The afro — the natural hairstyle forever synonymous with the “black is beautiful” movement championed by black Americans in the 1960s — is making a comeback in the Ivory Coast.
A group is trying to persuade black women to turn the page on their expensive hair-straighteners, extensions and wigs and go natural instead.
Founded more than two years ago, the support group Nappys de Babi now boasts some 2,400 members, meeting every two months in Ivory Coast’s economic capital Abidjan to share advice, tips, and practical help about keeping their hair natural. The group bucks a deeply ingrained belief all across Africa that straight hair conforms best to an ideal of beauty.
Photo: AFP
照片：法新社
“Society frowns on ’afro’ hair overflowing all over the place,” says Miriam Diaby, one of the group’s founders. She laments that women have to opt for “conventional” styles involving straightening or using false hair in the form of extensions or wigs.
Going against the grain is deemed provocative. “People are uncomfortable about it. When they see you wearing natural hair, they look at you like you are a pariah, like there is a problem, when actually, it should be normal,” said 27-year-old Liliana Lambert.
(AFP)
非洲頭─也就是被視為與一九六零年代非裔美國人主張「黑即是美」運動同義詞的自然髮型─現正在象牙海岸重新流行起來。
當地一個組織正試圖說服黑人女性改變原本使用的昂貴直髮劑、接髮和假髮，恢復原本的自然髮型開創新面貌。
這個名為Nappys de Babi的支援組織是在兩年前成立，目前會員據稱已達兩千四百人，他們每兩個月在象國經濟首府阿比尚集會一次，分享美髮建議、秘訣和實際幫助，讓會員們維持自然髮型。這個組織反對全非各地認為直髮才最符合美貌理想的根深蒂固觀念。
「社會不贊成自然流瀉的『非洲式』髮型，」該組織創辦人之一米莉安‧狄雅比說。她感嘆女性必須因此設法把頭髮變直，或選擇使用接髮或假髮等的「傳統」髮型。
與社會風俗背道而馳被視為是種挑釁。「人們對這種髮型感到很不自在。當他們發現你留著自然髮型時，會用看待怪物的眼神看你，好像你有問題，但事實上這才應該是正常狀態。」二十七歲的莉里安娜‧藍伯特說。
（法新社／翻譯：俞智敏）
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