Wednesday’s episode of Oprah was actually a pretty good one. Oprah invited comedian/actor Chris Rock to her show to speak about his new documentary, “Good Hair”. In the film, Chris explores the world of weaves, perms and more and tries to answer the question, what is good hair?
Singer/songwriter Solange Knowles (who recently chopped her hair off), also spoke about why she decided to go with the natural look and about how the internet/blogs went wild when she did it. Peep another clip from the show below.
@ Peacekeeper double right Cosign. You should wear wateva you feel comfortable in, that makes you feel good whether real or not. Wasting money aint chic its dumb.
I can see why Tyra did the show: Her show is garbage. But Oprah? Come on lets not get on that banwagon lord.
We should follow India’s example and not let some nappy hair define us hahahahaha.
We had this conversation in a Black Studies class I took last year. My hair is natural. When I say natural I mean it is not chemically relaxed or altered in anyway. I wore cornrows until the 7th grade. I did get a very mild relaxer, Just For Me, when I was in the 7th grade because I wanted to wear my hair straight. I’m glad I learned soon after that this was not the thing for me. I liked wearing the braids as well as wearing my hair straight and sometimes curly and in its natural state. At the moment my hair is flatironed but I usually wear it curly, like straight out the shower with some conditioner in it curly. And I must say I noticed that the guys on campus pay more attention to me with my curly hair than with my hair straight because it’s different and you can see your natural beauty now. If I could I would definitely wear it curly all the time because I like how my natural beauty stands out. The reason I flatiron it is because I don’t have enough time to deal with it in the morning before class. I do know how to do it, but it takes longer and can sometimes make me late for class. I’ve also noticed on my campus that the women of color, especially the upperclassmen, are going natural. A lot of women are cutting it all off and starting over. It seems that they realized it’s difficult to manage relaxed hair with no Black salons around. All of my friends are either rockin braids or a short hair cut in its natural state. Sometimes we can be mean and get at each other like whoa you need a perm, but we understand what all this means. Taking the class last year made us realize why we do things like perm, relax and straighten our hair. I believe in Chris Rock’s movie someone said “When your hair’s relaxed white people relax, when your hair is nappy white people ain’t happy.” Sadly this is true in many cases. And I’m glad that my sister’s of color are deciding to wear their natural hair on a predominately white campus.
BTW CR is a funny MF “stripper swinging from a pole”, Oprah’s hair is rich, hahahaha hilarious!
Sad though that they aren’t getting paid more for their hair damn….gotta rethink this weave thing.
Solange looks gorgeous!!!! Chris is hilarious!!!
It is a shame that Celestine put a relaxer in 4 year old Solanfge’s hair! If she was a true hairstylist ( didnt she say she had the best salon in Houston) she should have known that 4 is WAYvTOO YOUNG!
I think Solange cut her hair bc her hair was broken off, not bc it cost $50,000 a year. She shops w her sister beyonce’s black american express card anyways so she wasnt paying teh $50,000 !
Yall are haters, why cant Solange just be her own person. No one says anything about Jessica Simpsons sister Ashlee. Let this beautiful young lady get her shine! I cant wait until her new album drop!
