Team Natural & Team Weave/Extensions: Why is there beef?

As the lovely, Audrey Hepburn once said, “The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the
figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair.” Bearing this in mind, what’s the beef between women who choose to wear their hair natural and those who prefer extensions? I think we can all agree that hair is something that the majority of women in society associate with femininity, whether it’s one’s natural hair or an extension of one’s natural hair. What started out as women cheerfully showing pride in their tresses has turned into another divisive tool amongst women; more specifically women of color.

Let’s take it a step further: what is defined as natural hair? Some say that it’s hair that is one’s real hair sans weave and extensions. Some say that it’s when one has natural hair and natural texture, and they wear it in that state. Others say that it’s one’s natural hair and natural texture, whether it’s under a weave or not. I agree with the latter. What do you think?

 There’s a movement sweeping the nation! I’m referring to the natural hair movement where African-American women from around the world are making a conscious decision to stop chemically
straighteningtheir hair and flaunt their natural curls and coils. The movement picked up speed in 2009 afterChris Rock’s Good Hair, a documentary in which he explores the world of weaves, wigs, and perms in the African American culture. Celebs such as Meagan Good, Raven Symoné, Nia Long, and Lauren London just to name a few were interviewed as far as their hair regimen is concerned. This documentary was an eye opener for some when they discovered that the majority of our favorite celebrities either wear weaves, which are imported from India after Indian women are forced to shave their head or have some type of chemical in their hair. Since then, we have seen many celebrities embracing they natural hair including Raven Symoné, Gabrielle Union, Solange Knowles, Viola Davis, and Angela Simmons! What does this say about our culture moving forward? Are we as a whole moving toward embracing our natural tresses? Or is this something that is just trending for the moment?

 On a lot of different forums, blogs and YouTube comments I see natural girls criticizing girls who wearweaves and wigs, telling them they’re not appreciative of their blackness, and they’ve subscribed to a European standard of beauty. They say they’re afraid of their natural beauty and willing to change what God gave them naturally in order to conform to society’s norms. On the contrary, I hear the girls who wear weaves or wigs or who chemically relax their hair say things to natural girls like that their hair looks dry and unkempt.

One of the most beautiful factors of being a woman of color is the versatility that exists among us. Blackwomen are one of the most diverse groups of women and our hair can do just about anything. Hair is an extension of oneself. Hair does not and should not define who someone is as a person. So let’s squash the “beef”, stop telling someone else how to wear their hair, and stop trying to insult each other to make ourselves feel better. Let’s stop defining ourselves by the nature of our hair. Live freely and direct your energy into helping others build up their good character and confidence. At the end of the day we are all sisters, and we should be embracing each other’s individuality!