The Lupita Affect

Being what is considered a “newly natural”, I take great pride in rocking my natural mane.  While to some it’s possibly considered the latest hair trend among black women, to many it is an intentional choice to no longer feel pressured to fit in with mainstream ideas on beauty.

At a recent Kinks and Drink natural hair meet-up event that I attended sponsored by a Tribe Called Curl, a heated conversation moderated by natural hair expert and celebrity stylist Diane C. Bailey ensued about what both men a women consider beautiful and the pressure women feel to chemically process their hair and/or wear weaves for reasons other than protective styling.  Honestly speaking,  in an era of “long hair don’t care” which is a term often used in social networking to describe long weave styles.  There is very clear messaging that real or fake, long hair is the must have accessory to accentuate femininity and beauty.

Unless you’ve been under a rock, the appearance of Lupita Nyong’o since her role in 12 Years a Slave, is one that has forced us to look at beauty differently.  This very dark-skinned yet gorgeous woman who rocks not only extremely short but also natural hair,  has become the voice and face for not only dark brown girls but women as well.

The Lupita Affect will undoubtedly give many women and girls the pass that they’ve been waiting for to embrace more of their natural beauty just as MoNique did for our curvy sisters just a few years ago. The message of self-love and acceptance will hopefully continue to grow and prevail.

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