Coworker comments.....

[tthreat08]

Okay so this morning I was chatting with a co-worker (vanilla counterpart) about some article she found stating that curvy chicks are brighter (more intelligent) than others. Anyhow, we somehow drifted off into hair and she was talking about how her friend (obviously chocolate like me) can't grow her hair because it always breaks off at shoulder length. I was like "OK". So the conversation continues and I start talking about my daughter and how she want's to wear her hair straight now that she's 9 (....yeah right-I digress), but that would be a lot of maintenance due to the length and mainly THICKNESS of her hair. Let alone I have another daughter and myself to manage. Anyhow, she's like "Her hair grows?" I'm like.
So I say, "Well OF COURSE her hair grows". She was like "will your hair grow too?" I'm thinking YOU IDIOT!-DON'T YOU SEE ME UP IN HERE? Now I am wearing a bun today, but I have worn my hair out often enough for her to notice it's beyond shoulder length and not chewed off and broken. I mean GEES! Okay, that's my workplace vent.

Ay Dios Mio!

 

[SparklingFlame]

Is she blonde?

 

[tthreat08]

Not a natural blonde, but you are on the right track...

 

[HAIRapy]

Is her first name Jessica? Last name Simpson? Did she move on in her conversation with you to talk about Chicken of the Sea??

 

[tiffers]

In the words of Michael Jackson: Ignorant..... Just ignorant

 

[tthreat08]

I know! Tell me about it! I can deal with some ignorance, but this type of in-your-face stupidity teases my sarcastic side. I try HARD to keep my affinity toward sarcasm in check at work, but they won't LET me!

 

[ChocoKitty]

My goodness... The things that come out of some peoples mouths ... Just *genius*!

 

[Chromia]

That's like when I told an Asian friend, who I've known since high school, that I bought a headband to hold my hair back when I wash my face. She didn't realize that my hair moves. She was like "Your hair gets in your face when you wash it?". Uh, yeah, if I'm leaning forward my hair is going to move forward.

 

[Kurlee]

Comments like this are soo annoying because for our hair to literally NOT grow out of our scalps is such a weird concept, like there is something wrong with us that our hair doesn't grow or "move", like its (our hair) or we (balck people) are not normal. Our skin is browner than theirs (referring to clear people) and our features are a little different but geesh its like asking a short person if they can pee, because they are short. It just doesn't make sense, hair growing is a natural bodily function jus like peeing, poohing and breathing. i do however don't think it was malicious, just ignorance

 

[tthreat08]

Comments like this are soo annoying because for our hair to literally NOT grow out of our scalps is such a weird concept, like there is something wrong with us that our hair doesn't grow or "move", like its (our hair) or we (balck people) are not normal. Our skin is browner than theirs (referring to clear people) and our features are a little different but geesh its like asking a short person if they can pee, because they are short. It just doesn't make sense, hair growing is a natural bodily function jus like peeing, poohing and breathing. i do however don't think it was malicious, just ignorance

Too funny!

Yeah, I agree it's ignorance most of the time. But what irritates me is that some people don't even TRY to learn about us. They don't even TRY to lump us in with the rest of the human race.

 

[tthreat08]

That's like when I told an Asian friend, who I've known since high school, that I bought a headband to hold my hair back when I wash my face. She didn't realize that my hair moves. She was like "Your hair gets in your face when you wash it?". Uh, yeah, if I'm leaning forward my hair is going to move forward.

Yeah, that's dumb. Reminds me of the time I had braids in college and I told my lab partner that I put my hair through a stretching machine to sretch out all the curls so it could be longer....and she believed me. She'd asked me how my hair got so long when the day before it was a Halle Berry style but now was BSL braids. She MADE me say that to her. I couldn't resist.

 

[Kurlee]

Too funny!

Yeah, I agree it's ignorance most of the time. But what irritates me is that some people don't even TRY to learn about us. They don't even TRY to lump us in with the rest of the human race.

Thats the part that gets me like we're some weird mutated deviation of a clear person, but I guess in time, eventually they'll realize that we walk, talk and grow hair just like them

 

[Connie]

I wonder what these cretins think when they see a Black man with a shaved head one day and then a month later--if not sooner--his head is covered with thick hair. Or a black man or woman with locs hanging down their back? If that's not proof that our hair does grow, I don't know what is.

