What's Your Definition of Natural?

[HAIRapy]

WHO CARES!!!!??????

Someone cares, or this thread wouldn't have been started and gone on for so many pages...

 

[Ms.Honey]

Ok I got it. All of us naturals, we don't know what we're talking about and neither do you relaxed who say that naturals can be colored and natural. Eventhough we've been researching our natural hair and studying ways to take care of our natural hair and spending hours and hours caring for our natural hair and all the forums dedicated to our natural hair and forget the fact that naturals more than likely coined the phrase "Natural" for the way we wear our hair say that naturals with color are still natural and that natural simply denotes texture. The three people who say we aren't natural if colored are correct so let's go by what they think our hair is just like we should believe what other races say about our hair. Whew, I feel so much better now

 

[HAIRapy]

Ok I got it. All of us naturals, we don't know what we're talking about and neither do you relaxed who say that naturals can be colored and natural. Eventhough we've been researching our natural hair and studying ways to take care of our natural hair and spending hours and hours caring for our natural hair and all the forums dedicated to our natural hair and forget the fact that naturals more than likely coined the phrase "Natural" for the way we wear our hair say that naturals with color are still natural and that natural simply denotes texture. The three people who say we aren't natural if colored are correct so let's go by what they think our hair is just like we should believe what other races say about our hair. Whew, I feel so much better now

It's just a difference in opinion, no matter the ratio of people who believe it. No one said you had to believe anything. You can spend 7 days straight researching your natural hair and visit all the sites that exist regarding your natural hair, that's also not going to change our minds if we are set on the OPINION (ya know, free country) that colored hair is not natural. Are you saying that because I'm (I can't speak for the other ladies) relaxed, I can't have an opinion about it?

ETA:: I also don't believe that just because you're natural that you're (not you specifically) are spending hours upon hours studying about hair either LOL

 

[Crackers Phinn]

To clear up any confusion. My comment wasn't directed at Hairapy.

I strongly object to the term 'nappy nazi' being thrown around.

Especially since I'm sitting here telling people they can call themselves whatever the they want to.

I'm not going to shout from the rooftop that so-so ain't natural, but that don't mean I can't or won't think it. Better yet, why should I have to think that someone who has made a decision to change the color of their hair is natural?

 

[JustKiya]

To clear up any confusion. My comment wasn't directed at Hairapy.

I strongly object to the term 'nappy nazi' being thrown around.

Especially since I'm sitting here telling people they can call themselves whatever the they want to.

I'm not going to shout from the rooftop that so-so ain't natural, but that don't mean I can't or won't think it.

Seriously and forreal. I think trying to come to an agreement on what is 'natural' that everyone is down with is about as - pointless - as the '100% black' threads that were bouncing around a lil while ago.
Be aware that your definition won't be everyone else's, that your definition might CHANGE, and that there ain't nothing wrong with that. There really isn't a NappyClub(tm) for membership privileges to be revoked from.

 

[Poohbear]

It's natural and hasn't been chemically altered(you know what I mean!). I'm against chemically altered stuff....so I'm still natural, I mean you know, using natural chemicals and what not!

WHO CARES!!!!??????

Girl, if anything you put in your hair is a chemical or has chemicals in it, whether it's natural or not, you can't use it on your hair. If you do, YOU'RE NOT NATURAL! In order to be natural, you can only use WATER...THAT'S IT, SORRY!

 

[laurend]

So what do you call my hair. erplexed No relaxer for 19 years but henna to cover the gray; Semi relaxed, natural but colored, relaxed, colored. I know what a lot of black people call my hair on the street -NAPPY.

 

[Poohbear]

Ok I got it. All of us naturals, we don't know what we're talking about and neither do you relaxed who say that naturals can be colored and natural. Eventhough we've been researching our natural hair and studying ways to take care of our natural hair and spending hours and hours caring for our natural hair and all the forums dedicated to our natural hair and forget the fact that naturals more than likely coined the phrase "Natural" for the way we wear our hair say that naturals with color are still natural and that natural simply denotes texture. The three people who say we aren't natural if colored are correct so let's go by what they think our hair is just like we should believe what other races say about our hair. Whew, I feel so much better now

Actually... you and everyone else are INCORRECT... you need to go over to Nappturality.com... they'll tell what it REALLY MEANS to be natural!

...But you have to keep in mind that Napptural is better than Natural.

