What Wikipedia Can't Tell You About Your Crown

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As I’m brainstorming new ideas for my article, I turn to Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration. I love the art gallery style on these platforms! Soon, I’m scrolling through page after page of hairstyles displayed in varying textures, vibrant hair colors, and alluring backgrounds. Many pictures include thought-provoking quotes, and others bearing heartfelt captions that speak pride and self-love for one’s natural hair.

Similarly, attractive men and women publicly sharing their textured hair journey for the world to follow. As I drop a few remarks on random pages; I can’t help being overwhelmed by the beauty emanating from the pictures. Each picture draws me into a community that has broken the stereotypes of naturally textured hair and challenged the world to take notice.

Each hair strand, extraordinary on its own, and displayed in perfect glory embodies virtue and freedom to wear our hair without restrictions. Teary-eyed, I traced the Afro’s reaching to the sky.

Have you experienced such intense emotions that take your breath away? It can be hard to put into words, but my soul swells like a sea of tears as I continue to look at one page after another.

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So, I twirl the ends of my textured hair and know the power and dignity in the pictures is what I should capture as I conclude this article. But I shift gears and jump over to my black art folder where my eyes settle on a print by Kira The Artist. I stare at Fro and Butterflies for several minutes, mesmerized by the enormous Afro that stretches to the heavens. Her nudity speaks volumes as she peers over a shoulder with a slight smirk as if to say, “I am confident, I am beauty, and I am fearless.”

There will be constructive remarks or criticism, but either way, brands are clamoring to develop and produce products for textured hair. Why? Because we are loving our natural hair and no longer accept being ignored. Our hair texture has needs and if they can’t give us what we want then we will make it ourselves. Amen to all those small black-owned businesses that are doing the damn thing… our hair appreciates you!

On the other hand, I could recite for days the stereotypes around textured hair. And how in certain professions or schools we’re still fighting to wear our hair as we please, but I’ll keep my diatribe for another time.

For now, I am confident, I am beauty, and I am fearless such powerful words that epitomize how I feel about my natural hair comeback. I wore natural hair until the 6th grade then I played around in the chemically treated hair field before returning to natural hair so, yes; so my return is a comeback. And it was a significant change that came with highs and lows.

Growing up, I saw most of the blaxploitation films with sistas’ and brothers rocking Afros, but those figures nor their hairstyles lead me back to natural. It’s the expressions of the many women and men that commanded and held my attention. Those fierce expressions and eyes glowing with self-love and glory.

And, I’m still fascinated by the images I see on social media and in print. Images forever etched in my mind and twirling behind my closed eyes like a never-ending carousel. Glory to our crown may it always shine and bring forth an abundance of pride for our kinky, coily, textured hair.

The natural hair journey comes with highs and lows. What or who inspires you on your hair journey?