Why Our Black Hair Must Be Grown and Cultivated**

The conversation about Black women, wigs, and natural hair has resurfaced once again—this time through a video on X that asked a bold question:

“Can Black girls ever get rid of their wigs?”

It’s a question loaded with history, emotion, beauty politics, and personal identity. And the truth is this: Black women do not owe the world an explanation for how we choose to wear our hair. But it is equally true that our natural hair deserves love, care, and cultivation—not because the world demands it, but because we deserve it.

Wigs Are Not the Enemy — They Are a Choice

Wigs, weaves, braids, and protective styles have always been part of Black womanhood. They are expressions of creativity, versatility, and survival. They have helped us navigate workplaces, school systems, and social environments that were never built to affirm us.

For many Black women, wigs are:

• A protective style
• A time-saver
• A form of self-expression
• A shield from discrimination
• A way to experiment without damage

Wigs are not the problem. The problem is when the world begins to believe that Black women only look polished, beautiful, or “professional” with straight hair, long hair, or anything other than our God-given coils.

The Bigger Question:

Do Black Girls Feel Safe Without Their Wigs?

This is where the conversation becomes deeper.

Can a Black girl step outside with her twist-out, fro, or locs and feel:

• Accepted?
• Confident?
• Beautiful?
• Professional?
• Respected?

For many, the answer is complicated.

We live in a world where discrimination against Black hair still exists in schools, workplaces, and social spaces. CROWN Acts are being passed because Black children and adults are still being punished for simply existing with their natural texture.

So before we ask, “Can Black girls get rid of their wigs?”
We must first ask,
“Has our society created a world where Black girls feel safe without them?”

Why Our Natural Hair Must Be Grown — and Why It Matters

Loving and growing our own natural hair is not political—it is an act of self-love, self-knowledge, and cultural preservation.

Our hair is more than strands. It is:

• A link to our lineage
• A symbol of resilience
• A map of identity
• A crown of culture

When we grow our hair, we reconnect with traditions that colonialism tried to erase. We learn patience. We develop confidence. We embrace textures that were once mocked but are now celebrated globally.

Cultivating our hair does not mean abandoning protective styles. It means:

• Caring for the hair underneath
• Understanding its needs
• Breaking the cycle of neglect
• Teaching our daughters to love what grows from their own scalp

Our hair deserves a fighting chance to thrive.

A New Era: Choice Without Shame

The goal is not to eliminate wigs.
The goal is to eliminate shame—on both sides.

A Black woman should be able to say:

“I wear wigs because I enjoy them,”
and
“I wear my natural hair because I love it,”

without judgement.

Freedom is not choosing between wigs and natural hair.
Freedom is having both options and valuing the beauty in each.

The Future Belongs to Black Girls With Options

The next generation of Black girls needs to know:

• Their natural hair is worthy of care.
• Their coils can grow, flourish, and shine.
• Their beauty is not dependent on wigs—but neither is it diminished by them.
• Their culture lives in their hair, their voice, and their confidence.

Wigs are a choice.
Natural hair is a legacy.

Both can coexist beautifully.

What matters most is that Black girls grow up with the confidence to say:
“My hair—however I choose to wear it—is mine.”