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< | The Lucky Sperm Club
My father has always told me that I am a part of the "lucky sperm club" as he jokingly refers to it. When I look at my life compared to the lives of my second and third cousins, I recognize the immense amount of luck that comes from being born into my family and having the parents and grandparents that I have. I am a third-generation college graduate, and this is not something that I take lightly as an African American woman. I know how hard this country has worked to prevent people like me from being educated which is why there is no one I look up to more than Chester and Mary Smith or as I affectionately call them, papa, and grandma. The things my grandparents did for themselves changed my life forever and God-willing, generations to come. | >
> | How Anti-blackness Perpetuates itself in Hair
Introduction
I have thick, long, and very kinky- curly hair. Most days, I wear my hair down, but if I want it out of my face, I may opt for a curly bun and to "lay my edges." If you knew me growing up, this would be surprising because as a young girl, I only wanted to wear my hair straight. I hated having curly hair because I wanted long, straight hair like my mother, grandmothers, and many of the women surrounding me or women I watched on television. For many other black women and I, it was not until the Natural Hair Movement that we began to appreciate our hair in its natural state, independent of chemical processing. As I have continued to grow up, I have become increasingly interested in how antiblackness manifests itself in seemingly minute characteristics such as hair and its harmful impact on black women. | | | | |
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< | My grandma is the oldest of five siblings from a small, poor town in West Texas. She was the first and only one of her siblings to graduate from college in 1957 with a degree in nursing from Prairie View A&M University (PV), a historically black college in Texas during the segregated Jim Crow Era. My grandmother is a trailblazer. Not only did she have a successful career as a nurse, but she was also the first African American tenured professor at Texas Women's University, and she established her own that still successfully operates today. | >
> | The Natural Hair Movement
The Natural Hair Movement was sparked by an independent film entitled, “My Nappy Roots: A Journey Through Black Hair-itage" that sought to discover the deeper meaning behind the word nappy. The film went through the history of black hair from Africa, through slavery, and into American culture. The term nappy came from cotton crops on slave plantations because cotton that had not been harvested was called naps, and the texture was considered comparable to African American hair. In South Africa the "pencil test" was used to determine proximity to whiteness, along with access to political, social, and economic privileges. It involved inserting a pencil into the hair and testing whether it would hold or fall out. Hair that the pencil fell out of was considered "good" and hair where the pencil held was bad. Because of the kinkiness and texture of African hair, hair that was closer in texture to European women was classified as good hair and deemed superior and beautiful. Kinkier, more Afro-Centric hair was bad | | | | |
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< | On the other hand, my papa was the second oldest of five siblings and also the only one of his siblings to graduate from college. He worked full-time as an orderly at a segregated hospital to pay for his tuition at the historically black university, Texas Southern University. It's funny how life works because during my papa's time at the hospital is where he met and fell in love with my grandmother which led to my creation. I had always known my papa to be retired, but before that, he was a well-known educator and principal in the Houston Independent School District. | >
> | Good Hair, the film
The concept of good and & bad hair is further discussed in Chris Rock's 2009 film, "Good Hair." Good Hair incited conversations about how dangerous chemicals called, Relaxers, were heavily marketed towards African American women to make our hair appear "good" or closer to the texture of European women. | | | | |
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< | Last semester, he passed away. Before this, I had been fortunate enough not to have dealt with very much loss. There is certainly never a right time to lose a loved one, but I definitely never expected it to happen during my first semester of law school, let alone, my first month. I was never able to put a pause on my life which certainly took a toll on me. During the time I was deeply grieving his loss, I always remind myself of who I am and where I come from. I am the granddaughter of Chester and Mary Smith and without them, I would not be here or the person I am today. That in my mind motivates me to work as hard as I do. I am an extremely privileged person, and my life could look completely different if I had been the grandchild of any of my grandparents' siblings. My grandparents stressed to me at a very early age that a strong, well-rounded education can bring an abundance of rewards both personally and professionally, and that hard work brings success. Although I mostly agree with those sentiments, I also recognize the sheer luck that comes from being a part of the "lucky sperm club." | >
> | Effects of Chemical Processing
Relaxers are made of chemicals that break down the curl and kink of our hair using chemicals like sodium hydroxide which can cause chemical burns, permanent injury or scarring, and blindness. Relaxers disrupt the chemical imbalance of our bodies, putting users at higher risk for reproductive problems, heart disease, different forms of cancer, early puberty, fibroids, and mental health disorders. There was a study conducted by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute that published frequent users of chemical hair straightening products were twice as likely to develop uterine cancer. | | | | |