NATURAL IS THE BEST WAY TO GO!!!… solange looks great…. like my dad and chris rock said and like i’ve always known… if you walk in a room with a fro and everyone else has long straight hair… you’re going to stand out and 9 times out 10 you’re gonna get more play than anyone else… i rock a huge fro all the time and get more guys trying to talk to me than when my hair is straight!!! i feel more like myself with the fro… it’s what works for me at this time of my life and has been working for the last few years of my life…. i feel more alive…more beautiful….more like myself….POWER TO THE NATURAL!!! lol
I KNOW, SOME OF YOU PEOPLE FACES LOOK VERY TIGHT, WHEN OPRAH REVEALED THAT WAS HER REAL HAIR. CHRIS ROCK HIMSELF WAS SKEPTICAL, UNTIL OPRAH SAID ” TOUCH IT, ” WELL THAT WHAT YOU GET FOR THINKING “ALL” BLACK WOMEN ARE BALL HEADED OR WEAR WEAVE. ITS SAD BECAUSE, I’M LATIN WITH VERY LONG, DARK BROWN, SIKLY HAIR AND PEOPLE ” ASSUME” THAT MY HAIR CAN’T BE WEAVE BECAUSE OF MY ETHNICITY. ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS IS BLACK AND HER HAIR LENGTH IS THE SAME LENGTH AS OPRAH HAIR. ALTHOUGH HER HAIR ISN’T OF A SILKY TEXTURE, HER HAIR IS BEAUTIFUL. WHY? BECAUSE HER HAIR IS THICK, FULL, FREE OF BREAKAGE AND SPLIT ENDS, AND TO ME THATS BEAUTIFUL. PEOPLE WHO ARE BRAIN WASHED BELIEVE THAT ” GOOD HAIR” IS HAIR LIKE MINE, BUT IN ACTUALLY YOU HAIR CAN QUOTE ON QUOTE ” LOOK APPEALING TO THE EYE”, BUT CAN BE A DIFFICULT TO MANAGE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH LONG, THICK CURLY HAIR. THIS TYPE OF HAIR IS OFTEN TIMES FRIZZY , POOFY AND TANGLES EASILY . BUT YOU MUST REMEMBER THERE ARE DIFFERENT GRADES OF CURLY WHICH RANGES FROM THE SILKIEST CURL TO THE KINKIEST CURL. IN MY COUNTRY, HAIR WASN’T A BIG “:OH MY GOD” BECAUSE EVERYONE HAD THE SAME TYPE OF HAIR. THERE WERE A FEW WHO HAIR WAS A LITTLE COURSER OR KINKY-CURLY, BECAUSE THEY HAD AFRICAN ANCESTRY. IT WAS ONLY WHEN I CAME TO AMERICA, CERTAIN GROUPS MADE A BIG ISSUE ABOUT IT.
THERE ARE MANY BLACK WOMEN WHO HAVE LONG, SILKY LONG HAIR , MANY DO HAVE EUROPEAN, NATIVE AMERICAN, SPANISH, AND ASIAN ANCESTRIES, BUT FOR THE MOST PART ” RELATIVELY” “OVERALL” BLACK.
I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MAJORITY OF BLACK WOMEN GO THROUGH WITH THE HAIR, I THINK IT UNFAIR THAT MANY OF THE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET DON’T COMPLIMENT BLACK HAIR OR MADE FOR BLACK HAIR. I ANOTHER FRIEND THAT IS FROM ISRAEL, HE SAID, THAT BLACKS ARE TO SUPPOSE TO WEAR DREADS,AND HE SAID THE DID IN THE BIBLE, AND HE NAMES A MAN NAMED SAMUEL. HE SAID , “WE ARE MEANT TO WEAR OUR HAIR NATURAL, BUT AS SUCCUMB TO THE WHITE MAN VISION OF BEAUTY”, IF THIS IS SO…….ITS SAD, I SAY EMBRCE WHO YOU ARE, THEY ARE BEAUTY ON MANY LEVELS. BE UNIQUE, BE PROUD
#4: you took the words out of my very mouth…well…fingers….lol
Hair is a big damn deal because every celebrity and hood rat around the way girl wears it. What happened to the days before weave when you had to work with what God gave you. People literally cut their hair off just to weave some fake shit in. I don’t wear weave and my hair is fine. I keep it real and keep it short. I wish more people would just deal with what they have instead of going the quick route. Hair down your back in 1 hour. It’s the same reason why everyone is fat as hell because no one wants to cook anymore they just want to drive thru it to death. Especially black folks need to get it together.
“Hair” for the black community is a “BIG” deal. For those who say it isn’t must don’t know there history and the relationship it has to the mindset of black people today.
We as a people since the beging of slavery has never felt as if our hair was good enough! Today it’s so subconcious because it’s now a norm of our society. If you’re black w/ thick hair “Perm that shit, cuz it looks a mess”.
When our addiction to hair & products is keeping another race a float (asians), and we can’t even find funds to put into our own community then it’s a problem (at least for me). When black celebrities only can make white magazine covers if there hair is blonde and/or long then it’s a problem. When a 4 year old girl has to get her hair permed its a problem. When a girl doesn’t feel as pretty or confident in herself if her hair isn’t down her ass “THEN ITS A PROBLEM”.
Do what you wish with your hair but don’t feel a lack of sexy or take food out of you families mouth because of it! N that’s what is happening
Thank you Chris
BEYONCE WAKE UP ! ! GET OVER THE HAIR THING .
BEYONCE WAKE UP ! ! GET OVER THE HAIR THING .
BEYONCE WAKE UP ! ! GET OVER THE HAIR THING .
