Greetings to the sistahs of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
I am new to this message board and have been totally engrossed by this topic. I apologize for the length of my comment. I guess I've truly experienced so much on this topic. I, like many other sisters, was 'relaxed' by my mom at the tender age of 7. I believe that the combination of a lack of knowledge on how to take care of natural hair combined with the ease of 'relaxed hair' (typical of the '70's) created the urgency to relax it! I don't find fault either way with relaxed or natural; instead, I embrace all our infinite possibilities. The point that I'm attempting (long-winded I know) to make is that it wasn't until I was 26 that I felt 'courageous' enough to grow out my natural hair and cut off my shoulder-length relaxed tresses. I now have (snap of the fingers) that much hair. What I rushed every six weeks to scare straight was actually very manageable in its natural state. Excuse me if I sound corny, but, I felt set free. I've found that men are drawn to it and ask to touch it quite frequently. This greatly puzzles me! In addition to the 'hair identity' topic, I, too, have received many comments about my own 'ethnic identity'. It seems that even though 'we' all know that we come in different shades, widths & lengths of features- I continue to receive the same 'dead-end' question of 'What are you?' Both of my parents are black. I am on the lighter end of the 'color spectrum' with very full lips, slightly slanted eyes, and high cheek bones. When I respond that I am (with much attitude) black, people don't believe me. In every way I embrace my ethnicity! My final comment is: Essentially, why are we (people in general-no matter your racial background) so caught up in labeling one another? I am guilty myself of spending 15 minutes trying to pigeon-hole someone I see on the street as either black, white, hispanic, mixed, etc. I know I have digressed from the original topic at hand; however, it all bears food for thought.
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