 

[HAIRapy]

So what do you call my hair. erplexed No relaxer for 19 years but henna to cover the gray; Semi relaxed, natural but colored, relaxed, colored. I know what a lot of black people call my hair on the street -NAPPY.

Laurend, honey, those people who talked about you did a number on you. <<<BIG HUGS>>> Don't let outside people bother you... they don't matter. I learned something along time ago... people don't pay as much attention to you as you think. Not to say that you're ignored or anything, but people don't look all that closely at other people.... and if they did, so what? Don't pay attention to those people anymore...

 

[LadyKaypnyc]

Girl, if anything you put in your hair is a chemical or has chemicals in it, whether it's natural or not, you can't use it on your hair. If you do, YOU'RE NOT NATURAL! In order to be natural, you can only use WATER...THAT'S IT, SORRY!

Girl, you are killing me

 

[DreadlockedLady0171]

Seriously and forreal. I think trying to come to an agreement on what is 'natural' that everyone is down with is about as - pointless - as the '100% black' threads that were bouncing around a lil while ago.
Be aware that your definition won't be everyone else's, that your definition might CHANGE, and that there ain't nothing wrong with that. There really isn't a NappyClub(tm) for membership privileges to be revoked from.

What she said .
I have my own definition and that is fine with me.
As long as everyone knows that natural = no relaxer, it's ok lol

 

[Poohbear]

Seriously and forreal. I think trying to come to an agreement on what is 'natural' that everyone is down with is about as - pointless - as the '100% black' threads that were bouncing around a lil while ago.
Be aware that your definition won't be everyone else's, that your definition might CHANGE, and that there ain't nothing wrong with that. There really isn't a NappyClub(tm) for membership privileges to be revoked from.

*in my serious mode now*

I think JCoily knows that... she didn't say everyone had to agree with her definition... she's just saying she has the right to think and express her own definition.

 

[Ms.Honey]

Actually... you and everyone else are INCORRECT... you need to go over to Nappturality.com... they'll tell what it REALLY MEANS to be natural!

...But you have to keep in mind that Napptural is better than Natural.

I stand corrected

 

[JustKiya]

*in my serious mode now*

I think JCoily knows that... she didn't say everyone had to agree with her definition... she's just saying she has the right to think and express her own definition.

Oh, yeah, Oh yeah - I was agreeing with her.... Gods, let me go home now...

 

[Poohbear]

So what do you call my hair. erplexed No relaxer for 19 years but henna to cover the gray; Semi relaxed, natural but colored, relaxed, colored. I know what a lot of black people call my hair on the street -NAPPY.

It don't matta' what people call yo' hurr on da' streets... It ain't Natural, it's Nappy! There IS a difference!!!

 

[Southernbella.]

What does it mean that texture is more important than color?

If somebody's hair is this color, what would you notice first, texture or color?

I meant for the purposes of defining "natural" as most people know it...the starting point.

 

[DreadlockedLady0171]

So what do you call my hair. erplexed No relaxer for 19 years but henna to cover the gray; Semi relaxed, natural but colored, relaxed, colored. I know what a lot of black people call my hair on the street -NAPPY.

Gurl, don't worry about those people or what anyone here says. Definine it for yourself and have HEALTHY NAPPY Hair!!!

 

[Southernbella.]

Seriously and forreal. I think trying to come to an agreement on what is 'natural' that everyone is down with is about as - pointless - as the '100% black' threads that were bouncing around a lil while ago.
Be aware that your definition won't be everyone else's, that your definition might CHANGE, and that there ain't nothing wrong with that. There really isn't a NappyClub(tm) for membership privileges to be revoked from.

Can we at least agree that for the purposes of hairboard distinctions, natural hair STARTS with not being relaxed? Because that is the biggest distinction. You can be colored and relaxed, colored and natural, but you can't be relaxed and natural at the same time.

Right?

 

[Southernbella.]

Girl, if anything you put in your hair is a chemical or has chemicals in it, whether it's natural or not, you can't use it on your hair. If you do, YOU'RE NOT NATURAL! In order to be natural, you can only use WATER...THAT'S IT, SORRY!

Correction Pooh...untreated water from the hot springs of Arkansas. Oh, and all hair tools must be fashioned from clay.

 

[Poohbear]

Oh, yeah, Oh yeah - I was agreeing with her.... Gods, let me go home now...

You BETTER agree or else the Nappy Gods will come down on you and take your so-called natural hair away from you! :axehunter:

By the way, this is what happens when you play with flaming hot tools of torture...

