I have no problems with WW being featured or sharing information with them or getting information from them.
I don't care if they participate or want to "hang" with us. We are all women and women share beauty secrets. So let's share.
My one and ONLY problem is the claim that Caucasian and African American women share the same struggle. That we share with Caucasian women the same root causes of the "come up" of the natural hair movement for women of color who are the descendants of slaves in the United States.
No. Just NO. Do not claim your ability to now embrace your curls is the same as mine. It IS NOT!
Too many women in the thread and others have elaborated on this point for me to attempt to just repeat the same points over and over again. So I won't.
So come on in and share. But don't belittle what I've been through by calling it the "same".
When I read that she has been natural all her life....I stopped reading. My first gut reaction was "so....ummmm....what's the big deal? Why are you here then? What's the transition for YOU? It's just your hair. Always has been." Girl bye.
I know WW who are embracing their curls, natural hair color, Etc for the first time in their lives. And many of the ones I know personally express that I inspired them to do so. Exact words of one woman in her 60's who describes her hair as "horrible frizzy black girl curls". She said to me "I figured if YOU can embrace your curls after all YOUR people have been through surrounding hair, then what's MY problem. I got it easy compared to YOU".
She meant that in the most respectful non racist way she could muster up to express. (Yes. I checked her for the horrible hair comment. ). But that just goes to show, traditionally in the country the worst kind of hair you could have is hair like a Black girl?! Wth!
But despite the sadness I found in what she said to me, I think she said it best as representing how lots of WW should feel about us. She is trying to acknowledge my struggle. I respectfully acknowledge hers. BUT the struggle is different. Period. End of story.
Self acceptance is easier when the only person condemning you is YOU.
Self acceptance comes harder when you come through generations of a nation of haters who had the power to oppress you and enslave you. Tell you that you and your hair and your skin and everything about you is not only inferior but horribly ugly and sets the standard for ugly.
Yeah....sorry, Becky. It's not the same. And the minute you respect that is the minute I will share my hot six oil with you.