Brainwashed

When it comes to the black community there are certain things we just don't do. Yes, there are always exceptions to most things but for the most part as a whole you'll find that our people generally stick to the same ole, same ole. 

My daughter is 4. She just turned 4 last month and has the most georgous light brown curly hair. She hates it. She hates everything about what it means to get her hair done. The washing, conditioning, combing (which I've become a  pro at by the way) and braiding or ponytails...whatever. She HATES it. So I want to cut it. Not into a fade or anything drastic. Just a short curly fro. Less combing, and she will still look like a lovely little lady. Except I told my family of my idea and a shit storm insued. WTF. Nobody likes the way she cries when she's getting her hair done. They've gone so far as to pick her up and leave the room with her to stop her and give her (or themselves rather) a break. But when I find a solution to make us both happy I get drama. What gives?

I believe this goes back to black culture. I've cut my hair Halle Berry short numerous times, and everytime I did there was some group of women in my ear telling me how it will never grow back....Really? Never? I'll take that chance. And it always grows back and down my back. I've never had a problem retaining length. Neither will she. Her hair is already down her back, it will grow back, so why not cut it. We put poison on our hair and expect it to grow and be healthy. Then get paranoid when it doesn't and thus a vicious self esteem cycle begins that black women can't grow long hair. When we are more than capable of doing it just like everybody else. How backwards is that? The very thing we swear by to keep our hair "healthy" and "manageable" is the very thing keeping our hair from being healthy and manageable. When do we break the cycle?