When Hair Meets Politics

Last night’s election has been a sobering and somber moment for many of us. Whether or not we are here for the outcome (I am not), it would be disingenuous to start off any conversations today about hair and beauty without first touching on the most significant event to take place in the US in 2016.

No, our site is not political, but everything about our hair is. Whether natural, processed, colored or cut, our hair conversations have sparked debates, challenged legislation and represented more than just hair – they speak to our self-worth and pride. From banning dreadlocks in the workplace to having teachers and principals tell our daughters that afros and braids are unkempt and for stylists to shame us for having untamable kinks and curls, society has proven time and time again that our hair is as much a part of our identity as our culture or our skin.

So, in the wake of an election that dares tells us we are not great, let’s take cues from ’70s era activists like Ericka Huggins who created a Sisterlove Collective where they braided each other’s hair while talking about how they wanted to change the world or modern-day activists like Michaela Angela Davis whose Hair Tales series explores how we learned to value our selves because of, or even in spite of, our God-given tresses.

And, yes, over the next few days, we will be inundated with all sorts of diatribes, essays, and think pieces on the current state of affairs. But, in the midst of all that, let’s not forget that our #blackgirlmagic, our #blackhairmagic, is real, unapologetic and powerful.