Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, a black woman, recently spoke at the world famous Bronner Brothers International Health Expo. Imagine that! At the Expo, Dr. Benjamin urged Black women to choose their health over their hair, stating that many Black women will choose to preserve their hairstyle over exercising and staying healthy. “Oftentimes you get women saying, ‘I can’t exercise today because I don’t want to sweat my hair back or get my hair wet,’ ” said Dr. Benjamin. “When you’re starting to exercise, you look for reasons not to, and sometimes the hair is one of those reasons.”
Dr. Benjamin is to be applauded for making Black women’s health and fitness a priority. At a time when the media is obsessed with Black women’s need for the weave, Dr. Benjamin is reminding us of something more important than the price of a new “hairdo” --maintaining a healthy lifestyle so that we don’t fall to diseases such as cancer and diabetes. There is no way around it, Black women should stay active and exercise regardless of the way they wear their hair.
Too often Black women are told they must choose exercise over their hair, as if both things are mutually exclusive. It is important to know that you can have the best of both worlds—a great hairstyle you love and a lifestyle that keeps physical fitness at the forefront. We don’t have to choose between being healthy or a fabulous hairstyle. The good news is that we can have it all.
On November 5th, the West Angeles CDC along with AARP and the American Health Association will host the 2nd Annual My Hair, My Health, an event that will equip, empower, and educate women of color to have the best of both worlds: hair and health. There will be a panel discussion on hair, health, and nutrition as well as a presentation on Long Term Care Education and planning for the life we want to live. The event will dispel myths about hair and healthy lifestyles and will offer a wealth of information about maintaining a healthy lifestyle without sacrificing your hair.
We hope that you can join us for My Hair, My Health. For more information, log onto westangelescdc.org.
--Tunua Thrash is the Executive Director of the West Angeles Community Development Corporation. The West Angeles CDC is a holistic community development organization that provides outreach and assistance for low-income neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The West Angeles CDC is co-sponsoring the 2nd Annual My Hair, My Health with AARP and the American Heart Association. The event is a part of a week-long series of events from AARP, “To Serve, not be Served.” For more information, log on to AARP.org.
