Politics of the afro

MPHO TLALE
Correspondent | Monday November 22, 2010 00:00

Still on a political note the Afro was also banned in Cuba in the 1960's as it received criticism for having a link to Afrocentrism (cultural and political movement formed by African-Americans who regard themselves and all other blacks as syncretic African). Although back in the years during its prime the Afro was worn by both women and men, this has now changed and women are the ones now popularising the legendary hairstyle.

The Afro can be associated with big names in the music industry, both Americans and Africans such as The Jackson Five, Lenny Kravitz, India Arie, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Mirriam Makeba, Letta Mbulu, Lira and more others.

 In his documentary titled, 'Good Hair', Chris Rock, explores the concept of 'good hair' in relation to what it means to black women. In 'Good Hair', Rock discovers that good hair means straight and relaxed hair. Rock goes into detail and talks about sodium hydroxide, which is a chemical used in hair relaxers.

The chemical is so strong that it can have devastating effects such as burning someone's hair off hence Rock in 'Good Hair' encourages parents to let the kids be and keep their afro until at least when they are teenagers.

Rock states that he was prompted to work on 'Good Hair' after his five-year-old daughter asked him, 'Daddy how come I don't have good hair?' The question that Rock asks in 'Good Hair' are whether black women spend hours and hundreds of dollars in hair salons to make their hair straighter because they want to look white?

Although we might overlook it, great importance and emotions are attached to hair. In her song, 'I am not my Hair', Arie reflects on the politics attached to hair especially the Afro. The lyrics state: 

   Good hair means curls and waves   Bad hair means you look like a slave    At the turn of the century   It's time for us to redefine who we are    You can shave it off it off   Like a South African beauty   Or get it on lock like Bob Marley...   It's not what's on your head   Its what's underneath

The lyrics of the song are in relation to the Afro and go on to ask if the way one wears their hair make them a better person or determines their integrity.

 Bachibili Nfila is a young woman who keeps an Afro and says that she has been at it for the past 11 months. She says that she feels comfortable in natural hair and is enjoying keeping it. Her Afro is no ordinary Afro because she has coloured it to chestnut brown to give it some flavour. On being asked if she knows anything politically linked to the Afro, Nfila says that she is aware of the hype that is going on especially around young African people who seek their own identity through the idea of having an Afro/natural hair as it is one of the ways that they can use to seek their identity. She says that this challenges the Western ideology that men/women should have long silky hair which young people feel is not original.

Nfila however stresses that she does not see it as un-African when women wear weaves because she feels that it is a personal choice. She adds that keeping the Afro is affordable as the hair does not require that much maintenance and contrary to the popular belief that for hair to grow it has to be retouched, she says she doesn't believe that because her hair is growing either way.

The weave in its own right is a hairstyle that has become popular with black women including Batswana women who appreciate it more than most hairstyles. Some people have raised concern about the weave being un-African but that is not enough to deter weave lovers from wearing it.

In reference to Rock's 'Good Hair', his investigations for his documentary revealed that the biggest business in black hair is the weave which can cost up $4,000 (about P25,000). India is identified as the country where most of the human hair comes from as it is cut off during religious ceremonies when people cut off their hair.

It is not surprising then that the hair industry in that country is worth $9 billion (about P54 billion).