Your Hair Is Your CROWN!!!

For years, young black girls have been taught “Your Hair Is Your Crown and Glory” from Your Mother, Grandmother, or even Aunty. “Yes ma’am, I know”, would be a common answer. But do we really know? Do we really care? Does the Hair on my head mean I am more worthy? Or let’s take this question a bit deeper… Does the lack of Hair on my head make me less worthy?

As a Hair Stylist for 17 years, this phrase has defined my career. It has been my life’s work – to make every woman that comes to my salon, crown shine brighter then when they arrived to my salon. And guess what? In all my years and hands on discovery, there is no such thing as “Good Hair”. “Good Hair” is a term used by our ancestors  to describe an easier, more manageable hair texture, more pleasing to the masses. The only Good Hair is Heatlhy Hair!

I have had the opportunity to work with hundreds of different textures, lengths and hues of hair! Why do you go to the salon? I have noticed over the years that women visit me to treat or maintain their hair but also for so much more! We use our salon time to decompress, to laugh, to cry, to motivate, to let our “Hair” down and be our true and authentic selves. I think that our ancestors had a bigger and deeper meaning with their statement.

What is a crown? A crown is a traditional head piece that signifies Power and Dignity! As a Black Woman who are children of Mighty Queens and Kings, who’s people built great lands and created great inventions, our crowns are always on! Some are bent, tarnished, slanted, and slightly disheveled. The time we spend on straightening, polishing, shining and restoring our “crowns”, the better. They illuminate LOVE and LIGHT! The better we treat each other, help each other, motivate each other and simply Love on each other, helps our TRUE CROWNS “shine” brighter! Hair is not the crown, Your Crown as a Black Queen is your light, your soul, your heart! Our ancestors really meant “YOUR LIGHT IS YOUR CROWN” and in order to shine at maximum Capacity, you have to take time to Love on  your Light (Soul).

All of our hair is worthy, beautiful, and deserving at any length, texture or Hue. Wear your Hair any way that makes you happy. The only way to brighten your light (crown), is by taking time to love on you, spend time with those who fill you up, do things that make you smile, love on those who add value to your life, read books that interest you, laugh, meditate, anything that adds to your daily happiness is the answer. We are not just one thing, we are a multitude of amazing things.  Now, when a woman trusts me to shine their crowns, I will always be here slaying  hair, but most importantly, adding LOVE TO THEIR LIGHT!

 Artyce Dozier