I am writing this in response to the media frenzy that has been going
around about natural hair versus chemically processed hair, and some people
extend the debate on whether wearing make-up and cosmetic surgery is part of
our culture as Africans. In my personal opinion as a black modern educated
progressive independent and economically active woman I think we really like
directing our energy in having debates that I cannot for the life of me connect
with, I mean the fact that black people (South African and non-South African)
like having debates that don’t change the price of bread or puts food into the
next person’s life really bugs me. In my
opinion they live us hopeless, divided and still at the bottom of the food
chain. These hair, make up and cosmetic debate have really flooded our media,
be it Facebook, radio or twitters, blogs and newspaper articles. The debates
are always in our faces and those who are “anti” are vocal and passionate about
their views and those who are “pro” are just going on about adorning
themselves.
People are vocal and divided about what makes us black or true Africans
and how people should not be relaxing or chemically processing their hair or
having extensions or wearing makeup, and they connect it all back to colonization. We should have the debate I agree, but we
should do more than just having the debate. We should take the debate to
another level, because the practice of relaxing (chemically processing), putting
on hair extensions, make-up and cosmetic surgery is not going anywhere. When it is
all said and done it is a lucrative business and we as black women should own a
big stake in it. Whether you think that I should not wear Brazilian hair extension,
whether I think someone should not bleach their skin, or someone should have a
tummy tuck or liposuction or should not wear makeup, shape my eyebrows and
wear fake nails or eyelashes, it is up to an individual. Being African for me is more than just about
hair, shaping my eyebrow, choosing between French tips or gel. In my opinion it’s
more than just about how I choose to wear my hair. Beauty is also about more
than just that and I think no one has the right at this day and age to dictate
to anyone what they should or should not do. It’s about choice.
Honestly speaking I don’t advocate for anything. I am pro-choice. I
advocate for an opinion of differences. I advocate for respect of people with
different practices than mine. I advocate
for economic freedom, I advocate for innovation, I advocate for South Africa
that solves its own unique challenges, a South Africa that looks at its
challenges and encourages people to think creatively to make their lives
easier. I advocate for a South Africa that can do more than just debate, but one that sees opportunities all around us and is ready to grab them with both hands. I advocate for South Africans to be more than just consumers but
manufactures. Manufacturing will underpin the success of South African Economy.
We need new ideas. We need to mentally prepare our minds to identify
opportunities. Opportunities that will transform South Africa and Africa as a
whole from becoming technology adopters to being innovators. We really need to take the business away from
China and bring it back home where it belongs. Why are we importing Brazilian
and Indian hair when we have Ethiopians?
The way I look at is why we are busy having this debates that don’t
change the price of bread, while some man in China is busy designing a hair
extension that a black South Africa and the rest of Africa will import and use.
Why are we letting some guy in China who is not even black, who knows nothing
about a black woman’s hair, manufacture the extension for us? Why does someone who lives more than 10000 miles
away, who does not know the frustration with the texture of the hair extension
he sells still making the hair extension for me? Why are we not coming up with
a formula and manufacturing it ourselves here at home in African soil?
All I know is that while people are having
discussion about whether hair extension, makeup and cosmetic surgery is a
representation of how African you are or using it as a measure of how we don’t
love and accept ourselves, someone in Asia is cashing in big time. while we have these
debates through a talk show on radio, keyboard debates (social media), that at
the end it doesn't change the price of bread
or move our position in the economic scale or World Bank knowledge economy
scale or World competitive report. Nothing we say or do adds value to our GDP
or changes the quality of the citizens of this country or create employment. This
is what I know for sure as I type this someone from South Africa is on the
internet looking for a hair extension supplier in china or booking a flight to
go and meet a supplier in china, better yet they are already flying to China to
go and find suppliers of hair extension manufactured in China by Chinese, to be
used by black South Africans and the rest of Africa. This should make us
uncomfortable. As you read this in our harbors they are currently off-loading
containers of imported hair pieces or extensions, and who is the target market?
Black South African woman. Now, that makes me feel uncomfortable, that gives me
sleepless nights.
I don’t doubt that there is some truth in the views of anti-processed
hair, make up, cosmetic, the whole beauty industry movement’s views (for lack
of better words). There is some truth in what they stand for. They have every
right to question the origins of these practices. In the same line, things are
changing, the modern woman is influenced by different cultures and people
should be given the freedom to choose. As much as I don’t agree with the notion
of beauty of a woman with silky long hair, shaped defined eyebrows, long
lashes, and a size 30 waist, with pink
skin, but I still see nothing wrong with little enhancement of what God gave
me. So I am part of the industry in very many ways.
My view is let us learn from Black Americans, the swearing and
belittling each other in songs and calling each other the N’ word has been turned into a money making industry
that contributes positively to the country’s economy. They take words, some
unpalatable, some belittling to women and objectifying and turned it into a
multi million dollar industry. They walk around with pants showing off their
underwear and it has become a trend with someone cashing in big time. Where the
world sees a moral dilemma, someone has identified an economic opportunity; a whole new
industry is born and thriving. Some have even made it to Forbes list. Even
Oprah, one of my favorite women has made millions by convincing people to air
their dirty laundry on air to an audience around the universe. We need to get off our high moral horse and start capitalizing on this, we need to take back our power. No Asian man should be
manufacturing my hair extension. That should be making us angry, we should be
protesting.
