Hair History

[Poplife]

I stumbled on an interesting topic today on BP and I wanted to bring it to the forum to see what you all thought of it.

In the Style and Beauty forum there are many threads about black women who wear their hair natural as opposed to texturizers and perms. One group argues that hair is just hair and just because they prefer to perm doesn't mean that they are ashamed of their natural hair. Another group says that we were taught that woolly hair was ugly and this idea has been passed down since we came to America and that's why the majority of black women still alter their hair.

Opinions?

[jaycee]

I have heard many debates on this topic as well. Me personally, I feel that hair is just hair and one should feel free to alter it just as people wear makeup, shave their legs, etc. However, I do understand the other view of the topic--that some women are dependent upon relaxers. In a conversation with a group I was in, one woman posed this question, if relaxers were proven to cause cancer(or some other disease) how many women do you think would rather take the risks than allow their hair to be natural? It really made me think...

[Convinced]

Girl, I totally understand what they are saying about how we shouldn't subscribe to the white mentality that says that our hair should be straight. But me, personally, I relax my hair for health purposes. If I didn't, I'd have birds nesting in my scalp. It's just a matter of personal preference, I think.

[Inquisitive]

I'm with Jaycee on this one. If I want to perm my hair to give me the option of wearing various styles and making it more manegeable that's my business. But it does not mean that I am trying to be something that i'm not. It's all a matter of personal preference. Every since elementary school i've known plenty of white females who have their hair permed. Some get it permed because it makes their hair curly or wavey and others have told me that it is a type of perm for their hair that makes it straight if it's naturally curly! So see it's all just a matter of what you like or "toots your horn" so to speak. But I just don't believe that it's because one is trying to deny their heritage just because they perm their hair!

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Wisemen Speak Because They Have Something To Say, Fools Because They Have To Say Something!
Failure To Plan Is Planning To Fail!!!

[serenity_24]

I think the answer to this debate lies in the mentality of the person asking the question.

1). If you are ashamed of your natural hair.. i.e. using phrases like ooohh my hair so nappy, I need a perm...then you fall into the category discribed by the second group.

2). If you are not ashamed of your natural hair..i.e. would feel free to wear your hair natrual anytime, no matter what the texture...then you fall into the category discribed by the first group.

You have to ask yourself, however, why you go every 6 weeks for a temporary "perm". Your answer will let you know which category you fall into.

As for me, I wear my hair natural, but not as a hair style, instead as an expression of my life style and beliefs.

It took me a while to find out what roll it would play in my life...would I have to dred it...would I have to start wearing the grunge look...would It smell like a trash pail...

But once I figrued out that those were all stereotypes that I had picked up from other black folk, I realized I could still be classy, stylish, creative, and everything else that I loved about being me, and have natural hair too.

In fact, I feel it impowers me to feel free to be me without any facades or veneers to hide behind. This is me in the raw.

As for hair styles: I wear it curlly, kinky, twisted, untwisted, and when I feel like it I press it. The versitility just cant be beat.

Now that I've said my piece, I'll go and see what I can do with this head-o-mine.

[Audacity44]

I don't even want to go there.

I don't think that perms are a white mentality!

I think we are all beautiful black women! I don't think different about my sistah if her hair is natural or permed!

Doesn't society have something better to discuss? World hunger, racism, hate crimes, etc?

[exquizit]

I'm sorry yall, but I gotta be real......

If I didn't perm my hair, I wouldn't be able to comb this stuff!

I do it because it helps me out in the time department. If I didn't have a perm I'm sure it would take a while to to tame it.

I like being able to wrap my hair and go care free after that. It's not what society placed in my head, but what my laziness has done for me.

[Poplife]

Well, I am having trouble falling asleep so I think I'll just throw out a few things to chew on:

1. Why do people tell me to blowdry my natural curls out before rush because they think the relaxed look is more professional?

2. Why do women on my campus come up to me and say..."Your hair is so pretty! What did you do to it? And when I tell them it's natural they look stunned.

