Hello sistafriends,
I would just like to add my opinion to this discussion. Prepare yourself though sistafriends I got a little long winded in this one.
For years black people have been left out of mainstream television. For years we were told that our hair was too kinky (even a little kink was too much). For year we only saw lighter shades of black represented on television and in films. Nowadays we see a few darker toned sistahs in main stream advertisements and videos (don't get me started on the videos). What is so wrong with finally not being condemned because we were not born with naturally straight hair? Finally we are seeing another variety of Blackness in these advertisements. What is so wrong with finally being able to celebrate our roots and not the styles that have been pushed on us for years upon years? Straight hair is better, light skin is better, skinny is better... enough is enough. Personally I think that advertisers and such are just trying to attract more African - American dollars. Trying to say oh now it's ok for these types of people to buy our product. African-American women with kinky or not so straight hair.
If we are putting relaxers at our hair at 10, and 11 or our early teens, then we really have no time to get to know our hair. We don't know how to manage our natural tresses. We are led to believe that our tight coils are unmanageable, how would you know if you were wearing a relaxer since you were 11. My mom didn't stop doing my hair till I was like 12. The minute I touched my natural hair I was like “give me a perm!” I didn't want to take the time to get to know my hair... Now I have decided to go back to my natural hair because relaxers burn the crap out of me. I love my hair now, after almost a year of “what am I going to do with this mess.” I can wash my hair, brush it out and go... No more patting my head for a week cause I can't scratch or it'll burn.
I mean there are different shades of blackness and just cause you wear an afro or a doobie doesn't MAKE you more or less black, but it's time for the constant putting down of our natural hair, natural complexion and other things to stop. If you choose to change the texture of your hair, the complexion of your skin, or the color of your eyes.. that’s your choice. But I believe that since we have only seen light skin women with super straight hair in advertisements for so long some people believe that this is the only acceptable way to look. I am guilty of it for at least 10 years.
The advertisers see it as a fad I believe. It's really evident to me in the Gap Kids add with the little girls singing on the stage like a band. The 'token' black child has her hair flying all over her head, it's appalling to me.. (it doesn’t look like they put a comb through her hair) the other girls (all white) have neatly combed hair, without a strand out of place no funky pony tails nothing.
If I don't like the way black women especially are in advertisements and certain music videos I don't patronize those artist and those products. But there are exceptions.
Black Hair Care magazine, nothing but straight hair styles, the only natural styles are braids (which aren't good for your hair). But I've learned how to work with my natural hair, just like I learned to work my relaxed hair. I would do my own doobies and it would look better than most salon jobs and now I can do just about any style I see in those black hair care books. My point is don't knock it till you've tried it.
And if you aren't getting compliment or attention from men because of the way you wear your hair be it relaxed, jheri curl, natural, whatever then maybe it's the way you carry yourself. I am proud of who I am. My hair does not make me and less of a woman, if any man has a problem with the way I wear my hair, then he isn't the man for me. To be caught up on such materialistic thing is childish. Humans were once covered from head to toe with hair, some day we may not have hair at all I guess by then these men will have to change their opinions on hair.
[This message has been edited by Lovealious (edited August 23, 2000).]
[This message has been edited by Lovealious (edited August 23, 2000).]
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