The “Natural Hair Movement” happened because many Black women were tired of their God-given hair being oppressed.
Yes, that’s right. I said it. Black people’s hair has been oppressed since we arrived in America to be slaves for the Europeans.
African American girls and women were forced to put the “creamy crack” in our hair in attempt to be more accepted by White society. This is called “assimilation” and NOT “appropriation”.
Many Black women and Black girls were not getting relaxers because they wanted to. While some Black women and girls wanted relaxers and permanently straight hair, many girls and women were subjecting themselves to hours of sitting in the kitchen, sometimes, as often as once a week to be more accepted in society. Black mothers everywhere plopped the creamy crack in our heads throughout our childhoods until #TeamNaturalistas said, “Enough!”
Scalps burned under the chemicals and hair would break off. Many people don’t know but getting relaxers break down the African hair’s curl pattern which makes already fragile hair even weaker.
A lot of Black girls and Black women who thought they wanted straight hair only felt this way subconsciously. Due to billions of dollars being dumped into the promotion of “White beauty”, these women and girls have been forced to believe straight hair was “more beautiful”.
