Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Sisterlocks is Taking the World by Storm


A national movement is forming in black women's hair. Sisterlocks started in Boston and is spreading. The movement is formed around the idea that the person wearing her hair should have pride in it. There's nothing wrong with that.

"Hair is a big issue for black women," said Jacqueline Ashby, a Sisterlocks technician in Boston, MA. "They want to end being ashamed of it and start being nappy and beautiful. Some women are even afraid of the word nappy."

Started in 1993 by JoAnne Cornell, a professor at San Diego Stat University, Sisterlocks promotes both a hairstyle and healthy hair. Those who wash their hair can wear an go, roller-set, curl and style their hair without chemicals to change the texture.

The movement is called for in light of the controversy surrounding the way black women should and should not wear their hair, especially in a corporate setting. Even braids have been criticized as being unprofessional, and hair straightening has become the norm.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i agree which is why i am dead set against relaxing my hair.actually i'm on my way to having it sister locked.black women need to embrace their own natural self without any artifice.

ardentgailla said...

I myself am looking into growing my hair as it was meant to be. I would like to stop relaxing my hair and go back to being natural. I'm searching for more information on Sisterlocks and I'm weighing my options as far as natural styling goes. I think the biggest obstacle for women who are hesitant in considering natural styles is having various styling options. I also wash my hair quite often. I would hope that I don't have to wash it as much, since I won't be using harsh chemicals or "moisturizers" that build up in my hair and scalp.

As far as professionalism goes, I don't know what to say about that. I think it maybe really depends on the style the braids are in to determine that they may be considered unprofessional. I think that hair that is not well-kept or is styled in absurd positions should be considered unprofessional, as they may not be taken seriously or reflect poor hygiene.