Recently, a mother of an 11 year old girl released an advertisement supporting women with naturally curly hair. Her act of encouragement and compassion has sparked conversation around the world, particularly focused on how Black women and others with natural curls relate to their hair. If you look around you, you’ll see many women rocking their natural looks, but even more doing everything they can to alter the state of their curls. Women still reach for the flat iron every morning, pay large amounts of money for chemical services to straighten their hair and use wigs or weaves to cover their natural textures.
Why is this? Some point out that women with natural hair have few role models to look up to. Without prominent women wearing their natural hair, some feel as though others are discouraged from embracing their natural curls. However, there is no denying that natural hair is beautiful just as it is, without chemical service or changing its texture to conform to Western societal norms or standards. Wearing your natural curls makes a strong statement. It tells others that you love your hair as is, and frankly don’t give a hoot about what other people think.
No matter how you personally feel about natural hair, there is nothing about it that would hinder someone from being a productive and active member of the business world. Having naturally curly hair is not an indicator of intelligence, work ethic or ability. A Black woman rocking her natural curls is just as capable of effectively fulfilling her job duties as someone with straight hair. Just like their straight haired counterparts, those with natural curls are still well educated, friendly, polite and respectful. They are beloved family members, friends and members of their communities. Hair is just a tiny fraction of who someone is, and curls don’t make or break a person.
To read more about how Black women and those with natural curls are impacted by biases in the business world, click here. Share your stories about embracing your natural curls with us in the comments below!