Ntsiki Mazwai says black women must normalise their hair to end the stigma against it
Poet and musician Ntsiki Mazwai says black women who wear weaves enable the discrimination young children face in schools when they choose to wear their hair natural.
Mazwai was having her say on the heated hair conversation on Twitter.
“You're a mother in fake hair and you're complaining that your child can't have real hair at school?” Are you serious??, she asked.
You're a mother in fake hair and complaining that your child can't have her real hair at school??? Are you serious??? Exhibit A is in the mirror. That's the person who gave whites permission to disrespect our hair. You have shown them that the official standard is white hair
— MissMazwai (@ntsikimazwai) January 15, 2020
As children returned to schools around the country on Wednesday, the hair issue once again dominated Twitter.
Mazwai said black women whose children attend private schools need to normalise wearing their hair natural to do away with the stigma against it.
Many blamed “the system” for the discriminatory policies, but for Mazwai, black women are the ones who hold the power to end the toxic cycle, by “showing the world your hair matters".
If mothers were dropping kids at school in Afros......white schools would KNOW what a normal black child's hair looks like.
— MissMazwai (@ntsikimazwai) January 16, 2020