Braids, Beads, Truth

African hair.  Good Hair, bad hair, kinks and curls.  Some embrace it.  Others disdain it.  Some never make any peace with it at all.

Insults have been hurled against it.  Cries of indignation raised in defense of it.  Mothers and daughters have bonded over it while ancient history passed through their fingertips.

Tears have been shed over it.  Countless tears. 

Tears on the auction block.  Tears in the cotton fields.  Tears in the slave cabins as once cherished locks fell into weary hands due to malnutrition, abuse and neglect. 

More tears still as the master’s wife punished the house slave by shaving her crown and glory.  Tears again as harsh products slathered to make it straighter and therefore more pleasing to the master peeled skin right off the scalp.  Lye was never meant for beautiful African hair and skin.

Freedom came but tears remained, for African hair was still scorned by those in power.  Anything to straighten it, make it more like them, but it was never quite good enough. 

Tears.

Now, at the dawn of the 21st century so much has changed and still so much remains the same.  My daughter’s introduction to racism concerning her hair came so suddenly it took our breath away and now the tears are hers.

And mine.

Tears.

It is the dream of this little blog to just for a moment wipe the tears, whisper hope and share a smile by celebrating the crowning glory of Africa’s children.

So come, let us whisper truth while we braid and bead.

WHAT’S NEW AT BRAIDS, BEADS, TRUTH….

1. ZULU KNOTS 2 IN THE PHOTO GALLERY

2. IN BACK TO THE ROOT- EVER WONDER WHY ALL THE DEPICTIONS OF SLAVES SHOW THEM WEARING HEAD SCARVES IN THE FIELDS?  FIND THE ANSWER IN “HEAD SCARVES“.

3.  New Cornrow Pictures in the Gallery!

4.  New Dredlock photo gallery!