I Am Not My Hair

[00:00.08] Is that India?
[00:01.23] What happened to her hair?
[00:02.51]
[00:13.36] Little girl with the press and curl
[00:15.75] Age eight, I got a Jheri curl
[00:18.19] 13 and I got a relaxer
[00:20.52] I was a source of so much laughter
[00:23.16] At 15 when it all broke off
[00:25.47] 18 and I went all natural
[00:28.05] February 2002, I
[00:30.46] Went on and did what I had to do
[00:32.71] Because it was time to change my life
[00:34.97] To become the woman that I am inside
[00:37.63] '97 dreadlocks all gone
[00:39.71] I looked in the mirror for the first time and saw that hey
[00:44.07] I am not my hair
[00:46.45] I am not this skin
[00:48.82] I am not your expectations, no, no
[00:53.70] I am not my hair
[00:56.05] I am not this skin
[00:58.61] I am a soul that lives within
[01:03.07] What'd she do to her hair?
[01:04.31] I don't know, it look crazy
[01:06.06] I like it, I might do that
[01:08.58] Uh, I wouldn't go that far
[01:12.40] Good hair means curls and waves
[01:14.87] Bad hair means you look like a slave
[01:17.30] At the turn of the century
[01:18.83] It's time for us to redefine who we be
[01:21.41] You can shave it off like a South African beauty
[01:23.81] Or get in on lock like Bob Marley
[01:26.78] You can rock it straight like Oprah Winfrey
[01:28.40] If it's not what's on your head
[01:30.06] It's what's underneath and say, hey
[01:32.75] I am not my hair
[01:35.25] I am not this skin
[01:37.65] I am not your expectations no no
[01:42.58] I am not my hair
[01:45.12] I am not this skin
[01:47.42] I am a soul that lives within
[01:50.73] (Whoa, whoa, whoa)
[01:53.08] Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person?
[01:55.33] (Whoa, whoa, whoa)
[01:57.80] Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend? Oh
[02:00.72] (Whoa, whoa, whoa)
[02:02.53] Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity?
[02:05.48] (Whoa, whoa, whoa)
[02:06.77] I am expressing my creativity
[02:10.65] Breast cancer and chemotherapy
[02:12.79] Took away her crown and glory
[02:15.63] She promised God if she was to survive
[02:17.98] She would enjoy every day of her life, oh
[02:20.56] On national television
[02:23.05] Her diamond eyes are sparkling
[02:25.33] Bald headed like a full moon shining
[02:27.75] Singing out to the whole wide world like, hey
[02:31.14] I am not my hair (I am not my hair)
[02:33.60] I am not this skin
[02:36.16] I am not your expectations, no
[02:41.07] I am not my hair
[02:43.71] I am not this skin
[02:46.08] I am a soul that lives within
[02:50.75] I am not my hair
[02:53.11] I am not this skin
[02:55.93] I am not your expectations, no, no
[03:00.31] I am not my hair
[03:02.67] I am a soul that lives within
[03:05.49] I am a soul that lives within
[03:09.49] Oh, if I wanna shave it close or I wanna rock the locks
[03:11.19] That'll take a bit away from the soul that I got
[03:18.32] If I wanna wear it braided all down my back
[03:21.53] I don't see nothing wrong with that
[03:25.49]