On February 22, 2019 I had the distinct pleasure of attending a featured performance in O’Leary Library entitled “Hair Tales: Stories of Black Hair-i-Tage”, an exploration into the relationships black women have with their hair. A documentary staged reading, “Hair Tales” starred creator, Christa Brown alongside Maritza Grooms, and Kesiah Bascom; three different, educated, black female friends, with three different distinct hairstyles, and compelling individual stories that translated directly to each one’s arrived-at style, and beautifully framed a dialogue of self-acceptance.
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Figure 1: Martiza Grooms, Christa Brown, and Kesiah Bascom perform "Hair Tales." O'Leary Library, UMass Lowell, February 22, 2019
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The performance was structured into various chapters of the women’s lives; childhood, role-models, adolescent self-expression to present-day, and a discussion of the future. Taking my seat, a few minutes after the first chapter “Hair Pains” began, I was instantly transported into the women’s tales of childhood, where each struggled to find a painless way to enjoy their hair. My own hair is very curly, and I could immediate empathize with their struggles to detangle, or sit patiently through painful brushings and braiding. I got the feeling that I was amongst friends as they laughed and sympathized while sharing tales of inept hairdressers, well-meaning relatives, and moments of sheer frustration where each wanted to cry out: “THIS IS MY HELL!”
As they moved into stories of adolescence, they spoke of trying on different styles to emulate their empowered female heroines: Lisa Bonét, Erykah Badu, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jill Scott, Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez, and India Arie. It was not difficult to see how they were inspired by these women, each are famous for expressing their own features and strengths, as well as those which define them as part of a community of strong, black women.
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| Figure 2:The Free Soil Arts Collection was founded by Christa Brown and is an arts organization operating in the greater Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts |
Moving into college years, each woman related a moment where they realized their hair is just as much a reflection and extension of their true selves, and they do not need approval in order to be powerful and fabulous. They segued beautifully from this point into a discussion about embracing oneself. Christa Brown spoke about beginning the Free Soil Collective, because she saw a need to create an outlet for underrepresented people to come together creatively, to express themselves and embolden others, especially in the Merrimack Valley and how rewarding the response from the community has been. Maritza Grooms spoke passionately about the young children she works with, and how she can see them watching her be comfortable within herself, allowing them to emulate her.
In her article “The Oppositional Gaze” bell hooks states, “Given the context of class exploitation, and racist and sexist domination, it has only been through resistance, struggle, reading, and looking 'against the grain,' that black women have been able to value our process of looking enough to publicly name it.”
Whether it be wearing their hair in curls, or braids, eschewing straightening- they’re young girls choosing for themselves their best path for self-expression, and the gratification that brings her. As the ladies finished up their performance, their final chapter was titled “Legacy” and each woman took a turn to address the audience and voice their hopes for themselves and the rest of the world; to be free in every way; to have a lack of fear; to engage in mindfulness; and most importantly, to remind yourself that perhaps you don’t know all the ways you’re being inspiring to others; you’re perfect the way you are. To close out the performance Christa, Maritza, and Kesiah all repeated as one a powerfully simple mantra:
“My hair is my crown.
I am the universe.
And my hair is mine.”
Works Cited
bell
hooks. “The Oppositional Gaze.” The Feminism and Visual Culture Reader, 2003,
pp. 94-105
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