There are two generally schools of thought when it comes to African American hair, particularly the manes of Black women. Our hair is either “just hair” or every single thing we do with it is political. For Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, hair, in a way, is a combination of both.
Half Of A Yellow Sun premiere at the Winter Garden Theatre during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.
Featuring: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Where: Toronto, Canada
When: 08 Sep 2013
Credit: Dominic Chan/WENN.com
The Nigerian novelist recently chatted with The Cut to discuss the ways in which hair and beauty is still extremely misunderstood, especially in the context of feminism. We recently reported Adiche was named the newest face of Boots No. 7 makeup and in her campaign she discussed the intersection of beauty and brains and how the two aren’t mutually exclusive. In her conversation with The Cut, the feminist leader reiterated those thoughts while sharing her frustrations about the beauty industry and how hair is as misunderstood in this country as race. Here are the highlights of the interview.
What she meant when character Ifemelu said in Americanah “hair is the perfect metaphor for race in America.”
“Hair is something we see, but we don’t understand what’s behind it, kind of like race. It’s the same way that something seems obvious, but it is really complicated and complex. For example, to see a middle-aged white woman who has highlights is not something everyone in the world necessarily understands, especially if it’s because she struggles to cover her grays. Or if you’re a black women, sometimes the way that your hair grows from your head isn’t considered “professional” by people who don’t know black hair. I don’t think it’s that people are malicious, I think it’s just some people don’t know what the hair that grows from the head of black women actually looks like.”
Her relationship with her own hair
“I don’t think we have enough time to talk about this. It’s interesting because I can say very excitedly now that I absolutely love my hair and I wouldn’t change it. But, it’s a relationship that has its ups and downs. There are times when I just don’t have the time for my hair and I let it be a matted mess. And there are times when I think of my hair as this glorious gift from God in all of its kinkiness. There are times when it’s frustrating and I go through a phase of having such a difficult time keeping the damn hair moisturized — it’s utter frustration. And there are other times when I’m having a really good day with my hair. I’m still looking for the perfect hair moisturizer.”
Why women shouldn’t be ashamed to be interested in beauty
“It’s the pitting of feminism against femininity — that they are mutually exclusive, that bothers me. It’s something that I really strongly reject. It’s problematic on many levels. You hear talk about women looking serious when they wear a power suit and if you wear a dress it doesn’t communicate power. Our definition of what normally comes across as powerful very much reflects male ideas, and the things our society traditionally considers masculine are not things that we generally think of as shallow or frivolous. The things that are considered traditionally feminine are considered shallow and frivolous, like beauty and fashion. There are many intelligent, thoughtful, innovative women who are interested in beauty and fashion, and we shouldn’t have any judgment about that.”
The connection between self-care and beauty
“It’s very clichéd to say, but the greatest form of beauty is being well; mentally, physically, and emotionally well. I like makeup very much, but I also really like my face when I take my makeup off. I like to dress up, but I also really like myself when I’m not dressed up. I like taking long walks, I like nature, I like eating well, I’m happy when I’m exercising. It’s also true what all the magazines say, which is when you’re healthy, your skin actually looks better. So yes, there is a connection. Mental, emotional, and physical health are extremely important things. Particularly today when we sort of live in this stressful modern world where everything is fast.”
Check out the full interview on The Cut.
Photo: WENN
