Natural Highlight: Erika Williams

This week's natural highlight is super special to me. I chose someone near and dear to my heart. She is a sister from another mister to me. Erika Williams is an enlisted Army soldier, a model and a natural hair doll!!! She is from New Orleans, La. (Of Course my fave place) We met over 10 years ago when our people were dating. My first visit to New Orleans was so special because the people that I met were so different from anyone else I had EVER met. To this day,I still go see them whenever I pop into town. Once I started blogging about natural hair, her name was one of the first to come to mind. Her versatility is the thing that dreams are made of. From short fades to mid back length blown out hair, she makes art of it all. Ladies and gentlemen, Erika Williams.

Interview:

1. What do you enjoy most about being natural?

E: What I love most about being natural is the freedom to truly love my hair. It soooo versatile! Long gone are the days of scalp burns!!! YES LAWD, lol.

2. How long have you been natural?

E: I decided my senior year in high school that the creamy crack was whack (even though I was only getting relaxers once every 5 to 7 months) and haven’t looked back since. So to answer your question about 12 years.

3. What are your a favorite styles, if any?

E: Hhhmmmm my favorite styles, this is a hard one. I’ve done sssoooo much with my hair over the years, especially before I joined the military; color, different lengths, curly, straight, ECT. So I’ll say whatever complements me and doesn’t cause discomfort, lol.

4. Tell me something about yourself very few people know.

E: Something about me that very few people know about me...lol, wow, this is a hard one because I’m generally an "open book", about "surface stuff" anyway. So let me dig a little deeper, hhhmmmm. Well let’s see, I use to be considered a bit of a "wordsmith" but hit writers block when I came back from deployment. I’m getting back into it though... oh and I donate my hair to "locks of love". This last time was my third time over the past 12 years.

5. What has been the hardest challenge regarding your hair and staying natural?

E: The hardest thing for me is what I’m actually dealing with right now- THE AWKWARD GROW BACK STAGE.

6. How has dealing with people's reactions (negativity, etc) towards your hair been for you?

E: People usually don’t believe that my hair is mine from root to tip, most ask to touch it. Especially when I have it pressed straight. I’m like "all (ethnic) women don’t wear extensions!" now don’t get me wrong nothing’s wrong with extensions, especially when used in protective styling. But the whole "chile' stop lying, all that hair isn’t yours, well if it’s yours, let me feel it" just gets insulting, old and aggravating.

7. Keeping you hair nice as a civilian is one thing. How you stay within regs and also stay true to your personal style and taste with being in the service?

E: Well my natural hair hasn’t been an issue for me in the military because I usually keep it long. I will say though this grow back stage is completely different than when I was deployed; guess their were more important things than my hair to worry about. I believe that this time is more difficult than the last due to the unit I’m in. I am the ultimate minority here, lmao.

8. Top 5 favorite products?

E: Well right now I’m using the "curl junkie" line... I LOVE IT! Then there is the OYIN product line bother are either completely organic or mostly organic/natural. I also use GRO-AUT oil. I have used MISS JESSIE'S product line and I really liked it.

9. Worst Hair experience?

E: My worst hair experience I would have to say was recently. I got corn rows with hair added because I was slotted to go to a military course. Although it was pretty it was way too tight and I lost way more hair than I was comfortable with and I got scalp sores. I took them out after about 5 days.

10. What does being natural mean to you?

E: It keeps me grounded. Reminds me every day of where and who I come from. Especially since I’m in the military. Everything is on someone else’s terms, this is my quiet way of raging against the "machine" lol, I’m an artist (and I sensitive about my s#!t ).

To see more of Ms. E, follow her

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wilsing
IG: http://instagram.com/wilsing






Photo Credits: Erika Williams,Jafar M. Pierre, Mikel Brookins Photography,
FB: http://www.facebook.com/ireliw