Big chop is a term typically associated with black women. It’s a period of transition usually from damaged hair to a bald or a semi-bald hairstyle. It’s also a period of insecurity, introspection, growth, anxiety, regret, self-doubt and lots of other feelings and emotions. It’s an opportunity for a healthy start. It becomes a period of ownership and acceptance after an initial period of grief over her former self. It’s ultimately confidence and esteem building and becomes a period of growth and self-acceptance. This practice has been normalized in black households and communities for years.

In 2020, during the social unrest white people experienced a big chop. Socially. The entire world came out and exposed the racism in our schools, art and art institutions, police forces, healthcare, nutrition, and pretty much everything else. Lots of white people felt targeted. Lots more felt anxiety, insecurity, exposed and some experienced identity issues. They grieved for their former selves. The world appeared to fundamentally change in a year and White was intentionally decentered for possibly the first time ever.

Right now we are in a period of transition. We now have an opportunity for new growth. To train ourselves to go a new, different more inclusive and healthy direction instead of against the grain. It’s time to own up to the past and acknowledge that “these things happened” no matter how embarrassing or unflattering so we can educate future generations using truth. We’re writing history in this very moment. What will the literature say you did with your opportunity to create a more fair and equitable existence with people of color?