A Mask Of Braids

part of My Black Hair Stories by Sue-Ann Bel

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I'm in the first year of the theatre school. My hair is always braided. It's easy but heavy for the neck. I wear long thick black braids. They're so long that I use my braids as a tool when I'm performing. I hit them on the ground and I spin them around. And slowly, this hairstyle became part of my journey as a student and in finding my voice in the theatre field.

I live in the north of Amsterdam. My hairdresser is just around the corner. It might look like a normal apartment from the outside, but suddenly you find yourself in a hair salon, hidden on the first floor. You have to know it's there or happen to see the flashing red 'open' sign from the ground floor. Her name is Janneh. She braids quickly. Compared to my previous hairdressers, Janneh takes about one minute per braid. Janneh and I often talk about her children and the Senegalese music blasting from the speakers. I got used to the different women who came into the salon. One came to pour out her heart, another had an appointment and took a nap during the waiting time. Sometimes someone would come in, grab some strands of hair, and start braiding along. Janneh, she who provides a hairstyle in which I feel strong. but also a hairstyle that I didn't dare to change.

I sat down on the creaky barber's chair, removed the beanie from my head. I was always a bit shocked when I saw my own hair. I didn't really know who I saw in the mirror. Those few minutes without braids in my hair felt naked. Like I could put on and take off the person I was trying to be. After the first 5 rows of braids, I slowly saw myself coming back. This made me feel more and more comfortable. In total, I sat in the barber's chair for between 6 and 7 hours. Sometimes I helped with braiding, sometimes I did homework and sometimes I fell asleep. After a long day, I was finally done and I looked stunning. It was worth the wait.

The mirror showed me a young black woman. I looked tired but satisfied. Yes, I looked happy. This hairstyle would save me a lot of time. With this look I could keep up with the pace of society.

Want to know more about Sue-Ann Bel? Click here to read more.