 

[LadyKaypnyc]

Can we at least agree that for the purposes of hairboard distinctions, natural hair STARTS with not being relaxed? Because that is the biggest distinction. You can be colored and relaxed, colored and natural, but you can't be relaxed and natural at the same time.

Right?

I'm game...

 

[Ms.Honey]

Girl, if anything you put in your hair is a chemical or has chemicals in it, whether it's natural or not, you can't use it on your hair. If you do, YOU'RE NOT NATURAL! In order to be natural, you can only use WATER...THAT'S IT, SORRY!

I'm afraid you do err mon cher. Water has chlorine and fluoride which are chemicals! You can only be natural if you do not comb (made from plastic,chemicals) or wash(see above) or do anything other than finger comb. And that settles that

This has gotten too nutty. I think we can all agree that no one is going to taotally agree with anyone else. And no one really cares if others consider them natural or not. We is what we is.

 

[laurend]

Laurend, honey, those people who talked about you did a number on you. <<<BIG HUGS>>> Don't let outside people bother you... they don't matter. I learned something along time ago... people don't pay as much attention to you as you think. Not to say that you're ignored or anything, but people don't look all that closely at other people.... and if they did, so what? Don't pay attention to those people anymore...

That's why I got angry when I saw this thread. Yes, in the beginning I went through a lot and I like to think of myself as one of the pioneers. The early years were hard with no one for support. Yes, I was yelled at, laughed at, made up crazy nappy songs on public transportation about me, and thought I was weird by like I said, the main culprits black women. So when people start saying you ain't natural. I'm like what the . I went through all those years of harassment for this. Sorry I'm but I wish you guys could have experienced a little of what happened and you would know where I'm coming from. No harm done - I'm out, got to go to the tax man.

 

[Poohbear]

Correction Pooh...untreated water from the hot springs of Arkansas. Oh, and all hair tools must be fashioned from clay.

@ untreated water!!!

 

[SouthernTease]

Not relaxed.

 

[Bigghair]

IMO, you are natural if you don't have a relaxer or a texturizer in your hair.

 

[Isis77]

You BETTER agree or else the Nappy Gods will come down on you and take your so-called natural hair away from you! :axehunter:

By the way, this is what happens when you play with flaming hot tools of torture...

too funny!!!!!!

 

[Ms.Honey]

It's just a difference in opinion, no matter the ratio of people who believe it. No one said you had to believe anything. You can spend 7 days straight researching your natural hair and visit all the sites that exist regarding your natural hair, that's also not going to change our minds if we are set on the OPINION (ya know, free country) that colored hair is not natural. Are you saying that because I'm (I can't speak for the other ladies) relaxed, I can't have an opinion about it?

ETA:: I also don't believe that just because you're natural that you're (not you specifically) are spending hours upon hours studying about hair either LOL

No, I'm saying that it doesn't matter what you think either way free country or not. I'm not trying to insult you or anyone else BTW. Naturals call themselves natural based on texture only.

 

[Poohbear]

I'm afraid you do err mon cher. Water has chlorine and fluoride which are chemicals! You can only be natural if you do not comb (made from plastic,chemicals) or wash(see above) or do anything other than finger comb. And that settles that

This has gotten too nutty. I think we can all agree that no one is going to taotally agree with anyone else. And no one really cares if others consider them natural or not. We is what we is.

craziness!!!!

 

[Isis77]

perhaps the reason for the heated discussion lies in what the term "natural" represents within the Black community. while most women on the boards are either natural b/c they have always been that way, or because they had issues with relaxers, or because they just wanted to see their natural texture or try something new, IMO it is very possible that there is a sub-conscious concept that because natural Black hair has been demonized within American culture and abroad for so long, for a Black woman to have beautiful, healthy and thriving, 100% natural hair, it stands as a testament to the true beauty that encompasses being Black.

now i'm not saying that all naturals are as such for political reasons (a few women are, but from what i have seen, the majority of women who go natural from relaxed did so for many other reasons completely devoid of political and of course there are those who just never got a relaxer in the first place)

all that i am saying is that i believe "the big deal" is that a woman, who believes within her heart that she is natural, should not be told that she isn't b/c again, i think that taps into and threatens that woman's sub-conscious ideas of Black beauty within a largely white society.

people are going to get heated about issues they strongly believe in. (obviously )

all in luv!