Stay up! We're making natural hair great again!

From the time we stepped off the slave ships with our “curly” hair, it’s been somewhat of an enigma to others.  Truth be told, in light of the many years of altering our natural hair texture, our natural hair is a mystery to many of us, too.
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If we reflect on some of the words we heard growing up (or even as adults) to describe our hair, we would have a list that included words such as:  kinky, nappy, knotty, BAD, etc.   Hearing these words that have such deep negative connotations has a horrible effect on our self esteem, over time.

We chose to promote the positive aspects and messages of natural hair! www.sisterlocks.com

Young girls are sometimes subjected to hair straightening and hair relaxers because Mom believes this will help the child to avoid peer pressure and name calling. 

We, at Sisterlocks, embrace an appreciation of natural hair and we believe the way to build the child’s self esteem is to encourage the child to know, love and acknowledge their natural beauty, study hard and strive to accomplish their goals.  

The messages the media and society impose on us can sometimes make building self esteem difficult.  A thenewsnerd.com article stated, “According to research by cosmetic company Bountiful Hair, women with natural hair have lower self-esteem than women with treated hair.  (According to BlackHair.com, natural hair is “hair whose texture hasn’t been altered by chemical straighteners, including relaxers and texturizers.” )

The newsnerd.com article goes on to say, “According to the study by Bountiful Hair, natural hair being viewed as a messy look is causing many women, who wear their hair in that manner, to feel inadequate and less desirable as their counterparts. Those feelings of inadequacy cause women with natural hair to lash out at women with treated or straightened hair, and in turn lowers their self-esteem.”
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Do these really look like people who are less than enamored with their Sisterlocks/natural hair?

When so called “professionals” take it upon themselves to proclaim the status of our self acceptance, we must decide: what’s in it for them and why is this message their focus?  The answer is plain and simple:  MONEY!  

The manufacturers of hair relaxers want Black women to feel inadequate with their hair in its natural state.  Fact is, women with natural hair are not lashing out at women with treated hair.  For one thing, we know there’s room for everybody.  There’s no debate.  
   
Conversely, women with natural hair are sometimes on a path of serenity, good health and self awareness.  That’s not to say that women with altered hair aren’t on the same journey, they may just prefer to alter their hair.

Remaining positive in a negative environment doesn’t have to create an “us vs them” environment.   Sisterlocks thrives to bring a positive vibe to the lifestyle that will translate to wearers and our supporters.  We believe in meeting people where they are.  The reality is, not everybody is going to make the same choices.  Our message is simple:  don’t deny me the right to make the best choice for me.  Period.

This means we must not succumb to organizations and employers who disavow our natural hair.  We must educate our significant others that our well being is enhanced when they support our choices and not just tolerate them.  Natural hair has always garnered the status of “revolution.”  Why?  Because in order for a Black woman to embrace her natural beauty she must be a rebel, right?  Damn, right and she’s beautiful at the same time!

We believe there’s nothing negative about natural hair.  The Sisterlocks Lifestyle is a positive movement.  We’re making natural hair great again!  www.sisterlocks.com