3. Why do women say they wish the had the courage to go natural? Why should something like that take courage? Think about it.

4. Why are we the only race where the MAJORITY of women prefer to chemically alter their hair texture?

5. Why do more white men tell me that my hair is pretty then black men?! (I really want an answer to that one)

Off to bed I go...again...

[1 Woman of Virtue]

Serenity_24 and Poplife, I am truly feeling what you both were trying to convey!!!

Someone mentioned what most Black women's responses would be if they found out perms cause cancer...well let's look at that: Any reputable beautician will wear gloves when they apply a perm right? Well there are a lot of reasons for that, but one of the main ones being that the chemicals used in perms are DANGEROUS. Not only do they deteriorate your skin, but (and this is only one school of thought) many believe them to be carcinogenic. Whether that last part is true or not, I don't know...but that's exactly why I would think twice before putting the chemical in my hair...

Anyways...I'd like to add to Poplife's list of questions:
1. Do you perm your hair because you think it's "prettier" straight?

2. When you say you "prefer" straight hair, where does that preference come from? And remember, a preference for something, inherently implies a rejection of something else...

3. Is it really the same to compare White women perming or altering their hair, with Black women who do the same, when WE are the ones who have historically been told that "knappy" hair is ugly, hard to manage, and not beautiful?

4. Have you ever told your self that you don't have the "face" for natural hair?

5. Why do our Black men, even the "conscience" ones, have such a hard time accepting a "natural" head?

6. Why is it that when "permed" sista's see my natural head, they automatically assume I am "Afro-centric"? Whether it's true or not, is that the same as a "natural" head assuming that a sista w/ a perm is not?

7. If you have had a perm since your mother was doing your hair as a little girl, how do you know you could not manage it? (and it doesn't count if you can't comb it when you need a touch up! Anyone who could handle 2 opposing, connected textures of hair w/o going crazy has my respect!)

8. Why is it that as little girls, most of us longed for long, straight, flowing hair? Remember playing house and putting a blanket, sheet, or slip on your head so you could flip it over your shoulder, pretending it was your hair? Where does that come from?

9. Finally (yes, I'm almost done ) Why is it that when I graduated, I was told by nearly EVERYONE of my gurl's w/ perms that my hair was not professional and I would not get a job w/ "an afro-puff"? Keep in mind this is not an isolated incident, and many "natural" heads experience the samething!!

I think this is an important issue, because in many cases, it speaks directly to a Black woman's self esteem. While many of us on this forum are secure in who we are, take a look around and see how many of us feel ugly, or unloved because we are told that by the media (both white and some black!), family members, and our Black men. Talk to any group of sista's and see how many of them place an emphasis on beauty being tied to hair...more specifically, straight/"good" hair...

Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God...

[Miss. Mocha]

Who in the world is anybody on this forum, or in life to tell somebody that they are ashamed of their heritage because they perm their hair?????????

What in the hell does perm vs au naturale have to do with blackness?? Wake up ladies, this is just another means to seperate and disect us. It's like telling a person that they're ashamed of their heritage because they use standard english, or move to the suburbs, or vote republican.

Hair should not be an issue in our community!!!! The fact that we are the highest number of new AIDS patients is an issue. The fact that our children are living below the poverty line is an issue. The drop out rate for african american high school students is an issue. The number of teenage pregnancies is an issue.


THE CHOICE TO RELAX OR NOT TO RELAX BLACK HAIR IS TRIVIAL IN THIS TIME OF ORGANIZED CHAOS!!!!!! AS SPIKE LEE SAID, "WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


Miss. Mocha

[Ideal08]

I hesitate to put my opinion out there, but it's mine, and I can do that, so here goes.

