Black Hair is a Revolution

When you think of African-American hair what comes to mind? In the United States natural African-American hair is not commonly accepted within mainstream institutions. More and more stories are emerging of children with afros and natural curls sent home from private schools because their hair is a distraction. Even in the United States Army, natural twists and short afros are against uniform standards. Leaving African-American women to conform to white standards of beauty, which means that hair must undergo strenuous chemical treatments that straighten hair and also damage it in the process, or sew-in weaves are sewn in to scalps to give the illusion of hair similar to white's. This form of institutionalized racism isn't something unique to the United States, in fact this racism transcends international borders. In countries like Ivory Coast where nearly the entire country is black -- natural hair is taboo. Chemical straighteners, and sew-in weaves are the common hair style among women there. Why though, why would a population disapprove of their own natural hair? This internalized racism is the product of years of colonization by white Europeans. The occupation of the Ivory Coast affected the local population's culture, and how they view one another. Even after 50 years of independence the seeds of oppression are still germinating. That is one of the saddest things about colonization, in my opinion, even after Europeans left their oppressive presence is still rearing it's ugly face. It seems like a lot of internal African conflicts stem from former European presence, like the Rwandan genocide, or Apartheid. However, I think it is a miraculous sight that African women are taking back their roots, literally. This new sense of identity and healthy self-confidence is what can change a nation developing a separate identity contrary to what oppressors have subjected is a beautiful phenomena. 

http://cnn.it/1zY8N76