Philosophy
Empress of Lurking
A very well done article and video:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/o...ral-hair.html?_r=1&ref=blackcultureandhistory
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/01/o...ral-hair.html?_r=1&ref=blackcultureandhistory
VIDEO- NYTIMES: Black Women's Transition to Natural Hair
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runwaydream
Well-Known Member
in the beginning of the video i thought that the hair looked awful on her, but by the end i thought she looked beautiful. maybe its bc as the video progressed she became more self confident and i was then able to see the beauty she and her hair held. either way, this was a really great video.
AltheaGarden
New Member
It was nice, I like it. I'm glad to see natural hair being more normalized both within black culture and society in general.
I read through some of the comments. Many of them are from white women saying that they can identify with the video. You know, when people can find common ground and identify with something together, this can help lessen racial/prejudice attitudes. But at the same time, someone that isn't black saying that they understand what it's like to be pressured to conform, I'm like, you do? Regarding kink/curly hair, I think that just saying that you know what it's like because you (a person with loose curls/waves) feel pressured to flat-iron/blow dry/relax your curls away allows you to ignore/erase the fact that those with kinky/curly hair face different social pressures than those with loose curls/waves. I feel bad to think about it because I'm not trying to disregard these women's feelings, but I feel that they should be more understanding the racialized history of kinky/curly hair.
I read through some of the comments. Many of them are from white women saying that they can identify with the video. You know, when people can find common ground and identify with something together, this can help lessen racial/prejudice attitudes. But at the same time, someone that isn't black saying that they understand what it's like to be pressured to conform, I'm like, you do? Regarding kink/curly hair, I think that just saying that you know what it's like because you (a person with loose curls/waves) feel pressured to flat-iron/blow dry/relax your curls away allows you to ignore/erase the fact that those with kinky/curly hair face different social pressures than those with loose curls/waves. I feel bad to think about it because I'm not trying to disregard these women's feelings, but I feel that they should be more understanding the racialized history of kinky/curly hair.
Meritamen
On a happy hair journey
Very nicely done. I liked seeing all the styles and different curls. I hope as more women transition to natural and grow out their hair that there will be even more interesting styles created for our texture. I have noticed that curly heads are popping up more in TV ads which makes me excited every time I see them but she's right, it's not often found on magazine covers just yet which is a shame.
I see what you're saying. They may understand how having a curlier hair texture can affect your self-esteem, but not your mentality, your relationships, and your job opportunities. For them it would be something compared to experiencing pimples when you're a teenager, but for us a lot of times its a matter of being ourselves versus conforming to what others want. That isn't to say that those who straighten their hair or do get relaxers are "conforming," but I rather not have anyone hold expectations of me due to my hair one way or the other. Whether I be natural or relaxed it should be for my own sake.
Carmelella
Well-Known Member
AltheaGarden said:
I think you can never really know a person till u live with them and see how they really live. About white ppl not understanding because they have loose curls, well I recently went on vacation with a white coworker and she washes her hair every day. This was the first time that I saw that she had curly/wavy hair and not bone straight because every single day at work, every single pic on FB, has her with straight hair. The process of her blow drying her hair and then flat ironing took nearly two hours. And she does this every single day. One day, we're pretty much running late and she still has to do her hair. I tell her to skip the flat ironing, her hair looks great, let's go! She thought I was crazy and said that she would never ever ever walk out the house like that cuz she hated her wavy hair. The other white girl, though quicker than the first, agreed.
I can't imagine washing, blow drying and flat ironing my hair for TWO HOURS every day before work. Somewhere along the line she was brainwashed to think her hair was ugly and couldn't even go outside for breakfast in a foreign country without straight hair.
By that time I was like well damn if you're so sensitive put a scarf on it and keep it moving. Till that day I didn't know white ppl could be so obsessed either.
AltheaGarden
New Member
Poor word choice on my end. I do realize hair choices are made for various reasons, not everything needs to be politicized
My bad 
I just feel that women with loose curls aren't ostracized to the same degree as women with kinky hair.
