I don’t remember an eleventh commandment saying “thou shall not wear any hair that is not thy own”. True enough, this commandment is not a part of the original ten but one pastor has taken it upon himself to make the non-existent commandment relevant to his particular congregation. According to All Christian News, Pastor A. J. Aamir of Resurrecting Faith in Waco, Texas, has issued a rule stating that members are no longer allowed to wear weaves because they present a “false image of women” and reflect low self-esteem by women trying to be something they are not.
“I lead a church where our members are struggling financially. I mean really struggling. Yet, a 26 year old mother in my church has a $300 weave on her head. NO. I will not be quiet about this,” said Pastor Aamir.
ACN reported that the pastor’s belief about hair weaves is grounded in his strict Islam upbringing where women were more concerned about building their minds than their appearance.
While I think the weave ban is a bit extreme seeing that as American citizens we have the rights and freedoms to dress how we please (legally he can’t stop the women from wearing weaves if they want to anyway), I must admit that he has a point. Many African- Spending $300 or more for a hair do- when you’re a part of a low-income household barley making ends meet, is not wisdom. Yet, we see it all the time. Many African-Americans live in poverty stricken areas where the members of the community live in subsidized housing, receive government assistance, use public transportation for lack of their own BUT will still sacrifice their needs for the want of a top notch weave. Not the best judgment in my book.
As far as weave presenting a “false image of women” or low self-esteem, I can see where he was going with that. The majority of weaves, tracks, extensions and pieces do not come from the roots of Black women. The hair Black women sometimes pay hundreds of dollars for to have in their heads is usually from other ethnicities. Those with long, silky straight hair follicles for the most part. Not the kinky, curly and or nappy roots that are common among the Black community. It may fair to assume that some of these women see these types of hair textures as superior or better than their own, therefore making them feel like they need to have the same look too feel adequate.
On the other hand, not all African-American women wear weaves to be something they’re not or to keep up with the latest trends. Some wear weave for convenience. I’m sure it makes a woman’s day start off so much easier knowing that she doesn’t have to spend an extra 20 minutes styling her hair in the morning. Some wear weave because they simply don’t like to do their hair, some people just enjoy changing up their look and many people actually wear weave for lack of their own hair i.e, cancer victims or alopecia. I certainly wouldn’t prioritize hair over cost of living but I don’t see weaves as being detrimental to Black women or society. Lest not forget, Black culture are not the only part-takers of the false hair phenomenon. Those of the Caucasian persuasion normally refer to “weaves” as “extensions”. Either way, it’s borrowed, from another, not theirs.
Why do you wear weave(s)? Are you reasons different from the ones I listed? I’d to know in a comment below.
Dr. O
Picture source: http://urbanbellemag.com/2010/11/im-not-pretty-without-weave-confessions-of-the-weave-dependents.html
