Black women’s hair is their crown and glory, and many of us protect it all all costs and in all spaces–even in public or at the airport.
Comedian and ‘Auntie’ Monique took to Instagram recently to speak out against this practice, urging young black women to take pride in their appearance and carry themselves like “Queens.” Read more below:
Adhering to the politics of respectability, which was first used in the context of Black women and their efforts to distance themselves from the stereotypical and disrespected tropes of being lower class or unkempt, Monique’s take is pretty old school. In fact, because blacks were historically so often discriminated against by the majority, they were urged to prove their humanity by going over and above in presenting a polished exterior. If the world assumed they were ‘less than,’ they were going to overcompensate, and show that they were more.
The need for many of us to overcompensate and overdress persists to this day, with African-American stars arguably sporting more labels, gold chains, and lace fronts than their counterparts. However, it seems that some of the younger generation no longer care about what the outside world may think. @_Topanga said, “My thing will always be: we were getting lynched, shot, beat, raped, killed, spat, had dogs on us, set ablaze, attached, disrespected in our Sunday best for just being. So to say we should take a little more pride in ourself and what we wear [is ridiculous]. I’m gonna wear my bonnet, head scarf, PROUDLY.”
To each their own, indeed. And neither a blog post nor a video from Monique can make anyone do anything they don’t want to do. That said, our culture still battles with images of perception, and sometimes perception is everything. I personally think that while you still may get disrespected…the chances of you being disrespected in a suit is way lower than if you were wearing pajamas and a bonnet.
It’s also about having pride in your appearance. Showing you have respect enough for yourself to groom yourself–even minimally. If not, why not just walk around every day wearing rags? There’s a reason…
What do you think? Do you think it’s ok for black women to wear bonnets in the airport? Let us know below:
Images: Backgrid
Visit TheBombLife.com to read my thoughts and see my preferred airport attire.
