I understand that humiliaton about ones appearance can ruin the psyche of a child. I also agree that black people should stop degrading each other about things that are of our heritage(ie. hair texture and skin complexion). I know as a child I was teased about both. I was called blackie and naps(until i got my first perm). I had low self-esteem for a long time. Although I was hurt by the name calling I've overcome the issues I dealt with as child.

This topic was meant to reminisce about something that we made fun of as children(I think). Kids will be kids. I'm pretty sure all of us were teased about something whether it was about our nappy hair or being too skinny. I'm not trying to justify children making fun of each other but I think it builds character. Children don't understand the effects of their action and even if you tried to explain it they still wouldn't fully understand.

To answer dog dog bang bang's question; I had extremely nappy hair but my mother always kept it nice and neat.

I don't think Dog Dog Bang Bang meant for this to be taken that seriously. I think he was referring to nappy as in "uncombeb" or "untamed" not as in "good" or "bad" hair. If anything is different about you, kids will make a point of it, especially if you let them know that you are sensitive about it. As kids, we all hated being teased or picked on. I was raised in Philly and I used to hate for kids to pick on me about my "country" parents, but everyone got "busted" on. If your mom was fat, if your dad was a drunk, if you had roaches, if you had a mutt for a dog, etc. It can ruin self-esteem though for people who are sensitive. We had "banana-nosed" Tony, "loaf-a-bread head" Cecil, "slew-footed" Ronald, "black-ass" Ant (as opposed to the less dark Ant), Therman "da monster", "Alm" (short for almondhead). I wonder if they suffer from low self-esteem today?

You don't understand! It's a female thing. It's a "woman-and-her-hair" thing. Why do you think there are all kinds of products out there and we spend hours every week to keep it "done"?

If dog dog bang bang had said "who had the most unkempt hair" or who do you remember that never combed their hair it would be different.

I combed my little short hair every day and I still got teased. This was well before the days of the jheri curl. Girls these days can "buy" some hair. I just had to make do with what I had and endure the hot pressing comb with less than two inches of hair. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/frown.gif

Nappy hair is something that we should embrace as Black folks. ANYONE who has some naps MUST have some Black in them SOMEWHERE. So when you see a nap, recognize that person as kin, unless they prove otherwise :0 Our naps are one of the traits/features that make us special.

Now PEAS on the other hand is different! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/eek.gif PEAS is something you get when you do not comb or brush your nappy hair. We made fun of PEASY WONDERS all the time.

Naps are born but peas are made!


happy to be nappy,
ccoyred

------------------
MCCOYRED
Mu Psi '86
BaltCo Alumnae

Dynamic...Salient...Temperate...Since 1913

Bluereign, I hear you. When I was a kid, I had long hair until my beautician overprocessed it. It broke out, and took about a year to grow back. It was combed and groomed. It just wasn't processed. The white kids didn't say much about it. The black kids (my people, mind you) gave me sheer hell over it. They laughed at me and taunted me constantly.

By the time I started high school two years after the hair incident, my hair was beyond my shoulders, and most of the kids who were picking at me were running to the store to buy hair to tack on. Character building? My character would have been fine without my people tearing me down for their own amusement.

I'm fine now, but if I ever hear one of my children clowning somebody about "nappy" hair, it will be on, and it won't be off until they get the point. There is no justification for this kind of crueltry and self-hatred. Black people are too beautiful for this nonsense.

TR Simon

I'm with lovelyivy on this one. This thread is sad.

Wow! I can't believe some of you are taking this so serious!

I had a perm and my hair fell out right before I started 7th grade. I got teased all that year, "baldie" and everything else, you name it! But my hair grew out and I no longer got teased. During the time it was happening, heck no I didn't like it, but I am 24 now and in no way does getting teased as a kid effect me today!

I have always been strong like that, no one can get you down but YOU. You control your spirit, not Shaniqua who said you were bald headed.

I think this thread was meant to be fun, he could of started a thread about who was the most ashy on my block or who had the worst breath on the block and it would have been all good. I don't think our frat's intentions was for this to bring back bad memories for some.


QTE

Actually I still have nappy hair because I refuse to put that creamy crack on my scalp another 14 years like I did from age 10 to 24. It's a shame that many of us black folks think "nappy" is a bad thing. It is a GREAT thing!

It is funny because folks really think that many of these combs and brushes were made for our hair type. MOST of them were made for caucasian hair types and we use it further damaging our hair unless of course we emulate our forefather slavemasters and "straighten" our hair to make it more so-called manageable. I do not use a comb other than my fingers to style my thick, healthy, nappy mane and I only use a boars bristle brush when I am putting a scarf on my head at night. I LOVE having natural hair and have worn it this way since 1994. I have had some slips but I always came back to natural. I would not have it any other way. I do not run from the rain, I can swim and wash/condition my hair in 30 minutes and be ready for a party, no more blowdryers (unless I want a blow out) or stankin' curling irons. I can wash my hair at least 3 times a week vs. every 2 weeks like alot of our relaxed sisters who can't do their own hair and have to wait to go to the beauty salon. I can do cute styles with it too - 2-strand twist, coil it, and bush it. And before anyone asks - I am a Project Manager in corporate America and the only funny stares I get (if any) are from fellow blacks who work in my building. I interviewed nappy and got every job offer I interviewed for not because of what was on my head but because of what was in it. Gotta love it!

much respect...

hmmm...there is an article posted in the AKA forum by a young man who says that black people should thank white people for giving us their genes so we could have "good hair".
and while people were angry about the guy's article it still amazes me that black folx would even talk about nappy hair.
so what someone's hair was nappy.
you know what...i'm on the flip side. i had, when i was younger, long wavy hair and i got teased so bad i had my mom cut it all off. the people who teased me called me honky, whitey, all kinds of mess. so i can imagine what it was like for someone to be teased about the courseness of their hair.

and anyone who teased anyone about nappy hair or any kind of hair should be ashamed of themselves....ESPECIALLY...if you are an adult and you are still doing the same crap.

peace

you know i understand the whole self-esteem thing, but, the truth is that kids can be cruel and so can their parents (grown folks). i have "good hair" and was teased because that (half breed, white girl and all the rest). kids say mean things to each other they don't care. the poor kids, fat kids, light skin dark skin whatever. parents and teachers have to be gardians of their kids self-esteem. reinforcing that they are beautiful and special just the way they are! my mother was great at that.

^5 to ya, Soror!



------------------
MCCOYRED
Mu Psi '86
BaltCo Alumnae

Dynamic...Salient...Temperate...Since 1913

Go 'head sista! I go natural every 5 years, just because. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif

Man, You guy's are taking this to personal. I'm was joking and looking back on the good times. Now if you were that little kid then I'm sorry. I do mean to bring anyone down.

I know you didn't DOG DOG BANG BANG!! I fell out cracking up because I could see Reese as clear as day.

Nappiness is something ALL BLACK people have experienced but DOG DOG BANG BANG meant or I took it to mean the perpetual Nappy headed child.

Some people always want to overanalyze childhood fun.