Different Strands

For this project I wanted to explore the relationship I share with my hair and the relationship my best friend shares with her hair also. For myself, I have never held a huge attachment to my hair. Throughout my whole childhood, I struggled with my body image as I was much heavier. Two years ago, I was in a strange period in my life and I decided one evening, before going to a rave, that I was going to shave my head. For many years prior I had wanted to shave my head but I didn’t because I thought it would have prevented me from getting a job, I wouldn’t live up to the sociality, and what my parents would think. After I shaved my hair off it was like a weight had been lifted from myself and I began to feel more myself. If I could love myself with no hair on my head, then I could work to loving my whole self. My beautiful best friend Lucy shared a different experience with her hair to me and that’s what I think could make this project so rich. Lucy was adopted into an Irish (white) family, and she attended the same private (predominately white) primary school in South Dublin. At one stage in our primary school life, Lucy was the only black girl in our school and was certainly the only black girl in our class. Lucy received grief from the teachers about her braids and different hairstyles that she had during her time in the school. Ive had many conversations with her about how important her hair is to her. We had a conversation about her trying out new wigs. I had expressed to her maybe she should shave her hair so it would be easier for herself to wear them, she cut this idea very quick and said that it had taken her hair so many years to grow to the length it was and that she could never do that. She holds a special relationship with her hair which I hope to explore through this video piece. With this project I want to share her story of how important her hair is to her, and to touch on how important hair is to black women. I hope to educate people through Lucy’s stories and experiences, while also comparing both of our stories together and showing how the common theme “hair” is very important to one person and not to another.