Unfortunately, what we as Black women do to our hair is very much historical, and it is not a waste of time to talk about it, nor is it unimportant as opposed to racism, because it is a part of racism. Our (Blacks) self-image is a HUGE part of racism. Do I relax my hair? Yes. Has it been bothering me lately that I do? YES!!! There are so many things that we as a people need to unlearn, and it's hard to state any of them without others feeling attacked. So I want to say now, I am not here to attack anyone, their beliefs, or their opinions. However, this issue of hair is very important. We need to understand that while we have perpetuated the separations within our race, we did not initiate it. It has been HISTORICALLY ingrained in our minds that if you're black stay back and if your light it's alright. And that includes our hair. This is why so many of us have issues with interracial relationships, because it further illustrates the point that the "status quo" is prettier than we are. Believe that our ancestors did NOT get off that ship with relaxers in their hair. So there HAD to be a reason we began to do that. The fact of the matter is, we began to straighten our hair to emulate the hair of caucasion americans. Whether or not that's the reason we do it today, that is why it started. Just like people use the N word today as a term of endearment, that does not mean that it didn't start out as a racial slur. It amazes me that someone can say that this is not racial, because that's all it is. I am struggling with letting my hair grow out of the relaxer out of sheer laziness. I'm used to my hair being relaxed, and I've become content with it like this. Not to mention, I have to take the time to make sure it stays healthy, etc. However, I realize the message that it sends (straight hair is prettier), and I want to change that. I can be a beautiful Black woman with my hair natural.

On another note, and then I will get off of my soapbox, there are MANY things that we do today that were ingrained in us by White America. If you haven't read it, pick up a "Sisters of the Yam," by bell hooks. It's deep yall. You'd be surprised what society has subliminally placed in our heads. It's easier to get defensive than it is to actually try and listen to find truth, because we are afraid of the truth, because if we find out that we do much of what we do based on society, we'll feel out of control of our lives and the decisions we make. But the truth is out there.

And that's my .08, sorry for the long post.

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by Miss. Mocha:
Who in the world is anybody on this forum, or in life to tell somebody that they are ashamed of their heritage because they perm their hair?????????

What in the hell does perm vs au naturale have to do with blackness?? Wake up ladies, this is just another means to seperate and disect us. It's like telling a person that they're ashamed of their heritage because they use standard english, or move to the suburbs, or vote republican.

Hair should not be an issue in our community!!!! The fact that we are the highest number of new AIDS patients is an issue. The fact that our children are living below the poverty line is an issue. The drop out rate for african american high school students is an issue. The number of teenage pregnancies is an issue.


THE CHOICE TO RELAX OR NOT TO RELAX BLACK HAIR IS TRIVIAL IN THIS TIME OF ORGANIZED CHAOS!!!!!! AS SPIKE LEE SAID, "WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ok, I have to respond to this. There is nothing trivial in our struggle. You can't build a house without nails, yet, wouldn't those seem "trivial" when compared to huge pieces of wood and bricks? It is the smallest things that keep us mentally enslaved. Note that phrase, MENTALLY enslaved. Thoughts. What one would call trivial. You can't even BEGIN to combat the many issues we have in our communities without changing how we THINK. You think self-image doesn't have anything to do with all the teenage pregnancies we have in our communities? You think self-image doesn't have anyting to do with the rise of AIDS in our communities? You think self-image doesn't have anything to do with our drop-out rate? While the strands of actual, tangible hair are trivial, the HISTORY behind it is all BUT trivial. What in the hell does perm vs au naturale have to do with blackness?? EVERYTHING. I guess skin bleaching doesn't have anything to do with blackness either. WAKE UP.

[1 Woman of Virtue]

Ideal08,
Well said and Ashe!

Unfortunately (or fortunately, it all depends ) as Black people, even the seemingly mundane aspects of everyday life are politicized/racialized. That includes simple things like hair, skin complexion, nose size, body shape, getting a job, buying a house, etc. This is why these discussions take place, and should continue to in the future.

And Spike said "WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!" in School Daze. In that same movie, he addressed this very issue (jiggabo's v. wannabe's dance scene).

