Ode to the Teenie Weenie Afro -
By: Elle Dennis -
 Oh how cute you are My teenie weenie afro But please grow out soon I wrote that haiku a little after my “Big Chop,” and I look at it often. It’s how I feel everyday about my TWA.
However, that’s all it is – a feeling, because after the “Big Chop,” there is no turning back. Long and short term transitioners, for the most part, anticipate the day they are ready to snip off their relaxed ends and rock a TWA. But why?
The TWA means many things: complete dedication to going natural, comfort with wearing your hair extremely short, and getting in touch with your “roots,” so to speak; in more ways than one. And during the 60s and 70s, the afro was viewed as a symbol of Black empowerment and rebellion, seen as a portrayal of pride, and demanded respect.
I looked up the term “afro” on Wikipedia, and found the following definition: “An afro, sometimes shorted to "fro", is a hairstyle in which the hair extends out from the head like a halo, cloud or ball.” Sounds absolutely adorable, right? Then why are afros, especially on women, criticized as us running around “bald” or (this is my favorite) “going through something” that made us cut our hair? What happened to the power of the ‘fro? Surely, back in the day, no one looked at the afro as a symbol of weakness. Unfortunately, the media has perpetuated the notion that long hair equates beauty, even if it is not our hair.
When you are used to long hair as a symbol of attractiveness, departing from that norm can greatly impact your self esteem in a negative way. But remember ladies, no one ever looked at Diana Ross or Angela Davis and said they must be “going through something.” And with that, I look at my teenie weenie afro and smile, because I know I’m going to miss it when it’s gone. You will never have the carefree ease of maintaining a style and looking fabulous as you will with a teenie weenie afro.
February 1, 2010
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