To weave or not to weave: Why is black hair always politicised?

I wish I could wear my hair however I like. But the fact is I can’t.

Most of my friends work in corporate FTSE100 companies and they all say that there is an invisible pressure to wear their hair in a European way, i.e. extensions/weaves/wigs that are straight or are a kind of wavy that moves with the wind.

They don’t feel they could have their natural afro hair on show or braided in some way.

There’s an unspoken perception of black hairstyles that makes it difficult to feel comfortable having it in a corporate working environment. Apparently it’s ‘not professional’ enough and it looks as though we’re ‘making a statement’.

Black hair is tough, so braiding or cornrows are a way of styling the hair so that it’s more manageable. It’s NOT a statement.

Maybe someone can tell me what is so unprofessional about it? Especially when it is neatly done.

Because of this many black women hide their natural afros away in weaves and wigs like a shameful secret. I can’t help but feel that when we use chemical relaxers to straighten our hair we are literally chemically burning away our identities.

But it begs the question – why do we have to do that? As long as it’s neat, why can’t I just have my hair in the natural state of how it grows out of my head like everyone else?

Who says that it’s not ‘professional’ enough? I hardly think you can equate a neatly cut afro or fresh cornrows to someone wearing pink spiky hair to a professional meeting.

If I’m honest, it’s a constant internal debate that I have with myself. There’s even a slight hypocrisy to it.

I say to myself ‘why can’t you just be bold and wear your hair natural?’ but in the same breath I say to myself ‘no, I need to look like everyone else and have straight hair, because I’m already the odd one out and I don’t want to draw even more attention to myself.’

Sounds crazy right? But I assure you I am one of many black women who have the same dilemma.

One of my friends who works in television has her hair natural in small afro ringlets. That is how her hair grows.

She told me that a producer said to her ‘is there something we can do with…

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