Ideal08, Good luck w/ the hair change...and remember, a natural style may not always be the easiest, but it will always be worth it!

Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.

[Miss. Mocha]

Ideal08

I think that if you had read my post clearly,
you would have noticed that my post referred to the idea that relaxed hair symbolized a lack of acceptance of heritage.

While I wish you much success in your personal transformation, I don't believe that relaxing black hair is a statement about a person's commitment to their heritage.

You can have relaxed hair and be proud of your heritage, or you can wear your 'natural' hair as your badge of "black power", and sell crack in our communities.

I don't believe in the propoganda that we spout to each other about not being "black enough".
Do this and you're not black enough. Do that and you are. That's a load of crap.

I agree that self image and self hate have a great deal to do with the problems in our community. There is no denying that, but deciding to wear your hair au naturale isn't going to combat our issues ( be it a nail in the foundation. I personally think it's more like paint on the walls, but that's just me. You can live without paint).

Your points are well taken, and I'm glad that you have the courage of your covictions, but saying "self hate, and self image is part of reason that we're getting AIDS at a higher rate." is cool, but let's move past identifying the "reason" and pouring so much time and energy into the "reasons' and work towards solutions.

Constantly saying that slavery is the reason for broken black homes, and white people's systematic rape of our history is a reason that black women hate the way that they look isn't helping a thing.

We need to stop tearing each other down over inconsequential things, (like whether or not somebody else relaxes their hair), and start building each other up!!! If one beautiful black sister prefers her hair natural, great, but don't put down the beautiful black sisters who don't. That's all I'm saying.

We, as a race, tend to get sidetracked, and sent off in ten different directions, and neglect to take care of larger issues.


Now, I'm off my soap box, and this is just one beautiful black woman's opinion

Miss. Mocha

[Ideal08]

Originally posted by Miss. Mocha:
Ideal08

I think that if you had read my post clearly,
you would have noticed that my post referred to the idea that relaxed hair symbolized a lack of acceptance of heritage.

While I wish you much success in your personal transformation, I don't believe that relaxing black hair is a statement about a person's commitment to their heritage.

You can have relaxed hair and be proud of your heritage, or you can wear your 'natural' hair as your badge of "black power", and sell crack in our communities.

I don't believe in the propoganda that we spout to each other about not being "black enough".
Do this and you're not black enough. Do that and you are. That's a load of crap.

I agree that self image and self hate have a great deal to do with the problems in our community. There is no denying that, but deciding to wear your hair au naturale isn't going to combat our issues ( be it a nail in the foundation. I personally think it's more like paint on the walls, but that's just me. You can live without paint).

Your points are well taken, and I'm glad that you have the courage of your covictions, but saying "self hate, and self image is part of reason that we're getting AIDS at a higher rate." is cool, but let's move past identifying the "reason" and pouring so much time and energy into the "reasons' and work towards solutions.

Constantly saying that slavery is the reason for broken black homes, and white people's systematic rape of our history is a reason that black women hate the way that they look isn't helping a thing.

We need to stop tearing each other down over inconsequential things, (like whether or not somebody else relaxes their hair), and start building each other up!!! If one beautiful black sister prefers her hair natural, great, but don't put down the beautiful black sisters who don't. That's all I'm saying.

We, as a race, tend to get sidetracked, and sent off in ten different directions, and neglect to take care of larger issues.


Now, I'm off my soap box, and this is just one beautiful black woman's opinion

Miss. Mocha

I agree with much of what you are saying, Miss Mocha, but unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the reasons that some things happen. You can't attempt to solve a problem or come up with a solution until you recognize that there is a problem. Not everyone recognizes that there is a problem, so coming up with a solution is impossible. While I do agree with you that we should pour an equal amount of time and energy into finding solutions, I disagree with doing away with conversations about the reasons. That is how we educate. We have been silent for so long, and that's how things get misconstrued and misunderstood. It is impossible to find a solution when you don't know what the problem is. Communication is key.