Comments on: Afrobella of the Week — Bella, It’s You!

By: LaToya/New York

LaToya/New York — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:48:13 +0000

Hi,
I work in Corporate America. For a company that is predominately white. Five months ago, (it seems like forever) I made the decision to go natural and stop relaxing my hair. I thought the decision to go natural with my hair would be just as easy as it was to go natural with my nails. (I used to wear acrylic). However, I am almost at my wits end. I have been in recovery from creamy crack for almost 6 months and I am already entertaining the idea of going back. I am in the transition stage where it is hard for me to do my hair. I have braids in now. It’s almost time for me to take them out and I am worried that I won’t be able to find a style that I can wear to work with suits and such. I am so frustrated right now. I have never paid this much attention to my hair. I mean, when I had a relaxer I was getting a wash and set every week like the rest of the drones out there. Letting my Dominican hairstylist convince me that color is good and that I needed to jazz up my hair a little. That’s when all the breakage started. Don’t get me wrong. I still have a good length of hair. However, I have no idea what to do with it. I need help. There are just certain natural hair styles that don’t look right on me and certain styles that don’t look clean enough, and professional enough for me to rock with a power suit. Right now I have the braids in a bun. Very jazzy and unique right? I know. I need help, and I am losing my nerve. It’s not easy! I have been addicted to the creamy crack since I was nine! I am 29 now. That’s twenty years later I am deciding to make a change. Please help me!

By: Monet

Monet — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 03:05:27 +0000

Wow! This is my first time on this site but it definitely will not be the last. I found it by accident as I try to find a new hairstyle as I go back to my college town and my boyfriend who still hasn’t grasped the fact that I will not be perming it ever again. Maybe that is because I have not explicitly told him. Oh well…

But actually I am on my own hair journey and I am near the beginning. I still havent chopped the perm and some color out and I am trying to get ready for that. I am a theatre major and I need versatility. I need to be able to look like any and everything depending on what the role calls for but at the end of the day I want to be able to look in the mirror and like what I see. I also like to fall asleep without worrying if my current position will mess up my do.

But I really appreciate this site and all the lovely women who left posts because we all need support.

Let’s be as strong as our natural hair!

By: Irys

Irys — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 22:51:47 +0000

Wow. Thanks. I’m so glad I found your website, and I really enjoyed so many of these videos, too.

I’ve been wearing my hair naturally for a few years, and it’s been an interesting journey. I’ve found that I want to learn more and more about our attitudes and opinions and perspectives about our hair and what we believe it says about and for us. I also rediscovered one of my favorite music videos, “Freedom 95″, so thanks for that, too.

I will definitely be visiting again soon.

By: augusta

augusta — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:37:31 +0000

I’ve been relaxer free for about two years now. During this stage, I was what one might consider a ‘bit’ militant.I tried convincing every I knew who was on the ‘creamy crack’ to consider getting off it. The funny thing is, I realized that black hair is the most beautiful and versatile hair of all ethnic backgrounds. We are able to sport a plethera of styles that other folks can only dream of sporting. That said, I am not as quick to judge someone who relaxes their hair…well,only those who sport the see-though ‘bob’.

By: BkHoneyBee

BkHoneyBee — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 01:38:20 +0000

Bella

Your hair is fierce!!! I am so loving the fro-hawk. Thank you for posting the videos. Sisters, don’t give up on your beautiful naturals. Those videos remind us what we kinds of torture we inflict upon ourselves in the name of beauty. A beauty that no woman, black, white, asian and latina can possibly attain.

By: LBellatrix

LBellatrix — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:01:18 +0000

Congratulations to everyone who’s made the leap to natural! Especially you, Melinda; I can guess how hard it was to let go of something that was probably a major marker of beauty/self-esteem. (“Why’d you cut off all that pretty long hair?” *rolls eyes* )

I’ll celebrate 12 years of freedom from creamy crack this Thanksgiving. I recently did my first BC in 9 years and I’m seriously considering keeping it at this length…but at the same time I feel like I might enjoy growing it out again. Whatever I do, trust that it will most definitely stay NAPPY because I want to stay HAPPY!

Thank you (again) for an insightful post. As far as I’m concerned, if you have Internet access, you’re only a Google search away from having all your questions answered (and fears assuaged) about being natural…so spare me the lame excuses…

By: Melonie

Melonie — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:12:20 +0000

Hey Bella. I have been frequenting your page for quite some time now and I never got around to posting anything. But I just wanted to say thank you for all of your inspiration and for helping to put us natural and, in my case, soon to be natural sisters on the map. I was curious to see who would come up on your Fotki link to the chiney bump section in your blurb and to my shock…it was me! Who knew? I was so humbled and appreciative that you referred people to my fav Caribbean style (I’m Jamaican btw). I hope all is well with you and I just wanted to give a shout out to you and also thank you once again. All the best. Melonie

By: Mo-Mo

Mo-Mo — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 18:48:33 +0000

Great post! I’ve noticed an increasing amount of natural hairstyles in the media as well and think it’s great that we don’t have to feel “ashamed” of our hair anymore. I really need to watch My Nappy Roots in it’s entirely.

I’m proud of my natural hair (going on 8 years) and don’t think I’ll ever go back to the “creamy crack”. Although I frequently have my hair in twist extensions and “natural” weaves, when I do where my hair out in it’s natural ‘fro state, chiney bumps or two-strand twists I always get complements. I find more people of other cultures are opting to ‘nappify’ their hair–just the other day a Caucasian acquaintance of mine came over to have my sister cornrow her hair with extensions.

I’ve been trying to find more different styles to use with my natural hair (the magazine store doesn’t have much of a selection) and Tina’s mohawk is very inspirational!

By: edesse

edesse — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 14:46:03 +0000

Yeah!!!! I know i’m a little late for the celebration but Yay!!! anyway.

I think this is a great idea Bella! I would LOVE to hear more about other afrobellas who own their own businesses. I was soooo happy to find Laid Back Home! I think her stuff is truly amazing.

So, afrobellas, if you have websites, blogs, businesses, list their links. I would LOVE to scope you out!

By: Melinda

Melinda — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 15:48:39 +0000

Bella.

For me, it’s about feeling authentic and being free. Being natural has allowed me to be more confident in my own skin and has helped me to honor my own unique brand of individuality. And as a plus; being natural is just downright sexy.

I remember that pivotal moment in my life when I made the decision to stop using the creamy crack (lol) I was terrified; because I was deeply insecure and I cared way too much about what society and others thought of me. But there were just too many cons than pros to having straight hair:

I hated when it rained. HATED!
My pinned doobie would be tied with a scarf, plastic bag and shower cap to keep it from getting wet. I barely washed the back of my neck! Trifling…I know…
Not learning how to swim.
Natural hair=not feminine.
Natural hair=angry militant
Natural hair=you hate everyone with a perm.
I’ll look like one of the little black rascals.
Not being able to get a job
Dark skin + Natural hair = Total Jigaboo.

My thinking was ridamndiculous. But that’s real talk. Living in fear is no damn joke. My straight long hair was my BEAUTY. Period. And I couldn’t see mahself without it. And please no angry blogger responses; this was my particular struggle and my warped thought process prior to chopping that mess off.

Thankfully, I made the transition through courage and listening to my spirit. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done to reclaim the real me….by creating my own standard of beauty; instead of using someone else’s measuring stick.