AltheaGarden
New Member
Right I get what you mean. I have had several white female roommates with some pretty unique haircare regimens. I had a few with curly hair that spent hours with blow dryers and flatirons because they didn't want/like curly hair on themselves. But I guess that point I was making, the social pressure isn't the same, or at least I don't feel as though it is
southerncitygirl
Well-Known Member
nice vid it was well exceuted. i have to say i feel some kinda of way about white women comparing our struggle to their own. not wearing our hair in its natural state has been critical for our survival and interaction with them whether it was to get a job or other necessities. also with this eurocentric beauty standard white women, straighten and dye their hair blonde for superficial reasons i.e. to be perceived as pretty or get a man. for too long our hair has been perceived as threatening, dirty or ugly just like our skin color and spirituality. i feel like white people are always trying to discredit our journeys/struggles due to their sense of entitlement and privilige the world over.
LightEyedMami
New Member
I am such a sap!!!....I was near tears watching the video??.. 
, and i was like 'am i seriously tearing up"...smh....Thanks for posting
, and i was like 'am i seriously tearing up"...smh....Thanks for posting
allmundjoi
New Member
She looked great with the short cut. The previous hair style did not do her justice. I loved the very brief article/video.
allmundjoi
New Member
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itsallaboutattitude
Cancer Support in Health
Glad to see this got posted here.
I've been reading through the comments for what seems like hours. Very interesting interpretations posted there.
Personal journeys are just that, personal to the person journeying. Not sure why people didn't get that.
I've been reading through the comments for what seems like hours. Very interesting interpretations posted there.
Personal journeys are just that, personal to the person journeying. Not sure why people didn't get that.
Oh no, I was trying to say that I agree with you, just making sure I didn't bash anyone while I did it which I why I said it in the way that I did. I honestly don't believe a white woman who deciedes to accept her curly hair can completely and fully relate to a black person who used to perm for reasons xyz with curly or kinky hair.Poor word choice on my end. I do realize hair choices are made for various reasons, not everything needs to be politicized
ellebelle88
Well-Known Member
DarkJoy Goodness! What happened when the relaxer fell into your eyes? Did it burn? What did you do to get it out?
That's because they can't. I had the most frustrating and awkward conversation with a white colleague when she tried to tell me she was exactly like me in terms of our hair and that our struggles were the same. She tried to give me a story about how growing up she was embarrassed by her curls. She said she finally cut her hair this year and she felt liberated. She's also been married for 5 years by the way.
That's all well and good but we don't have the same struggles honey. You will never be called a "nappy headed hoe." You will never know what it feels like for a guy to tell you that they don't like (any!) women with kinky or nappy hair (regardless of how the woman looks). You will never feel like you might miss out on a job interview if her hair doesn't make her look "smart" or "professional" enough. I can go on and on but our struggles are completely different.
allmundjoi
New Member
ellebelle88 said:
It is kind of insulting, naive and ignorant in her assumption that yall have shared struggles, but insulting. I see that a lot in privileged folks, especially the ones who refuse to acknowledge their privilege.
I had an extensive surgery on my knee and was on crutches for a few months-completely non weight bearing on my right lower extremity. I would never tell a man with missing leg that I know his struggles. I can only empathize with him.
DarkJoy
Bent. Not Broken.
@ellebelle88: It was crazy. I had to make a decision--my hair or my eyes! That's a no-brainer-right? In the end, I got lucky--I wear contact lenses and the lens saved my vision. I took it out and was washing my eye under the sink with one hand, while on the phone with 911 in the other. Of course, at the same time, the ish on my scalp started burning but i kept washing the eye! I rinses nonstop for the 10 mins it took the fire dept and ambulance to arrive, then they continued washing it with saline for another 20mins or so.
When they came, I DID have to wash the relaxer out my hair--my scalp was on fire! but no time to put on the neutralizer. I had 2nd degree chemical burns all over. My hair was way overprocessed but it didnt wash out in the sink.
Followed up in the ER and it was a miracle from God--not even any scar tissue or vision changes. It was a sign that the chemical nonsense had to stop. Wore my hair in braids for a cpl years after that.
DarkJoy
Bent. Not Broken.
Yes, yes and yes! It always makes me feel some kinda way when they even TRY to compare struggles. They are held up as the literal poster girl of perfection since the founding of this country. It really is not just about hair--so what if a WW has a wave or curl? Like you said, she will never be downed for the core of what she is in entirety. For her, yes, it really IS just hair! For us, it's so much more... that, they will never understand.
