My Hair, My “Hairitage”
Growing up as a girl I was made to believe my hair enhanced my beauty. I was made to believe my hair was like an accessory to be worn during special occasions like Christmas and Easter. During these times, my mother applied hair relaxers on my hair in the name of relaxing my hair to make it longer and softer. I recall the cream burning my scalp and she used to say the longer it burns the better. Little did I know that those creams were weakening my hair and could cause damage to my scalp. Girls nowadays complain about their hair being hard, hence relaxers make it easier to comb and less painful when braiding. But I have come to understand that being able to keep your natural hard hair shows how strong I am as a woman. Also, natural hair when taken care of isn’t that difficult to maintain.
“On the other hand, as a student I was told my hair was a DISTRACTION hence it needed to be trimmed to the scalp. This cropped style showed decency, intelligence, and a bright future—at least that is what they told us.”
On the other hand, as a student I was told my hair was a DISTRACTION hence it needed to be trimmed to the scalp. This cropped style showed decency, intelligence, and a bright future—at least that is what they told us.
Why does this only seem to happen in some countries in AFRICA?
Why do the white pioneers of schooling have different rules concerning hair in their schools?
For the short period that my hair was braided in Primary school, I was able to maintain my grades. In university, I am able to apportion time for my hair and it has never, not once, come between me and my studies. I really wonder where the story behind hair causing a distraction comes from. In junior high school, a foreign student was allowed to keep her long hair because it was part of her culture, and she was still doing well in class. Little did I know back then that our ancestors had braids, locs, and long natural hair!
Our hair is our HERITAGE!!!
Lawrencia Nunana Agbovi
Lawrencia is a young lady from Ghana. She is of Ewe descent and is currently a university student in Accra. She also is a trained hairdresser, using her skills to help support herself through school.
Today I believe my hair is my culture. Having the longest braids, craziest hairstyles and hard stubborn 4C hair is my heritage. A heritage I need to keep, a heritage I need to respect, a heritage that actually defines decency and intelligence and a heritage that needs to be announced to the whole world.
I believe a majority of us Ghanaians are uninformed and lack education about our hair.
I hope that Dr. LaToya’s platform of stories about our hair will be made known to people. Hopefully, learning to care for our hair will be a normal thing, just like learning how to wash our clothes, or how to cook.
