What does it mean to be natural?

             Natural is a word that we toss around to describe many different things. Anything found in nature can be described as being natural. Organic food would be considered natural. We consider certain talents or traits to be natural. However, in the African American community, the word natural has a completely different meaning and it has to do with the ways in which we choose to style our hair. 
         In the early 1900s, an African American inventor by the name of Garrett Augustus Morgan, Sr was working with a lubricating liquid for a machine which he had created. Rumor has it that after using the lubricating liquid, Morgan wiped his hands on a wool cloth. The next day, Morgan noticed that the wool material had loosened, becoming more straighter. After several experiments on Airedale dogs, which are known for their curly hair, Morgan discovered that the chemical reactions which changed the texture of the wool could do the same to the dog's hair. The same process was repeated on Morgan's own hair & voila! The first chemical hair straightening process was born.
         Morgan's experiments were the birth of a new process of straightening which would soon become vastly popular among African American men and women. The chemical process, which is now known as Relaxers, Perms, and Texturizers, now uses lye and sodium hydroxide to straighten the kinkier textured hair of African Americans. Read more about Relaxers by clicking here. Unfortunately Morgan's experiments also gave birth to an awful stigma among many African Americans about their own hair. Today a large majority of African Americans, Latinos of African descent and others with kinkier textures of hair relax their hair. Many mothers begin perming their daughter's hair when their child is as young as five years old. Although relaxing hair makes kinkier hair more manageable, it has also created a stigma that straighter hair is "prettier" while natural hair is "ugly."
             Although many choose to relax their hair, there are still many girls who choose not to put any chemicals in their hair. These girls are known as natural. So, you are either natural or relaxed. In the past, natural hair was not a common occurrence. Natural hair peaked in the sixties and seventies when the Afro was popular. In the 80s, the jheri curl took a twist on the Afro. Then natural hair went into a period in which it was almost non existent. However, in the past four years, a natural hair movement has erupted particularly on college campuses with younger African American females. If you look around, more likely than not you will notice more African Americans with fros and curly hair. Social networking sites such as YouTube, Blogger & Facebook have connected natural girls with others nationwide/internationally, strengthening the natural hair movement. In addition, more products specifically designed for natural African American hair have been invented (they were previously non existent) and are appearing on shelves in local drugstores and beauty supply stores. 
                So why does it matter if your hair is natural or relaxed? In my opinion, in the African American community, hair is one of the most valued parts of the body. I believe that embracing your natural hair and being comfortable in your own skin is a large part of achieving a greater sense of self-esteem. To many, natural hair is simply a fad. To me, natural hair is a lifestyle and a large part of who I am.

Well that's all for today!

Keep it natural,

Jackie