On the other hand, I had white co-workers look surprised when they notice that I get a tan in the summer if I'm out in the sun long enough, and one Einstein even asked me if I got a few shades darker in the summer, would I lighten back up in the wintertime. Yes, folks, this sorry display of intelligence and common sense really did happen.

 

[BrooklynSouth]

Okay so this morning I was chatting with a co-worker (vanilla counterpart) about some article she found stating that curvy chicks are brighter (more intelligent) than others. Anyhow, we somehow drifted off into hair and she was talking about how her friend (obviously chocolate like me) can't grow her hair because it always breaks off at shoulder length. I was like "OK". So the conversation continues and I start talking about my daughter and how she want's to wear her hair straight now that she's 9 (....yeah right-I digress), but that would be a lot of maintenance due to the length and mainly THICKNESS of her hair. Let alone I have another daughter and myself to manage. Anyhow, she's like "Her hair grows?" I'm like.
So I say, "Well OF COURSE her hair grows". She was like "will your hair grow too?" I'm thinking YOU IDIOT!-DON'T YOU SEE ME UP IN HERE? Now I am wearing a bun today, but I have worn my hair out often enough for her to notice it's beyong shoulder length and not chewed off and broken. I mean GEES! Okay, that's my workplace vent.

Ay Dios Mio!

Kinda dumb for sure but how many people across all color lines believe the same thing? Black people believe it, how many times have we all tried to hip other black women to the 'secrets' of healthy hair growing and received the glassy, dead fish eyes or the "yeah right"? I can usually count to 10
or higher before I see a healthy head of black woman hair when I'm out.
I used to have many disagreements with people about everybody's hair being able to grow{unless medically not} until I now just keep it quiet.

 

[kittenz]

Yeah, that's dumb. Reminds me of the time I had braids in college and I told my lab partner that I put my hair through a stretching machine to sretch out all the curls so it could be longer....and she believed me. She'd asked me how my hair got so long when the day before it was a Halle Berry style but now was BSL braids. She MADE me say that to her. I couldn't resist.

***leaving to go breathe***

 

[soonergirl]

It just goes to show if you dont look like them, they dont care. They arent interested in anything that is different from them.. Most non-blacks are very shallow people.... Its amazing how so many of us look at indian cultures, dominican cultures for hair care, and "their" products work awesome on AA hair....Ever see any non-blacks inquire about our hair practices???

 

[NYAmicas]

I wonder what these cretins think when they see a Black man with a shaved head one day and then a month later--if not sooner--his head is covered with thick hair. Or a black man or woman with locs hanging down their back? If that's not proof that our hair does grow, I don't know what is.

On the other hand, I had white co-workers look surprised when they notice that I get a tan in the summer if I'm out in the sun long enough, and one Einstein even asked me if I got a few shades darker in the summer, would I lighten back up in the wintertime. Yes, folks, this sorry display of intelligence and common sense really did happen.

Some of the stories in here are just wow......

 

[girlyprincess23]

This may not be the general consensus but I feel bad for them more than mad at them. They're really at a disadvantage being so ignorant of other races. I dont think many mean to be offensive but they just have to thank their parents and grandparents for leaving them in complete isolation and stupidity. I mean it's really not their fault it wasn't too long ago (about 40 years) when a town in NC tried to lynch a ten year old black boy for participating in a "kissing game" initiated by a little seven year old white girl. So their ignorance in light of the seperation of the races in practically everything is not surprising. You learn by asking right?

 

[1QTPie]

We perpetuate that nonsense because they don't understand our lingo. When SOME of us say, "Man my hair won't grow, it breaks off at shoulder length" we know that we don't mean it doesn't grow. They don't understand that though.

Oprah, when she had Hillary Swank on there last week fell into that trap. Hillary said she decided to let her hair grow out for 6 months so she could donate 9 inches.

Oprah interrupted and said something like, "you white girls can do that, it takes us 17 years to grow our hair."

 

[HoneyA]

Is she blonde?

My first thought....In my mind when I pictured the conversation, she was blonde with eyes like a deer...Why don't people know when to shut up?!

 

[girlyprincess23]

You know even some black people are inadvertantly ignorant. I was explaining to some pseudo family members (long story about lesbian lovers and stuff period point blank if the people involved weren't lesbians they would have been allowed to marry 10 years ago when they met and they would be real family members, bit i digress) that it was possible to have long hair you just have to take care of it and protect it. Somebody saif something about not growing and I just looked at them like what are you smoking? if you're hair didn't grow would you have to keep going and getting relaxers every 6-8 weeks? They said that makes sense. I was like of course it does!!!

