The Beauty of Black Hair

Last week, I was scrolling through Twitter and came across a tweet that read. “Protective styles and natural hair are not for birthdays or special events!” This tweet went viral and sparked much debate within the Black community. It raised the question: Why do we tend to associate special events with straight hair? As I pondered my answer to this question, the idea of the impact of eurocentrism came to mind. Eurocentric beauty standards are a result of the idea that European/Caucasian features are ideal, which diminishes the beauty norms of other cultures. This is a result of widespread colonialism by European countries and has lasting implications on today’s society, as seen in this debate. In a society where “white is right'' or white is the standard, hairstyles on the opposite end of the spectrum (i.e. culturally Black hairstyles) have historically and continuously been viewed as unprofessional and subpar. Natural Black hair and hairstyles have often been issues in settings where non-Black people hold power. But, through this tweet and some of the responses to it, I realized that Eurocentric ideas hold power within the Black community as well, just in a different manner. Although this realization is unfortunate, it is also inspiring. It pushes me to where my natural hair/braids for special events even, sends words of affirmation and encouragement to young Black girls wearing culturally Black hairstyles, and overall, defy Eurocentric norms to create more spaces where Black girls can feel comfortable in their natural.