Her big chop-Thank you Black Women everywhere......

"Geez," said the barber as he looked at the pile of severed braids in my hand. "She bold alright. She bold. "

He watched as Lisa, his fellow stylist and the shop's owner, ran clippers through what hair was left on my daughter's head. She has the thickest hair I have ever seen on anyone. Beautiful, but dense hair that took hours for me to wash, comb, condition and style when she was little. As Gianina grew older and took on the responsibility for her own tresses, the laborious care became overbearing. Recently, she decided she'd had enough and was ready to go ahead with getting "The Big Chop". Yes, she is bold.

Lisa the owner giving Gianina "The Big Chop" at Hair Studio L-M in Albuquerque.  Check them out on Facebook at Hairstudio LM. 

"The Big Chop is the process of cutting off the relaxed or permed ends of one's hair when she is transitioning from chemically processed hair to natural hair. Timing the big chop is a big decision for many napptural women who have decided they want to wear their hair natural. " That's what they say at NaturallyCurly.com

My daughter never had a perm. Her hair was occasionally straightened. Often braided or twisted.  Black friends and even strangers frequently remarked on how much hair she had and how healthy it was. Recently, two African-American women selling flat irons at a mall kiosk wanted to sell her one.

"Oh honey you have such beautiful hair. Let us just straighten one little piece to show you how it looks."

"Well," said Gianina, "the iron might work nicely but I'm getting it all cut off on Saturday."

"Whaaat?  Why? All cut off?  But it's so pretty!" They could not fathom her desire to lop off all that length.

There has historically been a strong association between femininity, beauty and a copious mane. This is true in most cultures, but especially so in the Black community, which has in turn spawned an industry well supplied with wigs, extensions and weaves. Additionally, finding the right products for moisturizing, de-tangling, deep conditioning, de-frizzing, and curl-activating among the thousands on the market, can be daunting. Black hair is a demanding task-master for both time and purse if you're going to wear it long. Yet for decades, there has been an inter-generational dialog about how "good" hair in the Black community was too closely aligned to the idea of having long, straight hair as represented in a White standard of beauty. In the past few years,  more Black women have begun to question that standard and have looked towards embracing the ease and beauty of wearing their hair short and natural. 

Enter my daughter, Gianina, and her discovery on youtube. One just has to google "big chop" and up pops a myriad of videos of Black women documenting their journey to natural. Many said that too often with their hair styled longer, people only saw their hair and stopped there.  With the short do, their faces shine through, and their real beauty can be seen. They stand taller, and even walk differently.  Several days of viewing caused Gianina to come to me and ask if she could get a TWA a.k.a. Teeny Weeny Afro. I smiled.  My baby girl, so dauntless and daring at sixteen years old.  I wanted her to feel empowered by her decision. 

"It's your hair. It will always grow back if you don't like it," I said.  "You do with it whatever makes you happy." 

What resonated the most with her from the videos was the word "freedom." She was reaching to recapture the time her hair demanded of her, giving her the breathing space to do other things.

Thank you, Black women everywhere, for being such role models for my daughter, and for sharing your bravery and your knowledge.  We made the appointment.

"Okay, are you ready?" asked Lisa, scissors poised at the first braid. 

"Yes," said Gianina. No hesitation. That bold grin radiated across her face.

Snip!

One down. Ten to go.

Liberation.