Relax, Simone Biles’ Edges Owe You Nothing

6 min readMay 2

Sometimes, Black women can be their own worst enemy

I am rolling my eyes as I type this. As a Black American woman who has long since embraced the natural hair movement, this conversation is becoming tiring. Nevertheless, it’s one that will continue to be had until it is no longer necessary. So, let’s get into it.

We are Gathered Here Today…

I’m not going to lie; I gathered the girls today to roast, gag and snatch edges. However, I have learned to be more gentle with my words, so I will attempt to get my point across without stepping on any toes. Either way, if you are still a Black woman policing other women’s hair, can you do us all a favor: STOP!

As a woman with a kinkier hair texture, I was tired of this conversation in childhood. Personally, I never understood why the Black community, and people in general, were so fixated on Black girls/women’s hair. I could never fathom why people seemed to assign value to Black women based on hair texture or even their chosen hairstyle for the moment. It’s almost as if some people believe that our collective freedom is somehow tied to what Black women have beneath their head scarves.

Simone Biles’ Big News

In case you missed it, Simone Biles is married! That’s right, one of the most talented, well-decorated gymnasts of our time chose to get married (to a Black man) during the height of her career. Personal politics aside, these are the ‘Black Love’ stories that many seem to be pining for. And in a community that constantly berates women for being unwed, you would think this would be a cause for celebration. I mean, a young woman has hopefully found unconditional love in a world that now champions hook-up culture and microwavable relationships. Can’t we just be happy for her?!