My hair is part of me, an awesome part of me
I really love my hair!

Daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Willow Smith has just released the video for her new song “Whip My Hair” and the same time childrens programming stand-by Sesame Street broadcasted a song telling little Black girls to love their hair.

In 2002, Sesame Workshop announced that Takalani Sesame, an HIV-positive character would be introduced to Sesame Street in South Africa to address the needs of the numerous children there dealing with the disease in some way. It’s nice to see Sesame Street in the US able to make some powerful statements here and now.

Puppeteer and head writer at Sesame Street, Joey Mazzarino, adopted a little girl from Ethiopia named Segi who seemed to have difficulty embracing her own hair texture after playing with Barbie dolls with straight blond hair. Yeah, that’s the turning point for many, but this is a good a time as any to put this out there now that there are 2 little Black girls with cornrows (sometimes) in the White House, along with the now straight haired First lady, Michelle Obama.

Teaching little Black girls to love their hair is great because their natural hair really is natural. Hair straighteners introduce a whole set of caustic chemicals into one’s life that are actually totally unnecessary.

Don’t need a trip to the beauty shop,
’cause I love what I got on top.
It’s curly and it’s brown and it’s right up there!
You know what I love? That’s right, my hair!
I really love my hair.
I love my hair. I love my hair.
There’s nothing else that can compare with my hair.
I love my hair, so I must declare:
I really, really, really love my hair.
Wear a clippy or in a bow
Or let it sit in an afro
My hair looks good in a cornrow
It does so many things you know, that’s why I let it grow
I love my hair, I love my hair
I love it and I have to share
I love my hair, I love my hair!
I want to make the world aware I love my hair.
I wear it up. I wear down. I wear it twisted all around.
I wear braids and pigtails too.
I love all the things my hair can do.
In barrettes or flying free, ever perfect tresses you’ll see
My hair is part of me, an awesome part of me
I really love my hair!