, ▁" counter - polit ic ized ▁the ▁sign ifier ▁of ▁eth nic ▁de val or ization , ▁re def ining ▁Black ness ▁as ▁a ▁positive ▁attribute ". ▁By ▁we aring ▁their ▁hair ▁as ▁it ▁naturally ▁grows , ▁individuals ▁with ▁af ro - text ured ▁hair ▁were ▁taking ▁back ▁ag ency ▁in ▁dec iding ▁the ▁value ▁and ▁politics ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁hair . ▁W ear ing ▁one ' s ▁hair ▁naturally ▁also ▁opens ▁up ▁a ▁new ▁debate : ▁Are ▁those ▁who ▁decide ▁to ▁still ▁wear ▁their ▁hair ▁straight ened , ▁for ▁example , ▁less ▁' Black ' ▁or ▁' pr oud ' ▁of ▁their ▁her itage , ▁than ▁those ▁who ▁decide ▁to ▁wear ▁their ▁hair ▁naturally ? ▁This ▁debate ▁is ▁an ▁often - ongo ing ▁topic ▁of ▁discussion ▁within ▁the ▁community . ▁The ▁issue ▁is ▁highly ▁deb ated ▁and ▁disput ed , ▁creating ▁almost ▁a ▁social ▁divide ▁within ▁the ▁community ▁between ▁those ▁who ▁decide ▁to ▁be ▁natural ▁and ▁those ▁who ▁do ▁not . ▁ ▁E man cip ation ▁and ▁post - C ivil ▁War ▁After ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁em an cip ation , ▁many ▁African - Amer icans ▁migr ated ▁to ▁larger ▁towns ▁or ▁cities , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁influenced ▁by ▁new ▁styles . ▁The ▁photos ▁below ▁show ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁women ▁leaders ▁with ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁styles ▁with ▁natural ▁hair . ▁O thers ▁straight ened ▁their ▁hair ▁to ▁conform ▁to ▁White ▁beauty ▁ide als . ▁They ▁wanted ▁to ▁succeed , ▁and ▁to ▁avoid ▁mist re at ment