I never thought the day would come when I’d be in a
wig store trying on wigs and asking a million questions about sew ins. That day
arrived and it was an adventure. Because the weather was warming up and I know
how natural hair can get during summer, the time for a protective
style was near. I figured I could keep my hair braided under a wig. And not one
single one of the wigs I tried on looked good on me. I looked a mess and
decided to do some internet research. I’ve been natural since October 2014 and
my hair’s been styled all kinds of ways, but over the last year I’ve been
experimenting with protective styles like long braids and cornrows. But, I
wanted something other than braids since I’d already done them a handful of
times. I wanted to change my entire look and I wanted longer hair again, so, I
went out and bought some. I scheduled an appointment with my new stylist and
asked a million questions about sew ins and how to get one done. Purchasing the
hair was pricey, but I was highly pleased with the results. And to my surprise
it wasn’t as painful as I thought. I learned about purchasing bundles of hair,
closures, and leaving out sections of my regular hair to give the extensions a
more natural look – all of which felt like learning a foreign language. I just
assumed different women I saw always had full and lengthy hair. I
learned a lot about extensions and that many celebrities and stars on television are getting these kinds of things done to their hair as well. Those women I saw onscreen were not all born with those lengthy locks of gorgeous hair. Again, I had a lot to learn. After my hair was styled I anticipated some of my
non-African American friends and colleagues to ask questions about my extended
locks and I was already armed with why,
yes… this is my hair. I paid for it. I know. It sounds forward. But not
nearly as forward as when myself and a ton of other black women are often asked,
“Is that your real hair?” I don’t think some people know how off-putting that
question can come off. But these days it doesn’t bother me as much as it’s bothered some
of my other black friends. I don’t mind enlightening non-African Americans
about black hair. It’s a great opportunity to cultural enlighten one another.
Overall, sew ins are something I’m excited to experiment with more and I can’t
wait to see looks I switch up with in the future. Stay tuned.
I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...