Pelo Malo: Why Second-Guess the Work of the Creator?

It’s often entertaining to look at the things we humans do when I take myself out of the movie of life for a moment and just observe. Jokingly, I consider what a being from another planet (presuming they exist) would see while watching us. Yet, as most of humanity goes so far, we manage to complicate things very easily including something as seemingly simple as hair.  As science sees it, hair has some basic purposes: it protects the brain from the sun, helps regulate body heat, and protects the skull from injury, to name a few.

Exploring the roots of Pelo Malo

If it is that simple, where did the term pelo malo (bad hair in Spanish) come into being?  How could any hair be better or worse if it serves its purpose?  Well, leave it up to us humans.  The term pelo malo is commonly used in certain Latin American countries to describe the hair of humans of African descent (not sure what that means any more).  It is that Afro, very curly or kinky hair typical of humans from many parts of the African continent. Obviously, “bad hair” is not a good label, but why label it as such when that is the hair people from a certain part of the planet got from the Creator?

Aliens would likely observe how we find ways of dividing into groups. Right after that, we usually find all the reasons why our group is better, and ultimately set out to prove it.  Such was the deal with hair, but, it always baffles me to see how people who claim knowledge of a Creator of the Universe and everything in it, and who believe everything created “was good”, can so easily use hair types to disparage others.

Growing up, fitting in and going straight

When I was about thirteen, it was my dream to have my hair chemically straightened, more commonly known as “relaxed.”  Most of the women in my family were doing it, and I could not have imagined going to high school without doing it.  At that point, I can’t remember hearing the term pelo malo, but apparently, the message was sent in a way that made wearing my hair naturally less than desirable.  Of course, as a teenager there was always the matter of style and fitting in, but this was clearly more than that.

No one told me they would apply what was essentially a form of lye to my scalp, that it would burn, and would leave scabs.  This is exactly what happened, and as a young teenager, I fully accepted this, as what was required to have my hair straightened.  

I never even blinked.  Many years later I learned about the harshness of the products and the damage they could cause.  Fortunately, over time the science advanced to make them milder (still harsh and maybe even toxic, but milder). But having straight hair remained the imperative. 

Somewhere along the line, I had been informed something was wrong with this hair on my head.  Don’t get me wrong, my mother had been devoted to combing it, but even in the strokes of the comb and the roughness of the twisting and braiding—the message was delivered—this hair is a problem, difficult to manage, and requires harsh treatment.  I’m sure she was also informed of the same before my arrival.  

Once I started relaxing my hair, I remember the urgency of getting a relaxer as soon as there was any noticeable growth.  Of course, as humans we are nothing if not adaptable, and seekers of any means possible means to survive and make our way in life.  Relaxing, and having hair more similar to that of the majority of humans (i.e., straight hair), was one of those things that seemed to allow those with this very different kind of hair to fit in better.

The beauty and perfection of Afro hair

It may be difficult for some of my readers to imagine, but prior to the Crown Act, natural hairstyles for people with Afro hair were not allowed in many situations, and banned in others.  The good thing is that we have advanced.  The challenge is that there is still work to be done to erase the concept of a Creator who would even make pelo malo.  

The work to be done is first and foremost with humans of African descent who have this coiled Afro hair.  Although others were responsible for teaching Africans to hate their hair, today we are the ones who have to be clear about the natural wonder of it, and the genius behind it.  It is really an amazing creation for the environment where it began.  It is actually very delicate, elastic, and has the ability to be styled in a wide range of ways.

Before we go off the rails—because we often do when it comes to this topic—the question is not which hair is better, it is instead: how well did it work for a particular environment? It seems to me the Creator showed much genius because in the hot, UV radiation-exposed environments that Africans hail from, their curly and kinky hair was made perfectly for their protection. That is as simple as it can get.

Of course, most of us humans can be complicated, so historically when Africans were enslaved and brought to the Americas, the issue of their hair was used as an attempt to make them feel inferior.  Today, we have insight and options.  We know a few things about life on the planet.  The Creator created everything in spectrums and ranges, just like height, weight, skin color, and hair color. Hair types are the same.  There is the straightest of straight and the curliest of curls. None of this could possibly have been intended to address the superiority or inferiority of any human.

Passing the love of our hair on to future generations

There is no question that Afro hair requires a lot of care and attention, and those who have it seek the easiest way to manage it.  Everyone has the option of deciding  what to do with, and how to manage their hair.  The most important thing to me is to come to understand that there is nothing inherently wrong with my hair, regardless of how much work its care requires.

For all the young women and men of African descent all around the world who are born into a time where this issue appears less controversial, know that the Creator did not make a mistake. Your hair is pelo bueno (good hair)!  It is interesting to see all the videos on social media today where both mothers and fathers are caring for the hair of their daughters with Afro, or mixed-Afro hair.  It is particularly heart-warming to see the fathers telling and teaching their daughters they are beautiful and so is their hair. For those of us who grew up in prior generations, we have to do this work ourselves, and be grateful for the dawn of a new day when it becomes clear our hair was not a mistake by the Creator. —Olivia

Don’t miss my video, My Hair Journey: A Love Story