Afrobella in the New York Times
Well there’s a post headline I’ve been wanting to write since I started this blog! It took me like two days to fully absorb that this HAPPENED. One of those dreams you don’t think will come true…until it DOES.
That’s me, in the fashion section of NYTimes.com! With a dope photo from my QVC lookbook, which was taken by Chuck Olu-Alabi.
![]( <a href="http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/25/how-natural-is-too-natural/"><img src="http://www.afrobella.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/AfrobellaNYTimes1-495x300.jpg" alt="" title="AfrobellaNYTimes" width="495" height="300" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-9025" /></a> "198284_10100402440203402_447277941_n")
Click here to read Jessica C. Andrews’ amazing article, How Natural Is Too Natural? She is doing SUCH amazing work at the Times!
I’m featured, along with Christina of Love Brown Sugar, Nicole Marie Melton of Essence.com, and Curly Nikki! Some of my favorite ladies in the game. I’m SO beyond honored. And I love the article! I’d love to hear what you think about the issue. Has curlism been an issue for you?
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Great article. Congrats on the feature!
thank you!
The article was great, but left me thinking that we (black women) are making this a bigger issue than it needs to be.
I have been a natural for over twenty years. I cut my bra length perm fighting hair wayyy back when it was not popular to do so. Did I deal with crazy questions? Oh yes. Did people make assumptions? Of course. In a lot of ways I think it was MUCH easier to cut my hair off then, because there was no barometer. There was no “hair typing.” There was no help in the African-American beauty department. Just a sister with a natural. My hair only defined me if I let it.
I remember thinking, “if I choose to grow it out, I have to find new products for that style.” This was probably the most hard thinking I had to do back then (EcoStyle was friend then, and still is!).
It’s pretty pathetic that we give so much energy to whether it’s better to be “stretched” or as “defined curls by any means necessary.” It doesn’t really doesn’t matter at the end of the day. What does matter is how beautiful you feel while you do you. We should put our energies towards exactly what you said in the last paragraph “there are also many naturals who still see this as being about freedom, and taking better care of your healthy, strong hair, no matter the texture.”
I understand where you are coming from: I’ve had natural hair all my life so sometimes I am amazed at all the complicated regimens, the hair typing etc. I also agree with the Patrice’s quote in the article. However, I do think “curlism” is an issue, not just in the US but among black people in other parts of the world as well. Some people consider hair with looser coils as more beautiful, most of the so called “natural hair icons” tend to have looser coils with the exception of a few. Natural hair inspiration boards on Tumblr and Pinterest usually have more looser coiled textures than the tighter/kinky textures. The attack on Solange’s look on CurlyNikki’s website is just another example of this kind of mentality.
The quest for the “perfect twist-out” and the revered “defined curl” has created alot of discontent for some women whose hair just does not behave this way.
And I forgot to tell you CONGRATS on being featured in the NY Times! That is so fab!
NY Times & Afrobella = great fit! Congrats.
WHOA! Awesome, congratulations!
First of all congrats! Glenyse I see your point, but from my personal experience, I don’t think that black women are over empasizing the natural hair movement but that some of us are experiencing scrutiny for doing so. I live in Houston, TX and I work for a major financial firm. When I went natural I got a lot “oh its cute but I like your hair better long or this way” Which everyone is entitled to their own opinion. The problem started when I was passed up for 2 positions recently all because I didn’t fit the image. Now I know this is blantant discrimination but during these time of financial instability, I have to choose my battles wisely. I continue to have my natural hair but in a protective style. While I don’t plan to stay at my present employer due to what happen, my search has been more positive since I updated my look to a protective style, that meaning a curly weave that resembles my natural hair. Furthermore, when I use to perm my hair I would have men (brothers) all the time say why don’t you embrace your blackness and go natural, yet when I did, I was told I was too black. So my point is it depends on your environment, some places are more receptive to the movement than others. In my business and personal environment, not so much.
Congrats! I can’t wait to read the article.
CONGRATULATIONS – this is awesome!
Congratulations on the article! The photo of you is amazing.
Congratulations on the feature!
Congratulations! And the picture is fabulous!!
You’re doing us Trinis proud! *standing ovation*