Correction!

So I'm sure by now that we've all seen Ms. Solange's new do. Some said she looked a mess, others argued that beauty should not be defined by hair. Some of us in the natural community may have been a little eager to accept her into our natural hair club and others may have seen it as the commercial attention to the "big chop" that is well, less than desirable. Well, as I was surfing the net, I stumbled upon Ms. Knowles' own explanation or reaction to all of the above stated feelings emoted by the general public and celebrities alike. Have a read. You can find the entire transcript at Honey Magazine.

"One thing that’s kind of been confusing me is that I keep hearing people say ‘Oh, great you’re going natural.’ Does that mean weave-free or does that mean perm-free? Because I haven’t had a perm since I was 13. It’s interesting how much hair plays a role in your life and character and schedule. I remember when I was 13 I went through my ‘I-am-Miss-Natural, incense-burning, Bob Marley-playing, only-vintage-shop-wearing Solange.’ So of course that included cutting my perm off, being a Vegan. I didn’t quite understand yet that my hair did not define me. Then I remember being 16 and being like ‘Okay, I can still be smart and I can still have the same beliefs that I have, but I did not have to have red Rasta braids. I can do that with straight hair. I can do that with a ‘fro. I can do that with a weave down to my butt.’ That was when I first cut my hair off. When I was 18 I got a hot flash because I was pregnant with [Julez] and I was like ‘It’s hot as hell so I’m cutting this shit off.’ But this time it was definitely more so about the growth and the energy and the time I was spending. It was about to be summer, and I didn’t want to have to worry about swimming or going to the park with my son or how hair was going to fit into my life. It was too much."

In my own opinion, Solange is a beautiful person inside and out; a pioneer for true beauty in mainstream media. She's what young girls need to see. She questions the standards that have been shoved down our throats as women, especially African American women. Why do we need long hair? Why do we chose perms? And why is it that when we go against the grain our beauty and sometimes psychological health is put into question?! Quite frankly, the answer in more cases than not is because that's what we've been told. For transitioners, obviously you were once permed. And why? More than likely because of media's standards for beauty. Personally speaking, the choice was not mine. Perms have been a way of life for me since the age of 6 or 7, possibly younger. But I digress, the reason I find such interest and inspiration in Solange and found it extremely important to make this a part of my blog is this: she makes individuality cool! And what a bore life has become as we try our best to look like the girl beside us as they try their best to look like some image that the model promoting it doesn't even look like! Moreover, isn't that one major benefit of going/being natural? Embracing your own unique individuality? (whew!) don't get me started! Well, let me climb down off my soapbox...until next time ladies, Happy Healthy Hair Growing!