“Wearing your natural hair doesn’t make you blacker than anyone else.”
CN: What do you think of the natural hair movement?
JH: I recently went out to NYC on business. On the West Coast you see more weaves, but on the East Coast you see lots of gorgeous natural hair. Everybody damn near had natural hair and I said “Look at this, ladies! Did you ever think we would get to this point?!” It’s become very accepted, especially for commercials. It’s almost become the thing!
CN: I agree! Although some might say that it’s only one type of curly featured in the majority of these commercials.
JH: I know what you mean. This whole dark-skinned, light-skinned thing has got to go! We’re beautiful no matter what! We can’t control what Madison Avenue deems as beautiful. But what makes me sad is that the dark-skinned woman has never been idolized, not in music videos, TV shows, movies, nothing. It’s not “white” Madison Avenue that’s doing it, it’s us! Take a moment and think about the actresses that are working. They all look alike! That’s us… it’s on our hands. I for one, was replaced by a lighter-skinned black actress. The same thing happened on “My Wife and Kids.” It’s sad, but it happens, and it needs to change.
I subscribe to the ‘If you want Janet Hubert, this is what you get’ (doctrine”>. I’ve had my time. I’ve had my time in the sun and I’m cool. What you see is what you get. Some people are shocked when they see me and I have this big bushy head of hair. And they’re like wow, you’re a natural girl! And I’m like, “Why wouldn’t I be?” I’m no longer living up to others’ expectations of me; I’m living up to my own expectations.
CN: You always looked so regal! You’re gorgeous. But with the bush, you’re stunning. I love it!
JH: Thanks! I think my hair defines my beauty. No, better yet, it accents me. I think my natural hair is much more beautiful that my straight hair. It was so fine when I wore it pressed. Now it is thick and wild, and truly is my crown and glory! I consider it gorgeous, and if you don’t like it, you can bite me!
CN: What would you tell a woman who has yet to embrace her natural hair?
JH: That’s a very interesting question. Wearing your natural hair doesn’t make you blacker than anyone else. It doesn’t make you better than anyone else. It just makes you want to be who you are. I say give your natural hair a chance. I know it feels like it is a lot of work, and it is, but it’s worth it. When you look in the mirror and you see that kink… it’s powerful. It’s where you started—it’s the hair you came out of the womb with. And yes, we can change it. I say embrace it because it can and will change. It’s much more versatile than any other hair. You can always go back! It’s wonderful because it is like the weather—it can change. Give it a chance, be patient, play with it! Work with it. You can do so much with it.
One day, after all the frustration, you will look in the mirror and say, “I’m digging this.” And if you keep pressing it, fighting with it, blowing out, bumping it, etc. you’ll never know what it is capable of. The least that you do to your hair, the better it is. I don’t believe our hair was meant to be combed. My little ends are so curly that when you comb them too much, they start to break no matter what you do. Our hair is very strong, but very fragile too. Don’t beat it to death. It’s not that deep.
I used to say to my ex-husband my hair is kinky so that if you fall to your death, you have something to grab. [Laughter]
CN: What are you working on? What do we have to look forward to?
JH: I’m actually talking to some people about putting together a pilot for a talk show. I really feel like there is a generation of people who are forgotten. I also don’t particularly like the role models who are representing us. So I’m really anxious to put my hat in the ring and see what happens.
The “Life After” piece for TV1 was phenomenal, and I’m very glad I did it. It was very freeing. I also have my children’s series—I am partnering with an animation company called Cosmic Toast. They are going to be animating “J.G. and The B.C. Kids”. The book is out right now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It’s about bringing book smart and street smart kids together to make life smart kids. Also I’m sure you and your readers would like to know that J.G. is very strong and she, too, has natural hair. She has dreads. And she is beautiful.
We’re going to be creating more stuff and get this thing out nationwide. And hopefully folks will support it. We don’t support one another and it’s a tough sale to bring something positive about children. I’ve had to do it completely by myself. I’ve gone to many companies… Spike Lee, Allen Houston, the so-called “black power” players, and it’s very sad. I’m on my own. But it’s okay. J.G. is my passion. Bringing a consciousness to the whole bullying thing is my mission. It’s cool to be smart and I want kids to really realize that!
For more info, check out JanetHubert.com.
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