Written by Anti-Racist Parent editor Tami Winfrey Harris
- While I believe that hatred for natural hair is bad, I also believe that women have a right to control their own bodies and appearance. Sometimes we want to try a different style or color, just for fun. But I can’t help wondering, as I watch Tyra Banks with her hair cornrowed especially for this episode, what message black women who constantly relax and weave and wig send to black girls. It is disengenuous of Banks to point to her braids to show her young guest that a black supermodel and media mogul is proud of her black hair, when in reality, Tyra would never rock those rows on the red carpet. When Banks is looking “fierce,” she’s usually sporting a long, straight blondish weave or wig. Everyone “tsk tsked” at the little black girl who loves her Hannah Montana wig because she thinks it is prettier than her real hair, but doesn’t grown-up Tyra do pretty much the same thing?
How can black mothers, most of whom, like Tyra, straighten or hide their natural hair, demonstrate to their daughters that curly to kinky hair can be just as beautiful in its natural state as that of other races? I am not asking this to be confrontational. I honestly am interested in hearing from black moms who perm their hair. What are the steps you take to ensure your child does not absorb the belief that straight is better? How do you address what your child may see as a contradiction: “Honey, natural black hair is beautiful, but none of the women in our family wear their hair naturally, because…”
Tyra isn’t exactly the greatest spokeswoman for natural hair. While I’m no longer natural myself — sort of at that in between stage, I certainly don’t listen to a word that comes out of her mouth…especially since she’s quick to cut, dye, and straighten half the black women’s hair who come through on America’s Next Top Model.
I think moms can focus on building up aspects of their girls’ intellects and personalities and self esteems and not place so much importance on hair in the first place. Then how they chose to wear their hair would just be a choice of style, not a statement of hair-love, hair-hatred or defiance. It would just be a hair style.
@Quel –
It’s not that simple. A choice is only a choice when presented as one of many options. When one is given desirable status while the other is being presented as deviant, unacceptable, and unkept, then that makes it a matter of ideals – racial ideals. An ideal with a long history tied to slavery and the devaluing of Africans (along with other parts of their bodies being used as reasons for their enslavement).
People always say it’s a style choice. But when you go further into the conversation, it is revealed that it’s more about social pressures – getting or keeping a job, being teased, having people say “can I touch your hair”, etc. Just look at any forum that talks about hair and you’ll quickly see that. There are employers and schools that still request that there be no “braids, twists, dreads, afros” worn to work.
When they categorize straight hair as professional (whites) and curly/coily/West African hair unprofessional (blacks) that has nothing to do with preference.
Read this just to start:
http://www.afrobella.com/2007/08/24/ask-afrobella-the-professional-prejudice/
http://jezebel.com/gossip/your-roots-are-showing/glamour-editor-to-lady-lawyers-being-black-is-kinda-a-corporate-dont-289268.php
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/intersections.cultural.studies/_black_hair_
http://www.blackcollegewire.org/index.php?id=4795&option=com_content&task=view