To beWeave or Not to beWeave….That is NOT the Question

It seems that no matter what you're doing, and how well you do it, people are always going to talk. There are always going to be the naysayers who are hell bent on spewing negativity into your life. Well I say, let 'em talk and just do you, because at the end of the day YOU are the only person you need to impress. 

There is a misconception that because you claim to be "Team Natural" you can't/shouldn't wear a weave; or that wearing a weave means that you are trying to be something/someone you are not. I whole-heartedly disagree. For many naturals, weaves & wigs are a great protective styling method and in my opinion a great way to add some diversity and change to your look without actually having to wrangle your own hair. I know many women who have naturally long, healthy hair who will still opt for a weave because of the simplicity and lower maintenance. 



Nicki Minaj recently tweeted a picture of her natural hair and she has quite a bit of it. But of course anyone who knows Nicki knows she is never without her weave/wig in public. Many criticizers use this as fodder in their arguments for her "assimilationist behavior" but my question is what race of people do you know who naturally grow blue, yellow, green, purple, and pink highlighted strands of hair? NONE. So to whom exactly is she assimilating? No, her hair is a form of creative expression through which her unique and eccentric personality can shine…as it should be.

I AM NOT MY HAIR.

I have always loved that India.Arie song because it brings focus to that fact that who we are is not defined by our outer appearance but rather by the image reflected by our soul. Whenever I admit to people that I will one day cut off all my locs there is a pause of shock usually followed by protestations because I "won't be me anymore". But I will always be me because my character is not determined by how I decide to wear my own hair but rather how I present and represent myself to the world. I am not my hair. 

UNBEWEAVABLE 

Last year I met an author named D. A. Ballinger who wanted to include photos of me in his book, "UNBEWEAVABLE" which discusses among other things, an embracing of our natural hair in lieu of the reliance on these other things like weaves, wigs, perms, or relaxers. For the most part I agree. We definitely should embrace our natural hair and understand we are beautiful just the way God made us; that "nappy" is only a bad word if we allow the societal taboos of our hair to inform our consciousness. At the same time though, we can also embrace these other forms of expression and experimentation and do whatever the heck we want with our own image. 

I did a photoshoot recently entitled, "African Safari Meets Haute Couture", and many of my social media followers weren't too happy about the wig use for the shoot. I on the other hand was ecstatic. It was a great way to diversify my portfolio and continue to show the versatility of my hair. It was a great way to have a drastically different style and aesthetic without actually having to cut, perm, straighten and color my real hair. It was a great way to express my appearance in a bold new way. 

How do you feel about the weave vs natural debate?

Have you ever been criticized for wearing your hair a certain way?

Would you ever change your hair for a job or a role?

- "Mo hair"

 

Rahkua Ishakarah

rahkua.com

iHEARTrahkua@gmail.com