Viola is not her hair

Apparently, a Black woman's hair is a political statement in the US. I once had an Italian woman tell me (after I'd pressed and curled my usually natural hair) that she could finally take me seriously as a professional. Before the press and curl I was smart and had an MBA. After the press and curl: same IQ, same MBA. So why the change of attitude? I threw back my head, unhinged my jaw and laugh out LOUD because I thought she was joking. She was not. Apparently she's just clueless about diversity and cross-cultural sensitivity. Or something else was at work there.

We (people of color and perhaps others as well) tend to forget that two or three hundred years of investment into the annihilation of Black pride has been quite successful in many respects. Many of us don't really like ourselves and why would we? The first to die in a movie is usually one of us. The bad guy is all too often one of us. The stats on prison rates are all about us. And when we do finally do something right (like maybe win a Presidency), the abuse rains down like you can't believe, up to and including someone shouting out at a State of the Union address, "You lie!". So what's to love about being Black?

In that context, when Black women show up as themselves, fully themselves, natural hair and all, of course it threatens the world order. How is it possible, in spite of all the disapprobation raining down, you still think you all that? Ah, let me tell you.......

The truth is we're not threatening the world order, we've just decided to give up the creamy crack (perm cream), the fake hair, the 'tracks' and the hours in the salon. It's not that big of a deal. Some of us just want to go a different route. That's all. No political message.

To be fair, let me say that it is not only Italian women who offer odd thoughts about natural hair. I've had a Black woman tell me that if I was going to attend a certain high-brow event with her, I would need to get my hair done. "OK", I replied, "it will probably be about time to do it by then anyway, so that won't be a problem." "No, no", she said, "you'll have to perm it or get a weave." When she insisted that braids were 'unsuitable' for such an event, I simply offered that I really didn't need to attend at all.  To her either a weave, or a perm were preferable to the hair my God gave me. I stayed home. 

The real issue IMHO is authentic self-love. Plenty of folk, Black, white and every color in between, have trouble with it - their own and other folks'. Many of us can't stand to look at ourselves in fullness and truth and so when others do it, as sista Viola did, it makes us nervous. Heck, it made Viola nervous to 'come out'! So yeah, people gon' say stuff.
 
Viola is an especially lucky girl because in addition to her inner voice, she also has someone at her side encouraging her to be fully herself not just at home, but in the world where pre-packaged, pressed and presented (some might say 'plastic') is what works best. 

All Vi is saying is this: For my movies, I'll wear a wig. It's part of the costume. But for my life, no hair accessory is required. I'm coming dressed as me. This is me. Love it or leave it.