Relaxed Vs. Natural

[Krisco]

Why must people put such a huge rift in between the two? Okay Guys, My aunt who I did NOT ask for summer employment assistance, volunteered to tell about some openings at her company. I was like "cool" and proceeded to ask her about what positions were available. She tells me about them and I say okay, she then interjects and says "oh yeah, you are gonna have to do something about that hair, perm it or something, yeah I'll tell *punkin* to hook that kitchen up." While she is saying all this and touching my beautiful napps, my face must have said "what beatch??" She then said, its a white-folks establishment and you need to look professional.

Ya'll, I have completed two senior internships(conservative ones) working with virtually all southern-bred white people. I have not had to answer any questions or concerns about my natural hair with any of them! It(hair) has never came up. I have been self-employed with my online company this past year, so I haven't had to 'work' for anyone in a while(for pay). I just cannot fathom why she felt the need to school me on how to get a job. I feel conservative hairstyling has absolutely nothing to do with straight/relaxed hair. I wear my little nappy do very conservative when I feel the need to. I mean, when in the heck did there become one standard for wearing ones OWN hair appropriately? Neat, clean, simple, and maybe even pulled-back equates conservative to me, not the texture. But let the queen, tha all-knowing one tell it, I won't get hired with no nappy head.

This thread is not about bashing any hair type or preference, but damn why is my hair sooo wrong? I guess if I wore a sideways fake ponytail with the waterfall bang and don't forget the burgundy streaks, as long as its relaxed, that would be better than my little pulled back afro puff. I think not! Conservative can be accomplished by just about anyone with any hairdo or style or texture, IMHO. Has anyone else had to deal with this whether it be about your hair texture, clothing, body size, whateva!!??

[blackerican]

When I was little my mom used to put a Pro-Line Kiddie Perm in my hair. I hated it because my hair never looked like the girl on the box...(the box had a picture of a girl w/long silky hair). I always longed for that look....until I got into college. That's when I began to "find" myself and cut all my hair off very short (to the new growth!!!!). I then began to let my hair grow out natural....I decided that I would never relax my hair again!!!! But, my mom had other plans!!! She was bought up to believe that permed hair was right and that natural hair was something that we could leave behind...like the house slaves had "good" hair and the field slaves had Nappy hair. So, she felt that by me having natural hair I was reverting back to slavery and that people would think that I was Stupid or less intelligent due to my hair texture!!!!! I never did listen to her and my hair has been natural for about 13yrs. I work around all types of people and they all love my hair!!!!! And by the way I'm back in college and I'm on the dean's list every semester !!!! So much for thinking that natural hair makes you dumb

I love the Naps!!!!!

[DeRe]

I have considered going natural..but as with many things I am still contemplating.
But I go through similar situations concerning my head wraps. I cover my hair often, for many reasons, but basically because I like to do so. My family has significant problems with it and often say I am attempting the Erykah Badu look, but they are family so what they say doesn't really matter.

So, one day I was at my old job and a customer came in. The first thing she said was "Dang, you look like a towel head!" It took everything holy within me to keep from bolting off a sister girl, but I did it. After she left I spoke to my supervisor and you know what he had the audacity to tell me? "Well, you are aware that our customers are usually non-Afro American so it would be in your best interest to not exhibit any cultural things around here."

Needless to say I quit, after I gave him a swift piece of my "cultural" mind of course. I simply cannot tolerate ignorance, and the world is running rampant with it.