I Love My Fro'!

I just have to say that as much as we try to tell ourselves otherwise, our hair is our crown and our glory. Our hair does make a political statement, a social statement, a statement about how we see and regard ourselves. The natural state of our natural hair screams Black pride!

Our hair is saying something even when we're not aware or not trying to say a word...

Lately, I've been rockin' my fro', which I love, but I do tie up every now and then to embrace braids and to give myself and it, a break.  But there's nothing like when I wear my fro' and see the response that it evokes even from, especially from, my own people.

I was in Costco and I heard a young woman tell the person that she was with, "Oh my God!, I love her hair"!

Tonight I walked in my classroom and I heard one Black female student, who is a little older, say to the other, "Oh My God! Look at her hair! I knew she was gonna' wear her hair". They saw a glimpse of my hair last week when they took their midterm online. Tonight was the first time seeing it live and in person. Previously, they had only known me to have braids. Of course I pretend not to have heard them and left them to their moment of pride. I want to at least wink at them but I dare not. Teacher poker face...

One of my favorite student stories however is from a Black female student at another PWI in upstate NY.  She loves to tell of the Black professor with the white sounding sir name who showed up for the first night of class in a daishiki, sporting a fro' and how from then on, she vowed I would be her mentor for life. She is now a married woman and Mother to two and still very special to me.

Conversely, I remember a Black Woman admiring my fro telling me I was brave to wear it. Brave? OK...

I share that to say, it is our hair and if it talks to us, in a language of love and pride, a forbidden state for Black folks in America, what must it say to insecure others who have made it their mission in life to instill self doubt and self hate in all things Black? We are supposed to hate our image, our swag, our very selves. It is expected that we live and die for white acceptance, affirmation and approval. My hair says that I validate me!

It must incense those others when we dare embrace not only our hair but our very being and so many other attributes natural to only us.

So Ladies, rock your fro', wear your braids, tell stories with your cornrows, mystify with your locs, bedazzle with your twists, whatever is your desire, just wear it, your hair, proudly and unapologetically!
It is ours.
It is regal.
And no one can take it from us!

If I am to be honest, I do feel some kinda' way when I wear my fro'. I know many eyes are on me, positive and negative. I do wear it some times to some places to make a statement. Yeah, I do...

I feel proud when I wear my fro'.
I feel invincible. I feel the eyes and sometimes the envy of many.

Most of all, I feel beautiful and confident and proud when I wear my fro! I love my fro! Oh yes I do!!!