Lebo in Deutschland: My pride ,My hair!

We all have hair, with different textures and lengths.It is a natural defence mechanism against temperature and insects, for many it is also a piece of identity. Through time and across multiple cultures hair has defined and still defines many roles or people in society.

Today some of us love our hair as it is, while some would rather change their natural hair for something more 'current'. Well, I am an advocate for freedom of expression, which many come in different forms, including hairstyles.

Living in Europe, for the first time in my life I have come to really appreciate my hair. I am not talking about recycled or machine made plastic strips, I'm referring to my thick dark, frizzy, curly, kinky and bouncy natural, proudly African hair covering my head. Carefully and evenly planted from the edge of my forehead, all the way around my head to meet at the back of my neck.Much like mature grass across veld and hills of an African landscape. It has become a great part of my identity as an African. Not only because many of my German friends are envious of me as I decide to roll dreadlocks in one week and then just trim the next week, they envy how my hair shines under the sun, while keeping a cool temperature ,much like a natural air conditioner. They wonder at the beauty, the perfection of my hair and the elegance in the way each hair curves in its journey upwards. My hair completes the definition of me as an African man, dark and lovely.

Recently, as I was scrolling through my Facebook home page, I came across a post entitled 'Looking Smart',with a picture accompanying it. In the picture were high school students smartly dressed in their full school uniform. As impressive as it was, I couldn't help but realise that all the girls, with the exception of two, had fake, Synthetic extensions planted and hanging on their heads!

Young African women! I cannot help but realise the symbolism behind this,though we are no longer colonised as a people in Africa by other nations,but we have volunteered ourselves to keeping to the imperial western standards. We refuse to accept the legitimacy of the African model in this modern day and rather follow those, whose culture deliberately despises the dignity of Africa.

I am just expressing my opinion, however for an African renaissance to take place we need to start to look at ourselves and take pride.

African man, African woman, You Are Beautiful!

Lebohang Dube