“Wearing my hair natural and cut short is an act of rebellion that a lot of people wouldn’t understand.”
MARCIE BURKE (Mother of Aoife)
Age: 50
Occupation/field: Accounting
Ethnicity: Jamaican
Scarborough, ON
Why did you decide to go natural?
Wearing my hair natural and cut short is an act of rebellion that a lot of people wouldn’t understand. As a child my Mom would spend hours and hours at the hair salon getting her hair braided. She would say “your hair is your crowning glory.” Back then the braids would be done so tight to the scalp. Over the years the stress of the braids has damaged my Mom’s hair to the point where the edges around her hairline have broken off. It’s almost like she was saying you had to do certain things to be considered attractive. She was a product of her very West Indian upbringing. As a teenager I remember thinking that I didn’t want to spend so much time on my hair. That’s where the rebellion comes in. My mom has spent thousands and thousands of dollars on her hair over the years. Growing up we were not a middle class family. We were one step up above poor but mom getting her hair done was so accepted. It’s based on the conception that a woman, especially Black women, must leave the house well put together.
In West Indian culture, it is ingrained in you but it takes a lot (time, energy and money) to achieve. It is a culture where everything stops on a Saturday because Mom had to get her hair done – and my father was on board. He did not question it. Looking back, I think what we could have done with the money my Mom spent on her hair. However, on the plus side I learned from my mother to take the time to do things to pamper yourself. In today’s society women are now encouraged to do nice things for themselves and not feel guilty. I was fortunate enough to learn that lesson from my mother when I was very young: put your family’s needs before yours but don’t feel guilty about doing something nice for yourself. For my mother it was getting her hair done.
What do you dislike about being natural?
How society sees you. You are the other. You are not in the mainstream and not the idea of mainstream beauty. It’s almost like you’re invisible – being invisible as a Black woman and invisible as a Black woman with short natural hair. There is a certain assumption about you (having short natural hair) people think that you are a lesbian. I think that is changing though. It does take a lot of courage to go out in the world with short hair. It’s kind of like you are saying what you see is what you get.
Recently, I walked into a restaurant and there was this African man with dreadlocks and he said to me “I love your natural hair.” Then he went into a rant about Black women not showing their true beauty by wearing weaves and wigs. He said it was a sin to God by wearing fake hair instead of your natural-born hair. He went on to say that Black women are getting their hair done – wearing weaves and wigs but their kids are going hungry. Clearly he had issues. I don’t think just because a Black woman decides to wear a wig or a weave she should be ripped apart for it. There are a lot of celebrities who wear weaves, like Beyoncé, to get long hair and it is accepted even required.
Why do you like about wearing your hair natural?
This is me. I like wearing my hair natural and short because it reflects my personality. I am not high maintenance and this is as low maintenance as you can get. It is a true wash and go hairstyle. I get my hair cut every three to four weeks – maximum five-week or it grows into a little afro and no one wants to see that. “I want to see that” said daughter Aoife. By me having my hair natural and short, it doesn’t take any time at all to look presentable–just brush and go, so the extra time allows me to help Aoife manage and style her natural curls. Which does take some time.
Diverse Women Collective 