This poem is tied to a photography project created in collaboration with my brother (@detailsmatter__ on Instagram). Together we did a photoshoot of 9 different styles done on my hair to showcase the beauty and versatility of natural hair.
"Within our Roots" Project Instagram Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CK2QagAhJrP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
DetailsMatter Lookbook Instagram Post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CK2i1szFWP9/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The photos we took of each style will also be attached below. Please enjoy the poem.
we have had crowns placed on our heads since birth
in the form of culture-rich curls that hold our history
ringlets which keep us grounded in our roots
preserving each strand of our identity like the DNA we hold
hair so pure, rich, and delicate it is only fitting to refer to it as "natural"
but the audacity to claim it's "just hair"
is the silencing of a nation
for this hair holds so much more
"just hair" translates to
"just" mediocre
"just" ordinary
"just" average
but black hair is not the bare minimum
black hair is black expression
black freedom
black joy
black liberation
black history in the making
we should find confidence and comfort in our kinks and coils
our bantu knots and braids
every dip and rise within our waves
our edges natural or laid
our cornrows act as the preservation of black stories
years of struggle and triumph neatly overlapped and intertwined
our locs hold keys to our lineage
wrapped tightly to encapsulate our close-knit communities
we walk this earth with crowns on our heads
passed down by the ones who came before us
there are centuries of triumph within these roots
and despite this worlds efforts to break us down
we are known to grow and flourish from our struggles
so we nourish our scalps and caress our coils
so our manes can do the same
black hair is black power
with the strength to spark an uprising
the ability to leave heads turned, jaws dropped, and eyes widened
beads dangle from braids clacking together
like a million ancestors applauding in approval
afro picks sit comfortably tucked against scalps
fists standing high in the air like a revolution
each style asserts itself like a battle cry
a resistance
a movement that will never die
black hair is magical
ethereal
with the ability to defy gravity
exceptional
a reflection of the world around us
so our afros resemble trees
because we are a product of our roots
in touch with nature
every strand on our head crafted with intention by our creator
our twists are sun kissed
our puffs, powerful
so we wrap our hair in silk to maintain this magic
black hair is beautiful, mystical, versatile
in every length
thickness
texture
and style
black hair is black professionalism
and white professionalism
and every type of professionalism
for years we've been brainwashed to believe our coils were a calamity
convinced that black hair wasn't beautiful
wasn't precious
wasn't acceptable
but colonialism has no place in these curls
I will not texturize the tradition out of these tresses
or relax these roots to maintain a 9 to 5
I refuse to tarnish this crown
for the sake of eurocentrism
so understand that when you steal our styles you are erasing black stories
muting black voices
capitalizing off black creativity
being praised in the same breath as we are penalized
understand that such beauty can not be diminished to mediocrity
and prefaced with "just"
black hair is far more complex, far greater, essential, a must
so no, you can't touch it
can't run your fingers through my family tree
can't tug at my lineage
but I don't blame you for marvelling at such greatness
for being stopped in your tracks
for staring in awe at the many cultures wrapped up in my curls
my hair is a historical landmark
my mane, a museum
the crowns on our heads have been placed here since birth
so you may look but not touch
for this work of art is priceless
observe the uniqueness
behold the beauty
gaze in awe at the grace
that lies
within our roots
Written by Kimberly Douglas©
Photographed by @detailsmatter__
Personal favourite lines:
""just hair" translates to "just" mediocre, "just" ordinary, "just" average"
"our cornrows act as the preservation of black stories years of struggle and triumph neatly overlapped and intertwined"
"our locs hold keys to our lineage wrapped tightly to encapsulate our close-knit communities"
"we are known to grow and flourish from our struggles so we nourish our scalps and caress our coils so our manes can do the same"
"beads dangle from braids clacking together like a million ancestors applauding in approval"
"afro picks sit comfortably tucked against scalps, fists standing high in the air like a revolution"
"so our afros resemble trees because we are a product of our roots"
"black hair is black professionalism, and white professionalism, and any type of professionalism"
"colonialism has no place in these curls"
"so no, you can't touch it, can't run your fingers through my family tree, can't tug at my lineage"
"my hair is a historical landmark, my mane, a museum"
Feel free to leave a like and any feedback below.
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