Why “Team Natural” Has a Social Responsibility!
I’ve told my “why I went natural” story countless times and even wrote a post that’s in the archives about it (feel free to play catch up) however; this is surely not that kind of post.
While for some, wearing their hair natural (texture that is not chemically altered) is just another hairstyle, for many it has evolved to being a social and/or political statement of self acceptance. Natural hair has catapulted a worldwide movement of entrepreneurship, collaboration and finally, even recognition in the mainstream beauty industry. There went from being little to no product options to just about every popular brand attempting to offer natural options.
Pick a day and you can probably find a meet-up somewhere around NYC and particularly in Brooklyn with the ever trending #teamnatural swarming on social media. Then theirs the never-ending affection for products; myself included. Even at your worst natural hair event, there is an expectation of a swag bag inclusive of some of the latest hair/skin care products. This is where Tribes are created and girlfriend circles convene to network, talk hair and black culture.
Now if you follow me on any of my social media outlets, you know I love a good natural hair event and particular my Brooklyn Boo’s (Tribe Called Curl) Kinks and Drinks event. While this is not a plug for the TCC, but I respect their unique approach to the overall movement of natural hair that has extended beyond just hair and pop culture to overall well-being of black and brown women.
Yet, more and more I find myself becoming disengaged by the movement overall. Like, I understand everyone is an entrepreneur and is about growing their businesses and/or brands; (if you are on periscope: getting coins) I get it. The problem for me is like in all of the events’ empowerment, it seems like a showcase of me, sort of preaching to the choir, see and be seen. I wonder, if as women of color who have for the most part made it, how do we leverage our platforms to bring others along, particularly those who probably wouldn’t have the money and/or know how to attend an event otherwise. Hair, nails and feeling beautiful is not a luxury, its a quality of life necessity that promotes healthy well-being. Every female (woman and girl) deserves to fix herself up and it not be perceived as waste.
This past Sunday, I attended the Essence Street Style block party with my daughter and while the attendees were beautiful and fiercely dressed, my thoughts were on how could we bring this level of self-confidence and beauty to underserved/disenfranchised women and girls. Possible makeovers and an exposure to fashion in that kind of setting has the potential to be a life changing experience that could change their trajectory.
How as women of color who are social influencers, could we leverage our access and platforms to really build up our community. Now don’t take what I’m eluding to out of context, I’m not saying that the natural hair community owns the responsibility, but what I am saying is they already have the access to a clear passageway and could have such a major impact. As collectives sharing resources, so many lives could be touched in a meaningful way.
Over the summer, I attended Redefining HERstory, an event that was a combined effort of Naturals4Change and Truth In Reality as a part of the work that they’re doing in terms of using social media and digital platforms to address social issues and negative imagery of black women. However; how do we pitch and/or partner with community organizations to get this kind of information into the hands of those who need it most? How can we better balance our need to build brand$ to building people. These platforms are a blessing that come with a responsibility, and so much more than followers and likes……..Team Natural, we have a Social Responsibility!
Redefining HERstory
Spread Love, It’s the BrooKlyn Kisha Way!
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