Our hair is not a burden.

Too often, I come across posts on social media that vilify black hair. Today, I saw a TikTok of a woman stating that our hair is a "significant" barrier to fitness and exercise, and how staying active is a larger commitment for black women. I have seen several statements to the effect of, "I haven't gone to the gym in two weeks because of my silk press". What?? If you're not into the gym, that's fine. But how obtuse it is to make a statement correlating your desire for a certain style with an overall inability to work out.

This is genuinely becoming insane. We are the only race of women who want a pity party because we perceive our hair as "time-consuming, unmanageable, difficult". I see young black women commenting "I hate my hair", "my 4c could never", etc. The issue is attempting to mold out hair into styles that it does not naturally form into.

I have type 4 hair and go to the gym almost daily. I swim. I love to sweat. My hair has never been a burden. That is because I allow it to frizz and coil, as it naturally does, without complaining that my hair isn't "done" (an entirely different conversation, but what does "done" mean, anyway?). I wear my puff without complaining that I look adolescent. I wear twist-outs, mini-twists, and braids, and my hair loves it. I have never had an issue with sweat in the gym or water when it rains. Our hair loves moisture and thrives when frequently moistened.

If women chose to embrace their texture, there would be little to no issue with the gym, beyond what most women with hair face (having to wash a bit more often, having to put it up to avoid it getting in the way, etc.). You CHOOSING to get a silk press, and then complaining about the gym, is backward. Self-manufactured boundary.

"I can't _________ because of my hair." Yes, you CAN. You just choose not to because you aspire to mimic the styles and natural textures of those with looser curl patterns for whatever reason, may it be insecurity, a desire to fit in, unwillingness to learn how to do your hair or some of all of the aforementioned. Your choice to continually attempt to manipulate your hair in ways that are unnatural does not reflect the value or the experience of having black hair.