Comments on: The New York Times on Black Hair

By: Anae

Anae — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:00:39 +0000

I will say this-
The reasons why many whites and other nationalities experience the mistreatment they do is LINKED to the reasons most of us still straighten our hair.
When I observe the extent that some of them will go to straighten (what looks to me to managable) I realize that while the extent is not the same (in terms of self esteem and self loathing) the root of it is (the same)

I don’t think they have gone through what we have but the fact does not miss me that curly/nappy/kinky/textured hair is still hated to the point that light skin (the media’s standard of beauty) cannot compensenate for the “flaw” of having nonstraight hair.
Let’s not dismiss what other races have to say as it is a link to resolving this epidemic once and for all.

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Yet Another Michelle Obama Hair Article | afrobella — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:49 +0000

[...] PostsYet Another Michelle Obama Hair ArticleHappy Independence Day to My Trinis!The New York Times on Black HairAvon 3-in-1 Giveaway Winners!Fefe’s Back!A Curly ConundrumCall Her Dr. RoxanneDear, Sweet [...]

By: alicia

alicia — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:20:33 +0000

I am glad you took this on. A Facebook friend of mine posted the original NY Times link to which I responded “I can’t believe THIS is still an issue.

I still in awe over the narrow mindedness but just be yourself. If you like your hair wild and free…like me… then great. If you rock a weave or permed hair…do you. You don’t need to prove your blackness with your hairstyle!

By: Andrea

Andrea — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:32:58 +0000

Love talking about our hair and I think for every conversation we have it makes another woman of colour at least consider going natural, and that alone is an important step for us.

By: Franki

Franki — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:43:06 +0000

Whenever these issues are raised in a forum that isn’t necessarily targeted to black readers, one finds an interesting curiosity (often coupled with a lack of understanding) from readers of varied backgrounds. Most often I notice women who express admiration for kinky, coily black hair and wish their hair had the ability to be as multitextured, and then there are my curly haired Caucasian sisters who say their hair issues are similar which… I’m sorry, and I say this with love and affection — in my opinion, they aren’t. Hair texture is a much more complicated, deeply rooted issue in black communities around the world and I sincerely believe that so much of this dates back to the days of slavery. There’s more to be said (there always is), so maybe I’ll write a post on that in the future.

Please do write that post.

I was excited but apprehensive when I saw this article in the Times, and as I read through the comments my apprehension became more and more justified. Whenever these conversations hit spaces not specifically equipped to deal with such issues, there’s always the matter of outsiders wondering why it matters, wondering why you care. Or of other women trying to take the focus off of your pain, with the rallying cry of “But I’m oppressed, too! See, we are all equal!” And…no. I don’t desire at all to demean the personal struggles of white women who grew up with hair that could not be easily made to adhere to societal ideals. But there is an entirely different cultural/sociological lens at play when it comes to black women’s hair, and I grow weary of explaining that to non-black friends.

And I’m going to hush now, before this comment becomes a post of its own.

By: ambika

ambika — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:42:10 +0000

I had heard about Good Hair but had no idea it was coming out so soon.

I’ve had natural hair almost my whole life, after a brief time as a teenager when relaxing it left me with a ridiculous amount of damage.

I have definitely felt like an anomaly but at first it wasn’t a matter of choice–& now I couldn’t see myself any other way. Given how personal a journey it is, it’s too bad that people still make such snap judgments (rebel/conformist) now.

By: Keli

Keli — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:07:50 +0000

My hair has been natural since 1999 (and I had gone back and forth bt natural state and relaxed before). Sometimes I shave it off, and sometimes like now…I fro’ it out…although the hair changes, my evolution as a woman has nothing to do with it…it’s cosmetic. But why should I be considered a rebel if I chose not to alter the state of my hair? Is God’s creation not good enough?

By: Earthseed

Earthseed — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:07:50 +0000

I only clicked on this post because I thought YOU were in the NY Times!
I was excited for a minute. I’m still excited for the other sisters as well so congrats to them!
Love talking about our hair and I think for every conversation we have it makes another woman of color at least consider going natural, and that alone is an important step for us.

By: b.

b. — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:06:01 +0000

I saw this article, too. I found this one comment to be most interesting:

http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2009/08/27/fashion/27SKIN.html?permid=265#comment265

I really hope Chris Rock delves more into the *reasons* behind the many heated discussions surrounding our hair. So many of the NYT comments were basically “why is this news and why does it matter”. I love the article and the author covered many things well in the space she was given. The comments confirm this for me: people say it shouldn’t matter but it does, and simply saying “it doesn’ t matter” doesn’t make the issue go away.