Natural Spotlight: Susan
Meet Susan, a natural who is rocking her afro big and proud!
1. Introduce yourself to us (are you: loc'ed, newly natural, natural-n-pressed, etc.)
My name is Susan and I am natural. I rock an afro and absolutely love it!
2. How long have you been natural and why did you decide to embark on this journey?
I have wanted the natural look all of my life. I remember as a little girl begging my mother to let me go natural but she was very against it and hated natural hair. She started taking me to the hair dresser at age 6 to get a relaxer. It was just easier for her to manage my hair in the relaxed state than in the natural state. God has blessed me with a head of thick hair. I got a relaxer every 4 weeks like clockwork. Even in my teen years I would beg my mother to let me go natural. She told me that when I pay my own bills and I'm living on my own I could do whatever I wanted with my hair.
I've actually done the big chop twice. The first time was in January 2006. I was at a natural hair salon in Baton Rouge, LA and the stylist was going to do a two strand twist for me and I looked in the mirror and told her to just cut it all off. To leave enough for her to put the twists in my hair. Three months later I took the twists down and revealed to my family that I was natural. My mother hated it but said nothing until close to the end. As she got sicker, she became more vocal about hating my afro. So the August before she died, I relaxed my hair making her extremely happy. As much as I hated having relaxed hair, I don't regret making my mother happy in her last days. I kept my relaxed hair for a year after her death then called my stylist and told her what I wanted. I walked in, sat in her chair and told her to have at it. She cut my hair to an eighth of an inch and I was estatic.
3. How did people react to the changes you made to your hair? Were they supportive or against it?
3. How did people react to the changes you made to your hair? Were they supportive or against it?
The first time I did the big chop, my family had mixed reactions. My mother hated it, her only words were "I was wondering when it would happen". Most of my family just looked at my and thought I had gone crazy. A couple thought I had become a lesbian. I remember my my brother fussing because I had went natural and my sister simply said, "You all know Susan marches to the beat of her own drum. She does what she wants, when she wants and really don't care what you think, so you need to get over it and move on to something else. She hasn't changed in 30 years and she's not about to change now."
The second time I did the big chop, it was a year after my mother's death. My family and friends knew it was coming and just shrugged. I got the biggest reactions from people who worked with me. One lady was like, "you know your momma didn't like that and she's looking down from heaven disappointed in you now." One of the ladies who knew me and knew my family well literally walked between us and told the lady how dare she say something like that to me and pulls me off.
4. What's the one thing you've noticed about yourself since going natural?
I'm the same person. It doesn't matter whether my hair is straight or in an afro, it's not going to change who I am. My hair doesn't make me or define me, it's just a part of me.
5. What's your hair regimen?
My regimen is simple. I wash it when I think about it. I put moisturizer on it everyday.
6. Do you have any hair goals?
My goal is the big Angela Davis afro. Once I achieve that I will probably get locs. I haven't truly decided what I will do once I reach my goal.
7. What's one piece of advice you want to leave readers with?
Being natural is a personal choice, not a political statement. It's not the easiest choice because people will talk and make judgements based on what they see. If this is truly what you want, then stand strong and go for it. The big chop is not the hardest thing you will do; living with your choice is.
4. What's the one thing you've noticed about yourself since going natural?
I'm the same person. It doesn't matter whether my hair is straight or in an afro, it's not going to change who I am. My hair doesn't make me or define me, it's just a part of me.
5. What's your hair regimen?
My regimen is simple. I wash it when I think about it. I put moisturizer on it everyday.
6. Do you have any hair goals?
My goal is the big Angela Davis afro. Once I achieve that I will probably get locs. I haven't truly decided what I will do once I reach my goal.
7. What's one piece of advice you want to leave readers with?
Being natural is a personal choice, not a political statement. It's not the easiest choice because people will talk and make judgements based on what they see. If this is truly what you want, then stand strong and go for it. The big chop is not the hardest thing you will do; living with your choice is.
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Write commentsWhy can't I ever see your pictures?
Reply@RealHustla - Issues with Google and Blogger. I may be moving to Wordpress if this keeps happening.
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