If non-black women want to get involved in the natural hair community, I feel they should do so with caution. Understand that the struggles that Black women face concerning their hair are unique to them, and expect a healthy smooth cussing out if you reinforce the same racism that lead to the need for natural hair spaces in the 1st place. Also, accept that some Black women will never be comfortable with white women being a part of these spaces. Like Karen said, it's not about hate or anything, just a desire to be around those who share your struggles and experiences. Sometimes you don't wanna have that long discussion about why it's not OK to just randomly touch a black woman's hair, or about how it's not the same if it's done to a white woman; I'm sure most white women have never been gawked at like an exotic zoo animal simply for wearing their hair the way it naturally grows. Bottom line: Don't just stab at the issue wildly, but peck lightly like a woodpecker with a headache.
PrinceLeron - 10 years ago
I've been turned off by the natural hair movement for a while. At first I was all for black women empowering themselves but it went left. I started noticing that women with natural hair considered themselves "blacker" and better than black women who did not go natural. Also they would make comments on other peoples hair but natural hair was above reproach. Karen was right when she said that women with natural hair can come off as very snobby. I came to see that it wasn't whatever hairstyle that made you comfortable but if you wasn't natural, you were trying to look like these white bitches. And somehow white women where the enemy. "
Justin - 10 years ago
If natural haired black women want their own space WITHIN the natural hair movement then by all means get to makin it. But EVERY woman (generally) has hair and can choose to go natural. I'm no black woman so perhaps there's all typesa extra mumbojumbo these Tar-babies'll bring into it but "eh"
If non-black women want to get involved in the natural hair community, I feel they should do so with caution. Understand that the struggles that Black women face concerning their hair are unique to them, and expect a healthy smooth cussing out if you reinforce the same racism that lead to the need for natural hair spaces in the 1st place. Also, accept that some Black women will never be comfortable with white women being a part of these spaces. Like Karen said, it's not about hate or anything, just a desire to be around those who share your struggles and experiences. Sometimes you don't wanna have that long discussion about why it's not OK to just randomly touch a black woman's hair, or about how it's not the same if it's done to a white woman; I'm sure most white women have never been gawked at like an exotic zoo animal simply for wearing their hair the way it naturally grows. Bottom line: Don't just stab at the issue wildly, but peck lightly like a woodpecker with a headache.
I've been turned off by the natural hair movement for a while. At first I was all for black women empowering themselves but it went left. I started noticing that women with natural hair considered themselves "blacker" and better than black women who did not go natural. Also they would make comments on other peoples hair but natural hair was above reproach. Karen was right when she said that women with natural hair can come off as very snobby. I came to see that it wasn't whatever hairstyle that made you comfortable but if you wasn't natural, you were trying to look like these white bitches. And somehow white women where the enemy. "
If natural haired black women want their own space WITHIN the natural hair movement then by all means get to makin it. But EVERY woman (generally) has hair and can choose to go natural. I'm no black woman so perhaps there's all typesa extra mumbojumbo these Tar-babies'll bring into it but "eh"