...no, because you'd still see my hands.
Yeah. Probably.
I might as well come out with my hands up right now, I, a young, black woman. Or African American.
Caribbean American always sounded the best to me though.
Not only am I black, but I've made a choice most of my black sisters, and even more brothers, scoff at--my decision to wear my hair natural.
To some, that sentence right there ^^^ may not have much significance, but it certainly does for a wide range of the black community. Simply turn on the television and take a gander at the vast majority of black women you see. How many have a halo of big, fluffy hair piled high above them? How many have a dark, waterfall of a mane behind them?
I represent those who have diverted from the norm and have chosen the former. No straightening for me (not that there's anything wrong with that, especially if your mom and pop gave it to you), in fact I've found that I much more comfortable with myself when I actually look like myself--ya know, how I looked when I was born and all that jazz. However, there's always a "but", a sneaky, conniving conjunction that looms in the back of my mind every time I attend an interview, conference, academic advisor...grocery store...mall...
Very few people are as comfortable with my hair as I am. Would it help if I wore a brown paper bag over my head? I'm forced to wonder on a regular basis. Halfway through with my undergraduate studies, journalism with specializations in public
relations and print, the thought of a "career woman" with big hair even makes me chuckle from time to time. I’ve found that there are primarily two kinds of chuckling though—that of glee, and that of ironic flabbergastedness (<<< no that’s not a word, I know). I guess it’s because as my eyes open wider and wider and I shake the mentally congesting water out of my ears, so to speak, it becomes easier to recognize what I, and many black women, must fight for.
And at the same time, I chuckle in ironic flabbergastedness, though it often stings as well. Realizing my looks are not welcome in most spheres, social, economical, you name it, can have that effect on a person.
And I’m not just talking about the hair thing.
Pushing the wheelbarrow of happiness and success up the hill of the “American Dream” gets slower and more difficult each time a lead nugget of negativity is dropped into it. I’ll admit it, I often feel as though I may lose my breath and plunge back down to the bottom of the totem pole of undesirables. However, I always remember those at home, the epitome of inner city life, and know that well, heck, someone needs to show that it can be at the very least attempted.
The “it” in question? Well, just that who I am and who they are isn’t a handicap, complete with a blue and white parking pass. Black is beautiful baby.
I never really thought about this.
Awesome blog. : )
I support you so much! I think the natual hair that black people have is beautiful! I think it's great that you love yourself for who you are, and your a great example for the rest of the world. We should stop trying to conform to "normal" standards of beauty, and just be ourselves.
"I Am Not My Hair" <-- Beautiful song..
I am all for having the hair that you were born with. I am against dying it; I am PROUD of my natural brunette waves.
Amazing Blog!
i didn't realize that there were conflicts with how African Americans wear their hair. If a white girls opinion counts i love the natural look. I get jealous : P
That was one of those posts I love to see! Questioning the status quo in a strong, positive way. Loved it.
And you are SO RIGHT about the media portrayal of black women's hair! I was just watching something about a millionaire matchmaking service while at the gym. It was so bad I only made it through ten minutes, but in those ten minutes, the lady who runs the agency told two beautiful black women with very fashionably styled natural hair to straighten it, or no man would want to go out with them. It made me throw up in my mouth a little bit! She told the white girls with curly hair to do the same thing, but still, who decided straight hair is better? Who has that right? Mattel? So we all look like Barbie? WTF. X-([
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I love this post, I've recently decided to go natural, because:
1. I've wanted to but I've always been afraid to actually do it, and why should I be afraid to be me, I have been so proud of myself for being "natural" before (real nails, "real" hair, real eye color) but my hair isn't "REALLY" me, its not natural!
2. Why should I be afraid to be me... why should I let other peoples wants be my wants?
3. AND Straight hair is old news, it was invented back in the day, when it was "BAD" to be an African American and we wanted to be "good". Now people want lips, butts, breast, and tans like us... Now is the best time to be black and be natural.
SO I'M GOING FOR IT!!!
this is an issue people need to take on more seriously. It's seems that the prototype of beauty concurs with white standards: tall nose, big eyes, smooth hair, high cheekbones, etc. So minorities (like you and i) are generally not considered as beautiful or what not because we don't have those qualities. This is the reason why so many asian girls out there are having plastic surgeries on their faces, especially on the eye for the double eye lid surgery, just to fit the beauty standards better.
I support you all the way through, and I hope that you will defy those people that do not feel comfortable around you and your awesome big hair! Don't ever change!
-Lani
being who they naturally are, regardless of what the "norm" is
"when you hold a pen, you are at war" Attributed to Voltaire