Weaving and Unweaving

Last week, Gabriela opted for a hair cut over new braids. We love looking at her gorgeous face. And we're seeing more Haitians here styling their hair o'natural (yes and fyi, wearing black hair naturally still requires lots of time, often more time, styling). There also lots of Haitian women getting weaves (hair or simulated hair) sewn onto their own hair, a style that was invented in Eygptians culture in 3400 BC. Caring for hair and doing each other's hair is a very important part of Haitian culture and the weekly schedule of Haitian life. I want to value the ritual and the comradery of doing hair. But it's not just the hair products, expensive and strong smelling that make me feel baffled about how to assist Gabriela with her hair. It's that many of the products help the hair to be straighter, more like...well more like the black people's hair you see on tv or in magazines (fashion or other)...more like white people hair (or at least the ideal of it). What would it take for my hair to be very very tightly curly and black? What would it be like if hotels had bottles of oils instead of shampoo and conditioner that are most often drying to most hair and especially black hair? What would it be like if most fashion models had lovely black skin, nappy hair, and shapely figures?