Gillian Downes at age 8

Confessions of a Black Beauty Queen

BY: Gillian Downes

SINCE THE AGE of 10 I’ve been an amateur hairstylist, frying and dying my ‘fro until it succumbed to my declaration of chemical warfare and cried out for mercy. My carefree days of natural nappiness came to an abrupt end when I saw a fashion spread that seemed to centre on the wondrously long tresses of Beverley Johnson. As an unwitting black girl, I was dumbfounded. I soon became determined to get my own unmanageable locks to look like they could appear on the cover of a trashy romance novel, spilling past my shoulders and blowing in the wind for all to admire.

Lye took my hair from tight corkscrew curls to straighterthan- a-white-girl’s hair. A curling iron created big, springy curls that would hit my face each time I shook my head, and I just soaked it in, giddy and thrilled that my hair could actually move.

Years later, after being burned, coloured and apologizingly deep-conditioned, my hair forced me to wave a white flag and surrender my chemical dependency. Today, I am happy and nappy, with a head full of frizzy, red curls; all that’s left of my style-challenged days are pictures of a greasy me, striking poses to mark my what-was-I-thinking phase.

As I get older, my appreciation for what grows out of my head deepens, and though I’m not completely chemical- free, I have made a promise to ban everything that makes my scalp burn, flake and itch by 2012.

And though my hair could have done without the entire uninspired mess, I do have to be thankful for one fact: not once did I ever, ever sport a Jheri curl.

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Why are we all so obsessed with the locks of others?

Even when neo-soul singer India.Arie sang out last year that “I am not my hair,” it seems some people would disagree.

Late in the summer of 2007, Ashley Baker, then associate style editor at Glamour magazine, was invited to speak at a New York law firm on fashion ‘do’s and don’ts’ for women at the office. Among the first few slides was a black woman with an afro. Baker used this example to argue that afros and dreadlocks are a real no-no, “dreadful,” and that “these political hairstyles have got to go.” Her message was simple: natural black hair is unacceptable in the office and, from the tone of her presentation, unacceptable everywhere. Her warning went unappreciated, as many African- Americans and Canadians across North America later voiced outrage at her comments. The scandal resulted in Baker leaving her job at Glamour.

As many black women can attest, we’ve always been obsessed with our hair and have struggled over accepting our curls and naps for decades. And right along side, it seems everyone else has been obsessed with our hair, too.

Just last week, a stranger at the gym, while looking at my natural hair in confusion, asked me incredulously, “You don’t perm your hair?” Regardless of how you wear your hair, the stereotypes are limitless. Although she may do it for a number of reasons, a woman who straightens her hair (or wears a weave) is often read by family, friends and co-workers as willing to conform, or trying to act “white,” even though that is usually untrue.

Likewise, a woman who wears her hair natural is often stereotyped as radical, unkempt or unprofessional – once again, untrue.

Baker’s example serves to remind us that what we’ve done is limit ourselves by allowing our obsession with hair, or other peoples’ perception of our hair, to define us.

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Black and white women alike, we’ve all unfairly boxed ourselves into a trap of constantly being judged based on what we’ve done — or haven’t done — to our tresses. Singer Jill Scott said it best, when referring to the cultural selfhatred of black women with their hair, she told Interview magazine: “We’re beautiful people and we’re in a state of crisis. We are. We don’t like each other. We don’t like ourselves.”

Getting rid of this fixation on our hair will not necessarily be easy, and it will probably get worse before it gets better. But it’s important to speak out against ignorant comments, and deconstruct why we continually try to stereotype each other.

We need to recognize the prejudices our own community has when it comes to hair; assumptions of women who wear their hair straight are just as dangerous as assumptions toward women who keep their hair natural. Whether you use a hot comb, lye, dye or grease this holiday season, do it because it makes you feel good, not because of those who decide to make your hair their business.

Wear your hair with pride, because regardless of what your hair looks like, everyone and anyone can benefit from giving themselves the gift of self-acceptance.

Tell us how you feel about your hair, leave a comment below.

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Patience Chodokufa, owner of Chiggy’s Touch

By Gillian Downes

Q: I AM AT my wit’s end with my hair. I wear it in a natural, short (chemical- and colourfree) afro and usually it’s very easy to handle. I just wash and go. Lately, however, my hair’s been acting up. In the winter it’s dry and frizzy, and in the summer it just looks greasy (sort of like a Jheri Curl which I’ve never worn). Is there any way to get it back to its natural, healthy state? I already deep condition my hair once a week, but it’s not helping. Ideally, I’d like to tame the frizz and get rid of the oily sheen, but I don’t want ringlets or spirals — just a look that’s smooth and conditioned.

A: FIRST OF ALL, I would like to commend you for keeping your hair chemical-free; it is a difficult thing to do so you should give yourself a pat on the back. Generally, curly hair tends to be dry and frizzy during winter months, so I recommend you wash and deep condition your hair once or twice a week, as this gives time for your natural oils to travel down the hair shaft and make your hair soft and shiny. During the summer, however, your body naturally produces more oils. So wash at least two to three times per week to get rid of any excess oil. Try Blended Beauty Soy Cream Shampoo ($16, www.blendedbeauty.ca or www.chiggyonline.com) and daily conditioner; it’s light and won’t cause build-up.

Patience Chodokufa lent her expertise in curls and locks to the Toronto salon scene for more than 10 years before opening up her own salon. She specializes in transforming played-out locks into diva-worthy ’dos. Chiggy’s Touch, 184 Davenport Ave., lower level. 416-619-5477. www.chiggyonline.com

Our lovely contributor Rachael-Lea Rickards recently posted this video on Sway’s facebook page and we loved it so much we had to share it with our readers. Posted October 12th on Sesame’s Street’s official Youtube page, “I Love My Hair” has already received 30, 390 hits. Once again Sesame Street-which has been on the air 41 years this November, uses the power of music to create an adorable song for young black girls encouraging them to love their hair.

The producers of Sesame Street should be applauded for their efforts.  Songs such as this one are exactly what’s needed to help boost the self esteem of young black girls everywhere . Will it completely change the minds of an entire generation? Probably not. But it’s great to see such an iconic children’s program stepping up to address systemic issues in the black community. Kudo’s to Sesame Street!

Occupation

Contribution: Hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, award-winning stylist Asha McLeod has mastered all kinds of hair textures and even developed her own line of products to make sure her clients’ hair is at its strongest and healthiest. In fact, Jazma Hair Inc. prides itself on knowing its clients’ hair right down to a science. Even Essence magazine agreed, ranking it as one of the top salons in North America.

Inspiration: “When I met my husband, I was actually working in a punk rock salon [with mostly white customers] and at home I would do my Black friends’ hair. People came to me based on my mother’s reputation as far as Black hair was concerned. So whether I wanted it or not, people gravitated towards me. My husband was like, ‘What are you doing? You’re doing white hair in the salon and Black hair at home. Why don’t you just mix it up?’”

Advice to young women: “This is what I tell people when I hire them: It’s okay to be mediocre. But if you’re striving to be the best, get continual education. That means when you come out of hairdressing school find a training salon … but that’s only if you want to be at the top of your game. It’s like any industry. You can get into any industry and stay at one level. You can struggle below mediocre or strive to be the best. It depends on where you want to situate yourself.”

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