AltheaGarden
New Member
I was at work having a interesting conversation about hair with a male white customer. He used to have really long dreads, but had just recently cut them off. His hair has loose curls, and he told me that his curls used to be tighter. I'm like, wow that's weird because I can't even tell. So he keeps talking, then he says, yeah but my hait wasn't as nappy as yours. I was so mad, and I told him that he had no right to call my hair nappy because it's an insult, regardless how you meant it. Then he was like, no it's okay because I call my own hair nappy. So I'm standing there arguing with this guy about the term nappy, and he still doesn't get it. He didn't take into consideration the negativity of the word, only that "Hey we're the same! I have nappy/curly hair too!" Some people think they're so post-racial and that they can relate to everything when they really can't.
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ontheqtrain
New Member
About time. The video showcased natural hair beautifully.
ellebelle88
Well-Known Member
DarkJoy Whew! I'm glad you are alright girl. That was some experience! Your scalp will heal but at least you have your eyesight.
NubianPrize
Active Member
Great video! I' m natural again after a MASSIVE Afro in the 60's-70's followed by over 20 yrs of curly perms. I had one disastrous relaxer as a teen which turned my naturally jet black hair dk brown
& made it break off & it wouldn't hold curls even when set on rollers. I never really liked dead straight hair;liked curls & waves;thought they were prettier
. I agree about white ppl really not understanding our hair experience: the good vs bad hair,folks marrying to get good hair & light skin (including inbreeding with cousins or other light folks) ,job problems,"paper bag tests" to get into black society,& all the family & relationship issues it caused. However white women do have hair issues, like the girl who washed & flat ironed for 2 hrs daily to avoid showing natural waves. I've met many like that. Used to wonder yrs ago what happened to all the cute curly headed white kids when they grew up. Not many curly adults. Then I went to college /high school with them & saw their real prejudice against curly hair. In the 60's they set it on Minute Maid orange juice cans or used REAL clothes irons & ironing boards. Some used perms. ANYTHING to get it straight. Some older folks said they did it to keep from looking like they may've had some BLACK ANCESTRY !!! Then in the 60's they started "coming out",
esp the Jewish kids who called their afro-looking curls "Jew fros". Now I see lots more curly whites & some even have dreads & braids. Those that adopt black kids are learning to care for their hair properly & don't even seem to hate it like many of us do. There are more products aimed at multi ethnic curlies.There are many tales of naturals getting more positive remarks from whites than our own people.
& made it break off & it wouldn't hold curls even when set on rollers. I never really liked dead straight hair;liked curls & waves;thought they were prettier
. I agree about white ppl really not understanding our hair experience: the good vs bad hair,folks marrying to get good hair & light skin (including inbreeding with cousins or other light folks) ,job problems,"paper bag tests" to get into black society,& all the family & relationship issues it caused. However white women do have hair issues, like the girl who washed & flat ironed for 2 hrs daily to avoid showing natural waves. I've met many like that. Used to wonder yrs ago what happened to all the cute curly headed white kids when they grew up. Not many curly adults. Then I went to college /high school with them & saw their real prejudice against curly hair. In the 60's they set it on Minute Maid orange juice cans or used REAL clothes irons & ironing boards. Some used perms. ANYTHING to get it straight. Some older folks said they did it to keep from looking like they may've had some BLACK ANCESTRY !!! Then in the 60's they started "coming out",
esp the Jewish kids who called their afro-looking curls "Jew fros". Now I see lots more curly whites & some even have dreads & braids. Those that adopt black kids are learning to care for their hair properly & don't even seem to hate it like many of us do. There are more products aimed at multi ethnic curlies.There are many tales of naturals getting more positive remarks from whites than our own people.
MsSanz92
Well-Known Member
I totally agree with the point about White people not understanding the history and politics of Black hair, and why the natural hair movement is so poignant and unique for Black people. Up until recently, maintenance of natural Black hair had no market. Yes, you can make the argument the beauty industry in general has a preference for straight hair for ALL women, but up until the rise of the natural hair movement in the last few years, very few product lines Black or White geared had products geared towards the proper maintenance of natural Black hair. Most Black women grow up clueless on maintaining their natural hair besides straightening it. Do you know any other race of people who puts caustic chemicals on CHILDREN'S heads all in the sake of "maintaining" their hair?? I don't know about ya'll but that's a major issue to me. White women can say all they want how much they feel pressured to have straight hair, but it just doesn't have the same ring to me as it does for Black people. The only other group of people who I know have similar issues with hair are Hispanics, many of which have these issues because a lot of them have Black ancestry. In fact, it's sometimes worse for them!
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