Au Natural

Many of my black friends proclaim their Afro-Centric roots by going naptural. I've contemplated slowly coming off the creamy crack myself. But not because I want to protest the white standards of beauty or because I want healthier hair or even because I want to follow the fashion fad. Thee most important reason for going natural is ME. Myself. I.

There are no hidden political agendas for my decision. Simply put, I just want a change of hairstyle. I know I will come across many black people who will either love or hate my decision. Thats not important. I dont give a damn about their opinion. Whats important is ME.

As I contemplate this, I wonder. How many women are styling themselves for others approval?

I+Many others

I have fallen victim to this. I debated over my choice for many months now. What was holding me back is the approval from my peers. I had farcical catechisms like "What would HE think?"; "Will I still be accepted as 'beautiful'?"; "Will they still like me?"

I have deduced that these questions are ones I should be asking, BUT I was missing one important pronoun in these questions; I, ME, MYSELF.

Lets try again.

What will I think?
Will I still accept MYSELF as beautiful?
Will I still like me?

Mmm...Much better.

However, we cannot live life thinking our decisions, even tiny ones as a hairstyle change, will not affect those around us. I know my kinky afro will deter some eventual employees or potential partners. Its a forlorn fact of life.

So maybe, subconciously, my decision does have an arcane agenda. For you see a tiny piece of me wants to reach out to that one black girl who doesnt think cornrows and afros arent a beautiful part of being black. If I exude the confidence and ignore the ignorance I can speak to her and let her know ALL FORMS OF BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL. Lax Roots, Kinky Fros and even Micros!!!