by C’Shae Bess-Perez

In the past, particularly in the 1960s Black Power era, African-Americans used natural hair to make political statements, as a rejection of the white standards of beauty.

“The idea that ‘white is right’ was so embedded in the country’s DNA that, by the time the ‘Black is Beautiful’ movement hit in the 60s, [afros were considered a political statement],” Essence Magazine said.

However, today, natural hair is considered an alternative commonly associated with “self-acceptance, freedom, health and spiritual growth,” wrote Cassandra Jackson, an English professor at the College of New Jersey, in the Huffington Post.

Senior Tyteonna Emanuel said she has never permed her hair.

“I always thought since I was younger that my hair would fall out,” Emanuel said. “But now I just don’t want one.”

Others have made the switch to natural hair due to the damage chemicals and weaves can do to hair.

“I decided to transition back [to natural hair] because I realized my hair was much healthier,” class of 2011 alumna Jazmeen Ryals said. “In high school I was natural for three years, and I love my hair. But in college [being natural] was very time-consuming, so the [perm] was ideal.”

A statement reiterated in most articles written about natural hair is that people benefit, in terms of strength and proper hair growth, from their hair being natural, even if it’s not naturally curly, instead of having it chemically straightened.

“Since both [thermal reconditioning and relaxers] permanently change the structure of the hair, you have to continue them or endure a grow-out period,” Jenny Bailley wrote in a hair-straightening article in O Magazine. “They contain damaging chemicals, so don’t consider either one if your hair is already over processed.”

Caring for relaxed, texturized and/or color-treated hair requires regular pampering and gentle handling to keep it in tip-top shape, according to Del Sandeen, a freelance writer who has a decade of experience in styling both natural and relaxed hair, in her “black hair” column on about.com.

Natural hair takes more time to manage and care for, but it produces less breakage and split ends.

“I like my hair to be straight and manageable,” social worker Keisha Terry said. “[Natural hair] is a lot of work to look presentable. It’s healthier for sure, but it’s a lot of maintenance.”

Terry added that she would try to be natural if her “hair was shorter because it’d be easier to manage.”

Senior Brittany Green says that chemical straighteners were damaging her hair.

“I chose to go natural because I used to put perms in my hair and it made my hair thin out,”  Green said. “So now I don’t put perms or any chemicals in my hair so it can stay thick.”

Not everyone thinks that natural is the way to go. Some prefer permed or chemically straightened hair because it’s easier to style and control.

“I can’t even run my fingers through my hair when it’s not permed,” senior Imari Faulkner said. “I like [my hair] straight.”

For six years, senior Sky Minor has been using a mild texturizer “to relax my hair and just get it straighter.”

Senior Kari-Indigo Mathews said that it’s “easier to style permed hair,” but she recently made the “big chop” and cut all of her chemically damaged hair off.

“I used to perm my hair, but the chemicals killed my hair and made it brittle,” Mathews said. “So now I’m going natural.”

Permanent substitute teacher Dolores Bullock said she wouldn’t “be able to comb through” her hair without a perm.

Bullock said she’s been relaxing her hair for almost 13 years now.

“I was born with a perm,” Bullock said. “The styles I like call for straight hair.”

Photos by C’Shae Bess-Perez