As a Black girl, hair plays a major part in who we are, from birth. Whether it's getting your scalp greased, or connecting your braids to promote growth, Black hair is a process, an evolution.
The Black Hair Stories series, are stories of Black womxn and how their hair journeys have shaped them. We will roll out more pics and quotes on our Instagram, so make sure to follow and share. I'm excited and invested in conversations around Black Hair and the many ways it is a part of our stories and experiences, from personal relationships to professional ones.
Erika's Loc LoveStory.
It’s been 7 years since I cut my locs off...thinking back, I should have kept them, but the daily stresses of life- made that impossible. I found myself in a place of fear, facing many insecurities, and the worries that came with life, in general, had my hair at its weakest. Even with locs, my hair started to fall out and thin to the point of no return.
One day I went from shoulder length firey fierce red locs to chopping all of them off and dying my hair blackitty black black! I remained natural because I knew the creamy crack would only make things worse!
That was the end of my story. The beginning was much different. I was excited, nervous, and a bit anxious about my loc journey at first. In one thought, all of my cracked out hair was GONE! Damn near a brush cut. Y'all my hair isn’t the best grade- I'll put it this way, it was made for this!
Let’s be honest, that “ugly phase” is not a joke!
I mean, I was pledging and knew that I would have probate at some point- thank God for wigs! #shame. Is there such a thing as a light skin jiggaboo?! What will my job think? What will my man think? Most importantly- what do I think??
After months of wigs, hats, and hair wrap, because I’ll admit I couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and couldn’t face wearing my twists out in public, UNTIL... Clairol Textured and Tones # 8RO Flaming Desire Box Color came into my life! It’s was bright, bold, orange (not 45 orange...), and you couldn’t tell me ANYTHING! NAYthing!!! NATHANIEL!!! You hear me. I was fine to me! And that is when my locs gave me my power!
They grew. They changed. They became me and I became them. They matched my mood. They matched my language. They brought me to a place of strength and beauty. They made me proud. They made me special. THEY MADE ME....
Some days, I wish I could get them back. I still have people tell me they loved my locs and how I should try again...Maybe one day. Natural twists, braids, and protective styles have literally changed my life...Until further notice, I’m still rocking my crackless, natural, beautiful, kinky AF hair!
Erika Poe is a mom, an educator, and a bold Black girl.
You can stay connected with Erika on Instagram @ok2bpoe.
With Lots of Black Hair Love,
