I slumped my body against the backrest of a brown leather chair, pressing the weight of my disappointment into the floor through its wooden legs. Sigh. "Seborrheic dermatitis is manageable but not cura..." Dr. Omar's words were consumed by the four walls that enclosed his office. I was officially diagnosed with a skin condition that stems from an excessive growth of fungi on the scalp. Do I shave my hair and embrace the identity of a beautiful bald woman or do I grow an afro that is plagued by dandruff ? I knew that pixie cuts and blonde hair were no longer options, in fact, anything that had to do with chemicals ceased to exist. The limited hairstyles I could adapt to but what really bothered me was the white residue I would leave behind whenever I sat on a chair. How embarrassing.
It compromised my cleanliness, leaving me with the task of scraping my dignity off of the floor whenever I left a room. Years of chemical manipulation as an act of conforming to unrealistic western beauty standards had led me to this point. My hair was unhealthy and scalp severely damaged forcing me to go back to basics and rediscover my crown.
The history of black hair is characterized by a wide range of ethnic groups across Africa. In many cultural contexts, hair was a synecdoche that reflected the identity of a person. It symbolized tribe, age, marital status and social ranking thus perceived as the embodied reality of social constructs within certain periods of time. In ancient times the people of the land displayed elaborate hairstyles, embellishing their crowns with gold, feathers, animal skin, shells and a colourful array of beads. The tombs and caves of Kemet are covered with visual representations of individuals from the royal house dressed up in headdresses and crowns. These were worn to represent mythical beings with a higher vibration of consciousness. There was an expectation for the kings and queens of the land to possess an elevated awareness thus deeper connection with uMenzi neZithunywa. It was believed that wisdom was the fruit of consciousness which was accumulated at the top of the head and preserved by the hair.
The spiritual symbolism of hair can be seen in religious doctrine in the book of Judges. Samson was a gift from God bestowed upon his barren mother with his life dedicated to the Lord. He was a judge over Israel with wisdom and mighty strength. "Finally, Samson told her his secret. 'My hair has never been cut,' he confessed, 'for I was dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me and I would become as weak as anyone else'," Judges 16v17. The Nazirite Law that governed Samson's life can be seen in a Nguni church today. The Shembe Church formally known as iBandla lamaNazaretha is a multicultural organization that integrates two seemingly conflicting traditions within its ideologies and practices. Their ideology on hair is derived from the book of Numbers. They live according to the principle of the Nazirites, the special people who made a vow to God through Moses. God instructed: "They must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy and set apart to the Lord. That is why they must let their hair grow long," Numbers 6v5.
According to the blue eyed man, the African crown regressed from being a symbol of liberation to a tool of oppression. It started with the tongue; the language that shaped perspective. During 1455 Alvise Cadamosto, a slave trader detailed his interactions with the custodians of the Rio Grande de Buba in West Africa. "Both sexes go barefooted, and have no coverings to their heads; and weave and tie their hair, though short, into neat tresses" [A General History of Voyages and Travels to the End of the 18th Century]. His account was respectful, detailed and factual. In the periods of 1740-1850 the tone changed at the height of romanticism of the transatlantic slave trade. The Afro was described as "a covering of wool, like the bestial fleece, instead of hair," in the History of Jamaica 1744. Take note of the words and the intentions they carry. Black hair is not curly like wool-it is wool 'instead of hair'. To call a black man's hair 'wool' is to explicitly reduce him to the level of an animal. Only because "the planters do not want to be told that their Negroes are human," [History of Jamaica 1744]. This initiated a 'rite of passage' which saw African's hair being shaved before boarding the ship. The act of shaving anticipated the social and cultural death that awaited at the far end of their passage across the Atlantic.
Even at the peak of dehumanization white men have always been fascinated by the beauty of a black woman. I can never reconcile that if you objectify a person making them less than, how then are you attracted to "it"? Clearly, you see yourself in that "thing" as it mirrors the reality of who you are. Nations across the world have been established as products of rape and slavery was no different. The white master raped the black servant birthing a creole nation. This created insecurities amongst the white women and it became increasingly difficult to identify and segregate the master from the peasant. In 1786, the Tignon Law was passed prohibiting women of colour from "excessive attention to dress". This law lead to the enforcement of the doek : a cloth used to cover the head. This move by the government of Louisiana unintentionally catapulted resistance by the black nation. Women of colour started wearing colourful doeks embellishing them with feathers, pearls etc. As the resistance grew, they became bolder and began fighting for the reinstatement of their identity. Hair became a creative and strategic method of communication relaying critical information. Cornrows mapped out the geographical layout of the land with escape routes, bantu knots symbolized mountains and thick braids tied into a high bun indicated a hunger for freedom. Black women used their hair not only to preserve their humanity but as a strategic tool of liberation.
In 1865 slavery was abolished in North America resulting in the black community being physically emancipated but psychologically detained. The stigma around hair was prevalent with the introduction of the straightening comb and relaxer. In the early 1900s, a local Negro newspaper advert would read: "The most wonderful hair preparation in the world, to make kinky, harsh and stubborn hair grow long, straight, soft, pliable and glossy".
This narrative was transformed by the roaring civil rights movements in the 1950s where blackness was honoured. The Black Panther Party showed up fully dressed in their afro whilst Martin Luther King's words dismantled the status quo. "Don't be ashamed of your heritage. Don't be ashamed of your colour. Don't be ashamed of your hair... I am black and beautiful," he would proclaim. It was a season of undoing generations of indoctrination and raising the vibrational frequency of black consciousness. This collective consciousness spread across oceans where the root of Rastafarianism in Ethopia established a political movement in Jamaica. Black nations across the world were determined to rediscover their truth thus reclaiming their identity.
Adé dúdú-my black, abundant crown. Kpotonga-you grow thick taking the shape of a lion's mane for you carry so much pride. Your stature exudes royalty. Your kinks and curls display so much character. You're gentle yet strong; soft yet firm. Your melanin carries a darkness that shines so bright. We have detangled the truth of our roots and healed the tension our tight braids used to carry. Our ancestors fought for the freedom to wear you as you are; reflecting our past, present and future. Oh African crown, how beautiful you are !
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