Let your Natural Hair Bloom: The Psychology of Black Hair

Marcus Garvey once said, "Take the kinks out of your mind instead of your hair."

Martin Luther King, Jr., "I have a dream that...children will one day live in a world where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin or the texture of their hair, but by the content of their character."

Bob Marley, "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds."

Emperor Haile Selassie, "It is us today. It will be you tomorrow."

Malcolm X, "Truth is on the side of the oppressed."

We may have all heard about the Science of hair but how many of us have heard about the psychology of hair?

This topic, like many discussed before, is a starter kit to imagining, reimaging and then redefining what we deem good hair and what we deem bad hair.

You may ask, "Where or when did the term good hair and bad hair originated?"

Everything has a history. In this case, we all have a Hair Story. In African countries long before the transatlantic slave trade became the fate of many Africans, hair texture, maintenance and beauty standards were not seen the way it is today. The Africans had their own techniques to comb their hair.

Two main events during history have contributed to the good hair/bad hair syndrome. These two historical events were slavery and colonialism. Many enslaved Africans were forced to cut their 'umbilical cord' from their homeland and journey to foreign lands where it was assumed their entire being would have changed. With this change came many restrictions. Some aspects of African heritage that were restricted or neglected were the use of their original names, languages, communicating with one another, the manner in which they prayed and even what they ate and drank.

It is important to note that it took months before the slave vessel arrived at the respected destination. Because of this, Africans were unable to tidy themselves much less for their hair. As a result, their hair began interlocking. With the absence of a suitable elder to comb one's hair or wash one's hair during this shift in history, many were forced to cut their hair off completely as it did not meet the 'newfound' beauty standards.

Then came the birth of the good hair bad hair syndrome. Many may wonder, "Where did the dread in dreadlocks come from?" Afro aesthetic hair has its own way of growing and because these enslaves were neglected the opportunity to groom and upkeep their hair (much less their bodies), they were forced to cut it. Whether it was man, woman or child. They had no rights and so they had to abide by the rules set out to make them feel inferior.

Afro-centric hair was compared to that of wool so in this case it was made easier to identify them as a thing and not as a human being. This was one aspect to which Massa and his conglomerates would auction off, beat, kill, punish and belittle the blacks. For someone to use harsh words towards you on a daily basis much less centuries can have a traumatising undesirable effect. This bruise can hurt for a lifetime or it can heal and turn into a warrior scar to strengthen the moral thinking capacity of the individual the hurt was inflicted upon. Harsh language was a vehicle used to drive the whites to control its enslaves. This method of control was moreso psychological and ideological and emanated throughout the livelihood of slavery and colonialism to this day.

The new standard of beauty which was still foreign to the enslaves had to become their new reality. But how you may ask. Many African women were forced (raped) by white slave masters (Massa) and other aristocrats. With this act then came black women bearing children who then expanded the hierarchy further. With the introduction of this new colour sequence (mulatto) came even more prejudice towards Africans. Moreso, Mulattoes we also confused about their identity. Because they were somewhat in the middle- (Black +White=Mulatto) there was an identity crisis. The whites did not want to accept them and the blacks also saw them as a new threat. They were fairer, their hair softer and curlier.

Fast forward a bit, African women began wearing their natural hair in elaborate hairstyles that were adored by white men and envied by white women. So this was another issue that needed to be dealt with accordingly. The headdress was the result of sumptuary laws passed in 1786 under the administration of Governor Esteban Rodriquez Miro. Miro called the 'Tignon Laws' that were prescribed and enforced to oppress public dress for female gens de coleur in colonial society. Low and behold they thought that having African women tie their heads in public spaces would be a genius idea. However, this law backfired because head ties radiated and made the black woman look even more beautiful.

Black hair has been the only hair texture that has gone through the most changes throughout history. This hair texture has forced many to gravitate towards the more suitable European standards of beauty. The most prominent being hair. This hair texture has been hot-combed, permed, relaxed, texturised, weaved, wigged, loc'ed and even shaved off completely. The resurgence a few years ago influenced by the black power revolution and many other movements across the globe, African descendants began reembracing their hair because they were now reading and educating themselves on bits and pieces of historical events that has denigrated their ancestral lineage.

In order for one to fully understand the psychology of black hair, he or she must dig in the roots of their ancestral train. Swim in the seas that swallowed their ancestors who could not bear the pains of enslavement. Step in the shoes and walk a mile....if you can make it that far without becoming dehydrated. Sit on the bottom of the hierarchical structure and listen to their stories and store-weeps.

It must be noted that history was written by a certain group of individuals. Many stories were lost, ripped out of pages and hidden while others never got a chance to speak. The psychosocial traumas that have taken place have lived with many and travelled through various channels. Why do we still talk negative about our hair?

Well, it is embedded in many of our aunts, uncles and even grandparents who have also lived through many historical events that have also shaped how they view the world. Our brain is the engine that dictates what we fear or what we have faith in. It gives us commands and operates just like an organisation/association would. In each organisation, there is someone at the top and others fall somewhere in the middle or bottom. You may not want to believe it but there is also a hierarchy in your place of work. Each position has a function and if one part refuses to function accordingly then it can throw off the whole.

For example, If we continue to perpetuate the ideology that good hair is associated with naturally straight, loose curls and bad hair is associated with naturally tighter, kinky, coily curl patterns then when we look in the mirror this ideal will be reflected back to us. Our brain is very powerful and if we do not deal with certain elements accordingly then the secretary (Amygdala) and associates- Hippocampus (forms and stores memory, Cerebral Cortex, Cerebellum, Frontal Lobe along with the others will continue to store this information and the feelings/reactions we have of our hair and other person's hair will be just that; the feelings and reactions displayed previously will continuously be portrayed to us by our interaction with ours or from others based on our interactions with them.

For many of us, the psychology of hair is embedded in our belief systems of who we are and who we are meant to be. The psychology of hair cannot be erased because well that's just not how things work. However, we can learn about the history of our hair and try to change the narrative in a positive light so that children would be able to relate to it. Children will be able to identify with it in a way that allows them to feel beautiful and included. It is our duty to change the image that has been placed on us. It is our responsibility to change the way in which we view ourselves so that the way in which others view us will not affect the former primarily.