Naturally Professional: Rahkia

It's Monday and most are back on the grind. Crown and Temple is happy to introduce our new series, Naturally Professional.  This series will examine the experiences of natural women in the professional world. 

Please join Crown and Temple in welcoming our first Natural Professional of the series, Rahkia, a Writer who works for a public relations firm.  

CT:

How long have you been natural?

Rahkia:

My last perm was in October 2002. I cut off all the relaxed parts in September 2003. (I asked my roommate to grab a pair of scissors and we just cut until we didn't feel any straightness anymore)

CT:

What made you decide to wear your hair in a natural style?

Rahkia:

I had always loved the way un-processed hair looked... and always hated the routine of going to get my hair done. It was painful, time-consuming and took entirely too much effort to maintain styles. And perm smells awful!

CT:

How do you wear your hair?

Rahkia:

I usually go back and forth between twists and twist-outs. I have flat-ironed my hair twice within the past year, just to see how long it was. Occasionally, I'll rock a large afro puff in an unexpected position (e.g., low and to the side, up and off center, etc). Sometimes when I twist my hair, I'll experiment with updos.

CT:

What kind of work do you do?

Rahkia:

I am a writer. My background is in newspaper journalism and I currently work at a public relations firm in Birmingham, Alabama. I also freelance.

CT:

What kinds of feedback do you receive about your hair while working?

Rahkia:

It's interesting you ask that; I started my career with natural hair and had no problem. No one has ever said anything negative to me about my hair. If anything, it's a conversation starter (i.e., "How long have you been natural? What products do you use?" and the standard "how did you get your hair to do that?") I have heard some comment that natural hair is more accepted in a creative environment such as journalism and public relations. I can't really speak to that.

CT:

Speaking of products, what products do you use?

Rahkia:

Almond oil, olive oil and coconut oil. I LOVE these! They really do a good job of moisturizing and they're not heavy. I also like Carol's Daughter Hair Milk. I discovered the joy of sulfate-free shampoos last year and use the Aubrey Organix line. I also use EcoStyler to define my curls. Those are the basic staples in my hair drawer. For co-washes, I like to use Suave conditioner. Not sure of the line, but they come in green bottles and have almond and Shea Butter. I just tried Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner and I like that too.
 

CT:

Have you encountered any negative experiences working with natural hair?  If so, please share your experience?

Rahkia:

No, not in the workplace. Most of the questionable comments I hear are in social settings. I recall one instance I was at a cookout, talking with a group of other women about natural hair. I was the only natural head there; two others were considering. A young man walked in and plainly announced that he didn't like natural hair. I said, "That's fine," and returned to the conversation I was having.

Living in the Deep South has been interesting. I grew up in the D.C. area, where natural hair isn't a big deal. I've found that in the South, a lot of people still cling to the idea of good hair vs. bad hair. I wasn't familiar with that until I moved to the South.  I had one woman tell me, "If I had good hair like yours, I would go natural too." My parents never assigned value to the texture of my hair and I believe that is the reason I find those kinds of statements ridiculous.

CT:

It is interesting you mentioned the comment from the young man.  Do you feel it is important for our men to not only accept but support our natural beauty?  Why or why not?

Rahkia:

I think it is of the utmost importance for black men to accept and support natural beauty. There are enough negative messages about black women. When these are repeated and reinforced by black men, it's all the more painful. That said, that one experience I mentioned is the only such experience I've had. 

CT:

How do you deal with any negative comments about natural hair?

Rahkia:

Give them the Kanye shrug and keep it moving.

CT:

What advice would you give to women who wish to transition to natural hair while maintaining a professional career? 

Rahkia:

As I mentioned earlier, some women feel that natural hair is more accepted in certain fields. I don't know if this is the case.  But if a woman is concerned about maintaining professionalism while transitioning to natural, she has a lot of styling options to choose from: straw sets, twists, weaves (contrary to popular belief, natural women are not necessarily anti-weave), wigs, etc. I do not recommend flat ironing or hot-combing virgin roots to blend with the rest.

CT:

I have noticed a lot of people have various definitions to define natural.  What does being natural mean to you? 

Rahkia:

To me being natural means not relaxing your hair. I tend to stay away from all the debates and discussion; it contributes to hair snobbery.