyed your trip though!
I just had a little laugh at this. Haven’t read the first part, but it always amuses me to read reactions about Africa from black Americans–it usually seems like they have a concept that Africa is stuck in the chrysalis of when our ancestors were taken and brought to this side of the planet. They go back to “The Motherland” and expect Africans to be like the Kente cloth, dashiki, Black Power black folks who fetishize Africa as the hub of “pure blackness.” Let this experience, IMO, recalibrate how we view Africa and Africans–which usually is not separate from the images created by whites/Hollywood/pop culture.
I think the point of shock from the article is how cultures that are so heavily populated by black people can still hold so little knowledge of how to handle their own hair -in it’s natural state-. I don’t think this is about people hoping and expecting that Africans are walking around with an afro pick in their hair shouting down the evils of The Man. To be honest, reading this was a bit shocking, even to me. It would be like if you went to East Asia and suddenly discovered that there were very few hair salons that actually know how to handle East Asian Hair (which CAN be exceptionally difficult as it is not naturally inclined to working in very specific ways and cannot handle specific kinds of stylings/treatments).
Basically, you’d think that an entire large massive group of person would know how to handle their OWN hair in it’s natural state, as opposed to being dependent on also, culturally, eradicating it.
I agree Foregade and I believe the author is African as well
yeah i thought she was african too. did i miss smtg? lol
But Gigi has a point. If one is aware of the effects that Eurocentric influence has affected the entire diaspora (the Americas and Africa), this shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Depending on where you go, there are some practices that show we know how to do our hair; many practices used by naturals here in the US came from West Africa (threading, banding, plaiting, twists etc.). We often generalize and think Africans are all “about the motherland”, when in fact, those countries were victimized and affected by European culture forced on them in a way no different than in the US.
+1 Well said.
Exactly i don’t understand black Americans’ reactions if they actually read about colonisation and what the white man has done there it is NOT any different from what they went through here if not worse. Africans had their hands chopped off, their women raped and killed, children killed for not bringing rubber to the white man. Africans were just as badly messed up as other black in the diaspora, most black from the new world actually think that while they were being enslaved, Africans were living like kings but not they were also enslaved and abused and told that their features, hair etc were ugly that is why they’re called Africans which come from ‘afer’ meaning awful go figure. The day I read the book ‘the ghost of king Leopold’ is the day I realised how evil the white man really is, what they did to these people is enough to mess them up for centuries. Instead of going there with high expectations go with an open mind and history book on Africa and if you really want to soak up the culture don’t go to big city because they are just as Europeanised rather go to village and talk to elders that’s where you’ll see the true spirit of Africans. I don’t blame them cos i understand
Your comment on my post (below) makes sense. I didn’t look at it in that light. I do believe this westernized view of beauty has obstructed our view of natural beauty– from the first diaspora of Africans to colonization to the current diaspora.
I don’t think that people are surprised of the fact that Eurocentric Beauty Standards have had such a far out stretch to cultures, but I still stand that I’m shocked to what level and severe that their lack of knowledge of handling -their own hair- in it’s natural state is. This has absolutely nothing what so ever to do with any kind of glorification of African culture (I’m not even African, I’m Haitian), this is just about the complete and total lack of knowledge as an entire culture for how to deal with it. Yes, a lot of hair stylings came from West Africa, -back then-. We’re speaking about West Africa -today-. I find it odd and strange that I have a better chance of finding a hair salon around where I am that knows how to properly handle and deal Natural Black Hair than I would in West Africa. It’s a very large disconnect in logic.
I’ve heard this sentiment alot, however, I’m noticing a lot of natural hair meet ups in Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria. It reminds me when women started going natural in America- it takes a while to gain acceptance, which is weird altogether being that this is our hair in our natural state. The author is Nigerian, so it’s not from the perspective of an black/African american.
This is true. Natural hair is becoming more accepted in these places, similar to what is going on in the States. I can tell that the author is Nigerian due to her name (and in no way am I bashing her article or experiences), but I do think it might be her first time (at least as an adult) going based on how shocked she was. I have been to Nigeria multiple times, and the sentiment towards natural hair described in the article is of NO surprise to me. I got used to it by my 2nd or 3rd visit and had my answers ready for people (i.e. family members who didn’t view it positively). I am happy because the last time I went, I saw more people that ever before in cities like Lagos rocking natural hair.
Didn’t the lady say that she went “home” to Africa?
Reading is so fundamental.
@gigi
i don’t hope that africa is the “hub of pure blackness.” i know history. i’m not that naive.
rather i’d hope it is the keeper of the love everything black/african-descended flame.
if i can’t find a deeper level of self-acceptance and love in africa for blackness/africanness, then where else can it be found?
do you think italians and french and germans and spaniards don’t have a profound degree of self-love for themselves, their people, their history, their culture? they elevate themselves above everyone else. and it’s the same way in some asian countries.
in light of this, it’s not unreasonable to look for or hope to find this in africa among africans.
i wholeheartly aggre with you gigi and i hope africa will become (again) the home of acceptance for all that refers to blackness
i’m sorry i meant i wholeheartly agree with you merry lol
I’m actually African and have been living in the states for only 7 years.
The author is African not African American. Read the article properly before being so quick to ridicule.