 

[stinastina]

In the words of Michael Jackson: Ignorant..... Just ignorant

Hee hee ! Jammonit !
You must have seen that episode of South Park with Mr. Jefferson, I presume !

 

[Hair Iam]

That's like when I told an Asian friend, who I've known since high school, that I bought a headband to hold my hair back when I wash my face. She didn't realize that my hair moves. She was like "Your hair gets in your face when you wash it?". Uh, yeah, if I'm leaning forward my hair is going to move forward.

 

[Hair Iam]

Thats the part that gets

me like we're some weird mutated deviation of a clear person,

but I guess in time, eventually they'll realize that we walk, talk and grow hair just like them

this thread is too funny

 

[Bosslady1]

Is her first name Jessica? Last name Simpson? Did she move on in her conversation with you to talk about Chicken of the Sea??

Haaaaaa!

 

[Hair Iam]

We perpetuate that nonsense because they don't understand our lingo. When SOME of us say, "Man my hair won't grow, it breaks off at shoulder length" we know that we don't mean it doesn't grow. They don't understand that though.

Oprah, when she had Hillary Swank on there last week fell into that trap. Hillary said she decided to let her hair grow out for 6 months so she could donate 9 inches.

Oprah interrupted and said something like, "you white girls can do that, it takes us 17 years to grow our hair."

No...she did not!

 

[texasqt]

Be careful tthreat08! The next time you wear your hair straight I'm sure you'll feel 5-digits massaging your head for you! Since you said she's seen your hair down, I'm sure she thinks its a weave. She's planning for a weave-check right now!

 

[frizzy]

You should have went back to the original conversation and told her how narrow her hips are erplexed

 

[Barbara]

There is a popular myth that African American hair will not grow. That's why it’s prevalent to see beauty supply stores in African American neighborhoods saturated with floor to ceiling, wall to wall hair weaves, extensions, wigs, etc., especially in beauty supply stores owned by Asians. The majority of their customers are African Americans, so what else are they suppose to believe? We as a whole were never taught how to take care of our hair. Thank God for hair salons, because my hair would never receive compliments from friends, workmates, relatives and strangers. Years later, I learned about Wanakee Verifen Complex products and realized that a lot of things I was doing was beneficial to my hair—even though I wasn’t aware of it. I applied new techniques that Wanakee recommended; then it really took off to the surprise of my stylist. My stylist doesn’t recommend daily washing for African Americans. He feels that once a week is fine, though, because he said yeas ago: “Our hair is too fragile, and it is the weakest of all nationalities. African American women as a whole don’t know how to take care of their hair.” Incidentally, his customers have the longest hair than any of the other customers in the salon.

The Asians that I work with and the ones in my beauty salon know that some of us don't need to add hair to our head to make it long. They are astonished to see our hair gradually grow to bra clasp or waist length. I have even had my hair washed and detangled by my Vietnamese manicurist several times when my stylist gets backed up. So some of them know, but even Whites say the same thing: “African American hair just don’t grow.” This is what they were taught.

Some African American women don’t want to work with their hair. They want it to be black, straight and shiny like Asians hair, so they demand their stylist that it’s dyed jet black and pressed extremely hard. It started falling out in clots. Then they want to be really creative with their hair, and their hair cannot handle the daily abuse, because it’s fragile. As I told my coworker: “We have to work with our hair, not work against it, and that’s where the problem lies.” Then they turn to wigs, weaves (which my stylist says that’s not good for the hair in the long run), braids, dyed, perm, etc. I’ve seen it all with my coworker.

She’s been obsessed with her hair all her life, and when all the weaves, braids, etc., are removed, her stylist has to cut her real hair short because of the abuse her hair has suffered. She’s always asking me questions about my hair even before I stumbled across the Wanakee Verifen Complex products. When I learned about Wanakee’s regimen, I let her copy the brochure, and she’s seen the products shipped into the office. In fact, she brings the boxes to me, and I showed the items to her--but she’s going to do what she wants to do, because as she says: “But I want my hair to be this way or that way,” so what else can I say? Nothing much.

 

[caribeandiva]

it's easy to call the coworker ignorant but you have to realize that's what she mostly sees. In the real world most black women can't get their hair to get any longer or their kid's hair for that matter. True she didn't say it in a good way but don't throw her to the dogs completely either.