Visual Art | Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh City Paper: Black hair has been the subject of discrimination and bias for centuries. Whether it is in its natural state or styled with extensions, Black people’s hair has been deemed unprofessional and unruly by many who have hiring power in today’s work industry, resulting in legislation like the CROWN "Creating a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair" Act, which declares discrimination based on an individual’s hair illegal.
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I absolutely loved these pictures. This makes me want to go see this show in person. I loved when she said she created this show to help young black kids develop pride in their natural hair and ancestry “I don’t center the white gaze in my work, and I did not think of white people at all when I put the show together,” she said. Apparently even within the Black community itself texureism and colorism run deep , so I think it’s so important that these types of positive messages are shared. I absolutely love the creative styles that those of African decent can do with their hair because of its texture and it is heartbreaking that there has been so much social pressure for them to conform to western beauty standards. We see this most commonly in the workplace where traditional black styles or even a natural fro is labeled as “unprofessional”. I hope that the more the natural hair movement becomes widespread, women who decide to chemically straighten their hair or choose to wear weaves do so because it’s their personal aesthetic and not because they feel pressured to.
From 4th grade all the way to 12th grade, I went to the same k-12 private school. The school had very strict rules regarding uniforms that even included hair. I have a big head of very curly hair which got me into some trouble in elementary school. On the days where my hair was let down, by the end of the day I’d have an afro that would be considered “distracting” and “inappropriate” for the school environment. In high school, I was friends with a Black boy who was suspended for his refusal to cut his locks. There was a Black girl who was forced to take out her braids. We were told to keep our hair “under control” because having it look like a “mess” was simply “unprofessional”. For my entire childhood, I hated my natural hair texture. All through high school, I straightened my hair almost every day. I ruined my hair because I wanted to be “pretty” and fit in with the other girls at my school. I’m so glad that Black women are creating art shows to showcase to the world the art that is Black hair. Little Black girls and boys should be taught that their natural hair is beautiful and just as professional as straight “white people” hair. Afros, braids, locks, and weaves are all beautiful styles of Black hair that need to be appreciated. It took me way too long to love my hair the way I should, and I hope that moving forward in the future, fewer and fewer little Black children feel the same way I did.
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