Comments on: A Look Back at the Black Hair Story

By: waimeawahine

waimeawahine — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 22:07:46 +0000

Thanks for this article. The issues around black hair are myriad and complex. Why should black women have to change their perfectly beautiful hair to fit a norm that is ridiculous and racist? The sad thing is that black women have believed this nonsense when they would not accept being told to bleach their skin or change their lips! The more women who wear their hair as it is, the more accepting society will have to become. Natural hair is professional and beautiful and only a “statement” because society makes it one. Curly, like m bi-racial hair, or cottony like my kinky haired sisters, it’s all beautiful.

By: monniej

monniej — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:17:26 +0000

great cliffnotes version of our hair journey and a great article. thanks so much for posting!

By: Natural Hair and Professionalism. An oxymoron? | Black Enterprise

Natural Hair and Professionalism. An oxymoron? | Black Enterprise — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 16:02:27 +0000

[...] is natural hair such a big deal? Here isÂ some background for anyone who is completely clueless on the subject and a reminder for those who already know. [...]

By: Natural Hair and Professionalism. An oxymoron? | AfroBuzz Central

Natural Hair and Professionalism. An oxymoron? | AfroBuzz Central — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:15:46 +0000

[...] is natural hair such a big deal? Here is some background for anyone who is completely clueless on the subject and a reminder for those who already know. [...]

By: Tredava

Tredava — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:06:11 +0000

I love this article. It really helped me with learning about how African Americans started to hate their natural hair and change the look of their hair to look like White Americans hair. All of my life, I have always worn my hair pressed, or relaxed out of fear that I would be called names like nappy head and I always had more confidence when it was time for me to get my hair relaxed because I knew that the straighter my hair was the more I would be liked by my family and friends at school because I always got compliments about how my hair is soo pretty whenever I got my hair pressd or relaxed. Well, with a relaxer I have never grown my hair passed shoulder length due to the harsh chemicals, so this pass year I decided to grow out my natural hair to embrace my culture and to finally grow long and natural hair. All of the natural hair blogs like this one has really inspired me to. I also decided to do the same thing with my daughter’s hair. She is 12 years old and when she first started to grow her hair out she got a lot of negative comments at school, like why you won’t put a relaxer in your hair your hair stinks and a friend of hers offered to flat iron her hair for her. I felt really bad for my daughter and I told her that her hair is beautiful and not to worry about what other people say about her, but after months of seeing how sad she was at school by her new hairstyle change, I decided to put a relaxer back in her hair. She is happy with my decision and so am I for the time being because she is to young to deal with all the negative comments. When she is a lot older, she will try to grow out her natural hair again, but for now she likes her hair relaxed. I will continue to model my love for my natural hair to her and one day my daughter will also embrace her natural hair. Until then,I will be glad when African American natural hair is accepted by the media as beautiful hair. I know that it is beautiful or my creator would not have blessed me with this kind of hair, but with all the negative comments that people get from wearing their natural hair it is the reason why most people feel that they have to wear their hair like someone else to be accepted in this world by friends boyfriends, husbands, children and family.

By: National Afro Day — July 4

National Afro Day — July 4 — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:11:18 +0000

[...] About Afros The Afro Revisited A Look Back at the Black Hair Story Soul Train: Decades of Hair and Style Influence When Is a TWA No Longer a [...]

By: Dispatches from Nappyville: What is “good hair,” anyway? | Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:33:26 +0000

[...] exactly where that story is going. The idea that black hair is unsightly and unmanageable has been reinforced by the majority culture since slavery. Comparing black women and relaxing with white women and the quest for blondeness, as Rock has [...]

By: Afrolicious

Afrolicious — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:54:58 +0000

By: Lori

Lori — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 13:34:03 +0000

Impactful, educational and an excellent reminder that we are all wonderfully and beautifully made by our creator and that we, our skin colors and natural hair whether it be straight, kinky, curly or wavy are not mistakes! I remember my elementry school days (dazes) being the ridicule of the other “colored” girls (that’s what we were called back then to late 1960′s) for having long hair, fair skin and freckles! I was a walking target…but you know what after many years I realized I was fine just the way I was, freckles and all! I’ve learned to embrace my freckles and curly hair. I’m so thankful that my college age daughter embraces her 3C,4A beautiful hair. My Grand-Mother’s motto was any hair you have on your head is “Good Hair”!

By: momo

momo — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:35:50 +0000

Excellent article, I am so glad to see that people are now more accepting of their natural hair. I am bi-racial and I have large curley hair and I use to perm it and it would damage my hair, Its been 5 years since I re-grew my hair and I wear it out big and curley, it’s who I am and I am proud of the way God made it. I pray that many women of all colors become accepting of who they are and if they want to perm their hair, thats ok too.