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It's everywhere, still. I thought we made some progress in the 90s, but it's back with a vengeance. What pissed me off today? Well I was listening to one of the local hip hop channels today and they were doing this trivia game. The contestant bombed. The male dj made a comment about her protecting her weave. The contestant responded that she didn't have a weave. She has dread locs. Then the dumb butt female dj responds, "oh, wow." Like there is something wrong with locs. And no one said anything else, like that's just okay. We are a backwards people when we would rather see someone wearing someone else's hair than their own in a natural state. sickening.
I've dealt with some of this craziness in my own life. I have long, natural hair. I have a black friend, who is about 10 years younger than me, who is always talking about straightening my hair. She just keeps talking about how long it'll look. It's just weird. You'd think we would have made more progress than this by now. Of course there are a lot of people (many non black) who make a lot of money making sure we hate ourselves and our natural state.
if they tan because they think it is more socially acceptable than their natural pale skin, yes. I'm talking about black women, who have a particular set of image issues from living in a society that does not accept their natural beauty, but the cosmetic, beauty, hair, and weight loss industries would make a lot less money if they didn't make women feel insecure in some way. This is more than just insecurity, though. When only 33% of black women wear their hair natural and other bw are putting them down for sporting what God gave them, there is something wrong.
I've always wondered this,but how are dreadlocks considered natural hair?
I know its using your own hair,but don't you have to twist it into something its not?
I mainly consider afros,curly fro's,etc as natural hair.
I've always wondered this,but how are dreadlocks considered natural hair?
I know its using your own hair,but don't you have to twist it into something its not?
I mainly consider afros,curly fro's,etc as natural hair.
It's kind of what women just do and so do many men. If their hair is curly, they want to make it straight, if their hair is straight they want to make it curly --- check out how much money is spent on perms. If their eyebrows are thick, they'll pluck them thin, if they're short, they wear high heels to look taller, but if they're tall, they'll try to look shorter.
It's kind of what women just do and so do many men. If their hair is curly, they want to make it straight, if their hair is straight they want to make it curly --- check out how much money is spent on perms. If their eyebrows are thick, they'll pluck them thin, if they're short, they wear high heels to look taller, but if they're tall, they'll try to look shorter.
what you describe definitely crosses racial and cultural lines, but there are specific, hateful ideas outside and within the black community about our hair. take the term "good hair" for example. this is how hair that is closer to European hair is describe in the black community. I was always told I had "good hair" by people when I was a child, mostly because my hair grows very long and you can run your fingers through it fairly easily. I think, with the exception of its rapid growth, is pretty typical black hair. it shrinks when it dries and poofs up. but anyways, the black community has a whole thing about hair that is directly related to the colorism created during slavery. you couldn't get any closer to master than by having his baby with loose curls, sometimes red or blonde highlights. and of course your little mixed breed was better than all these nappy headed field Negros and their kids. your child is closer to massa than theirs even if he didn't officially claim her. long after slavery ended this mindset continued to poison our minds.
what you describe definitely crosses racial and cultural lines, but there are specific, hateful ideas outside and within the black community about our hair. take the term "good hair" for example. this is how hair that is closer to European hair is describe in the black community. I was always told I had "good hair" by people when I was a child, mostly because my hair grows very long and you can run your fingers through it fairly easily. I think, with the exception of its rapid growth, is pretty typical black hair. it shrinks when it dries and poofs up. but anyways, the black community has a whole thing about hair that is directly related to the colorism created during slavery. you couldn't get any closer to master than by having his baby with loose curls, sometimes red or blonde highlights. and of course your little mixed breed was better than all these nappy headed field Negros and their kids. your child is closer to massa than theirs even if he didn't officially claim her. long after slavery ended this mindset continued to poison our minds.
I am caucasian and had no clue that hair represented this kind of mythology in black culture, down to the historic references to slavery.
I have heard my black friends talk about "going natural" with their hair, but I just figured it was a desire to make a style change - I didn't realize it could be a thought process and may represent a statement about one's own self esteem or culture.
I think short afros are very chic.
Diana Ross has always had what I think of as "big hair" but isn't it more or less "natural?" I think her hair is amazing and beautiful. Why would anyone not want that sort of long hair?
I have very straight hair and I always wanted curly hair, so I have admired black women with full, bouncy hair. I never could figure out why someone would spend all that time straightening hair when there are so many glamorous ways to style natural hair (or what I presumed would be called "natural").
I also think it is very stylish and classy when a woman pulls her hair back and has a "puffy ponytail" instead of chignon.
You have really enlightened me about what a big deal hair is in the AA community.
It reminds me of the dark skin vs. light skin discussion I had with a black friend years back (once again, I had no idea that "lighter" skin was preferred as being more beautiful amongst many blacks). I am also reminded of the episode on Oprah - when she asked black children which were more preferable - blue eyes or brown eyes.
These are things that a child should just never have to hear or deal with. We are who we are; and assigning status based on physical details that we have no control over is so unfair. Seems like a self-esteem buster!!!
I say - do what makes you feel good about yourself. Hairstyles should be a fun thing in life, not something that carries other connotations with it.
I love this hairstyle and wish I could duplicate it for myself. Would this hairstyle be called "natural?"
It's everywhere, still. I thought we made some progress in the 90s, but it's back with a vengeance. What pissed me off today? Well I was listening to one of the local hip hop channels today and they were doing this trivia game. The contestant bombed. The male dj made a comment about her protecting her weave. The contestant responded that she didn't have a weave. She has dread locs. Then the dumb butt female dj responds, "oh, wow." Like there is something wrong with locs. And no one said anything else, like that's just okay. We are a backwards people when we would rather see someone wearing someone else's hair than their own in a natural state. sickening.
I've dealt with some of this craziness in my own life. I have long, natural hair. I have a black friend, who is about 10 years younger than me, who is always talking about straightening my hair. She just keeps talking about how long it'll look. It's just weird. You'd think we would have made more progress than this by now. Of course there are a lot of people (many non black) who make a lot of money making sure we hate ourselves and our natural state.
I can relate all too well to what you're saying. I used to have very long locs. This was back in the mid to late 90s when we had even fewer naturals than we have today. I can't even tell you how many ignorant comments I heard back then. I cut off my locs a few years ago and now I have long natural hair that's loose instead of in locs. I have one particular co-worker who's always asking me to flat iron my hair because she wants to see the length. I don't put heat on my hair. I do not straighten my hair. I have told her that I have absolutely no desire to do so, but she seems obsessed with seeing it straight. Mind you, this woman is just a co-worker, not a friend. None of my friends would ask me to straighten my hair because they know that's not what I'm about. Way too many black women still have a shackled mentality when it comes to natural hair. That's why there will always be a market for weaves and wigs and relaxers. Sad but true.
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