Afro-Centric?

Where do I start with today's post? This weekend I attended a memorial service for my aunt, and prior to the start of service a woman came up to me and said and I quote, "Wow, Your hair is so Afro-centric". Now my hair was still in two french braids from earlier in the week, looking a little dry and a lot more kinky, but nevertheless I was rocking it. So as I stood there looking at her with this look of "disbelief", my tongue was tied because I wasn't sure how to respond to this comment. What did she mean my hair looked Afro-Centric, was it because it was straight, shiny, and flowing down my back? What did she mean? Was it because it looked dry, it looked dull, it was boring, it was braided.

I wasn't sure what she meant, but I found her comment to be interesting, yet ignorant in a subtle way. I'm starting to realize that this journey I am on is one that will not be embraced by many (especially by black sisters), and it is one that most will not fully understand. But what her comment did do for me, besides leave me standing there looking like a deer in headlights, was cause me to really look at "my hair" for what it is. It's a conversation piece, its kinky, its coily, its boring (sometimes), but mainly its who I am - an African American Woman! and on that day I was proud to be one, I was proud to be taking a stand for myself, doing something that most probably would not do, stupid comments and all.

So today as I sit at my desk with my AFRO-CENTRIC french braids, waiting for Thursday to come so I can get my hair washed and straw set, I embrace the AFRICAN side of who I am, with no shame and no apologies. Do You, Only You know How!!