By Tanya Maswaure

From the time a black girl has grown her hair long enough, it is the parent’s job to decide what to do to maintain her hair and keep it neat and unique. Thinking about my childhood, I recall my mother’s effort and attention to my hair. One common occurrence we relate to regardless of our continent, nationality or tribe was the ‘relaxer’. The smell of the chemicals mixing with your hair and the straightener on your hair is one I share with many other black girls in the world. Why do we put so much effort into making our hair straight? Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie spoke about black hair extensively in her book Americanah but what about black hair that makes it so memorable. Why is something seemingly cosmetic and minuscule so political?