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< | After his funeral, I went into a sort of self-discovery journey because my grandfather’s life showed me the importance of pursuing your passions and walking in your purpose. It made me think about my own life and how I do not feel that’s what I am doing. In that I have realized that being a part of the lucky sperm club and understanding what my ancestors went through for me to be here is has really been my only source of motivation. I can’t say I have passion, just ambition. As it currently stands, I am the only grandchild to graduate college and it will likely remain this way. Because of this, I put an immense amount of pressure on myself to live up to the life that my grandparents created for me, out of fear that their efforts were done in vain. I get frustrated that I have an older sibling that lacks motivation to do anything with his life because the life he has was simply handed to him. It was difficult for me to fathom that knowing the history of our family would do anything less than motivate someone to want to succeed, but as I reflect on my own life, I see the emptiness that comes from that being the ONLY source of motivation. I chose to go to law school because it seemed like a safe choice that allowed me to get a degree that I could use in so many different ways. My reality is that it has forced me into a bubble where someone can get stabbed on campus during the middle of exams and my classmates first questions are about grades. Sometimes I look around at my classmates and wonder what this says about me since I am here too. Am I exactly like them? So cutthroat and concerned about grades to the point that I never first think to ask about anyone’s wellbeing. The reality is I do not want to be like them, I want to be like Chester. I want my passions to guide me through life. | >
> | Ongoing Litigation
There are currently ongoing class action suits against large hair companies such as Motions, Dark & Lovely, Olive Oil Relaxer, and Organic Root Stimulator because the use of their products has caused cancer in many African American woman. These companies have all profited on the antiblackness that perpetuates throughout society and has forced Black women to feel as though they need to assimilate. To me, this makes the Natural Hair Movement about much more than learning to love and appreciate my hair but bringing attention to how dangerous proximity to whiteness can be for Black women. | | | | |
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< | My papa was an amazing man. He was always only a phone call away and supported me in every way he could. Honestly, he is the only reason I have been able to push through law school because he is the person that helped me edit my personal statement to get into school. Thus, I have decided to dedicate my three years at this institution to continuing his legacy by discovering what my passions are (as best as I can in law school) and letting my purpose guide me instead of just ambition. | >
> | The Natural Hair Movement as a form of Resistance
The Natural Hair Movement is a form of resistance because it is a way for black women to outwardly express love for us and our culture. It is an example of the fight we have to endure to embrace our roots. By wearing our hair in its natural state, we are resisting the Eurocentric standards of beauty that have been ingrained in our heads and potentially saving our lives. This resistance was seen drastically in the haircare market. From 2012-2017, the sale of relaxers fell an astonishing 36.6%. This is a clear effect of African Americans resistance to the mainstream standards of beauty that include long and straight hair. It is proof of how Black women have rejected the notions of what makes us beautiful. The Natural Hair Movement is also a form of equality and social justice. The Natural Hair Movement is a form of equality because of how hard African Americans have worked to have their hair accepted in the workplace. | | | | |
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> | Hair Discrimination in the Workplace
Many people have asked, "What are you going to do with your hair when you enter the corporate world?" It is a question that I had not thought about but worries me. I never want to be assumed to be less intelligent because of the way I wear my hair, but in a world where employers are allowed to implement policies regarding hygiene, hairstyles, and other appearance, this is a real possibility. Although Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars employment discrimination on the basis of race, federal courts have limited interpreted this prohibition to mean is discrimination on the basis of immutable characteristics: features you are born with or features that only Black people possess. Further, federal courts have concluded that an afro is an immutable characteristic and cannot be discriminated against. However, an afro is not a black woman’s hair in its natural state, and black women proudly wear our hair in a multitude of generational styles such as locs, braids, twists, none of which are protected by federal law.
The Crown Act
In 2019, California became the first state to ban discrimination based on natural hairstyles under the Crown Act. Similarly in 2021, New York stated implemented its own CROWN act that banned hair discrimination in New York schools and employers. As of 22, the CROWN act has been passed in 20 states and 30 cities. Although some may see this as progress, it does nothing for the black women in the other 30 states and unconscious bias that still exist in those in power. My hope is that overtime the legalized acceptance of our hair will eradicate the implicit biases many faces. | | | | |
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I think you have taken this as far as you want it to go.
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