BEYONCE , WAKE UP ! ! GET OVER THE HAIR THING .
LOL! MY MOMS SAYS THEY STUCK ON THEM DAMN SELFS, LOL!
AND THAT SHE’S MAD THAT OPRAH HAVING THAT DUMB SHYT, SHE NEEDS TO GE THE HELL OFF TV, SHE NOT THE QUEEN OF TALK ANYLONGER NO WONDER HER RATING ARE GOING DOWN! LOL
Anways, lol. I wanted to say that Oprah had nothing to say when Erykah Badu cut her hair off oh so many times.! Oh yea, were callin her “O” now like “B’ for Beyonce and “J/jay” for Jay-z can we say illiumianti.
Yea, am done!
@67 69 and 70 have we met? lol I have the same exact views about hair as the three of you especially 67. I love rockin a fro but I don’t get the same respect as you. People laugh and stare hard.
For everyone saying “It’s just hair, no big deal” you all sound VERY STUPID. Black women have a sickness and yes, an addiction when it comes to hair, So much so that they perm their children’s hair as young as kindergarten age. These chemicals that you use EVERY SIX WEEKS are slowly killing you. Do the math! If you are doing it that often from a child and all through adulthood what are the effects??? The sad part is if a study proved that that poison was linked to cancer half these fools would still use it. I have nothing against weaves, wigs, extensions lacefronts etc. but perms are terrible. and I agree with Chris – kiddie perms need to be yanked off the shelves. Kiddie perms are for mothers that hate their own texture and pass that insecurity onto their daughters!!
@49 …Women of other races wear their hair straight because the majority of the time their hair is naturally straight. That’s the way it grows. Jewish, Black, biracial, or some hispanic women..our hair is not naturally straight. There is nothing wrong with a relaxer, but the focus should be on healthy hair. Black women will straighten their hair to the point of damage. A relaxer with straggly ends is NOT cute.
Are you serious……why must everything people do have to be some deep rooted subconcious thing……..why cant some people just do it because they like it…….I have never in my life put weave in my hair unless I was wearing braids and I wanted them to last longer………I only perm my hair every 4-3 months and that’s because it helps me to take care of my hair……….and not everyone looks good with a short cut…..and why do everyone think that black women cant have long hair? Also, who said other cultures dont use the same products white people get tracks they just call them extensions, other races get relaxers and perms and everything else black women do…………everyone just wants to say that its wrong and unhealthy because black women do it……….but with my perms my hair is quite healthy…….so I have good hair
smh @ people who think hair defines you! I dont see what the big deal is weave, braids, natural, perm however you want to wear you hair is up to you.. YOU know who YOU are and thats all that matters. I chose to wear weave because i like it theres no harm in that.
@39 Black women are not the only women that relax their hair to make it straight. Many Japanese women and hispanic women use chemical straighteners which was also exposed on an older episode of Oprah where she discusses what beauty means to various people across the globe. I understand that hair is an issue in the black community, however, I hate the fact that black women are widely criticized, especially by black men about our hair choices. White women perm their hair to make it curly, asian women perform surgery becuase they loathe their slanted eyes, people are getting plastic surgery in record numbers, etc.. There has always been societasl pressure for women to look “beautiful” according to societal standards amongst all cultures. I think that we (black women) are moreso criticized by black men for not having a certain hair type and then we are condemned for wearing weaves. Also, like someone else pointed out natural hair care can be just as expensive…something I know plenty about! Also, when Chris Rock raves about Oprah’s length of hair and how beautiful it is it was contradictory to his message.
Good to see black people talking our issues. The sooner we leave behind the bad effects of our trouble history the better. Solange looks great. It’s nice seeing women who don’t need long hair to feel like a real woman.
People,
nobody asked any of you for hair biographies. Jesus.
Solange, you look pretty boo.
Uhm, I frankly do not think she did it for “attention.” Really though?
Some of y’all just run off at the mouth without articulating. Sheesh..
She probably wanted to look more edgy, who knows but her?
Get over it.
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Women like “sigh” are a joke. They miss the WHOLE damn point to keep their BS logic intact. Sad. Well instead of putting words in ppl’s mouths, I’m gonna quote your dumb ass. 1st off, if you feel this topic is so redundant, WTF are you commenting on it and MULTIPLE TIMES? OMG, you’re so badass and obviously have your own identity down why not go about your business since this issue “doesn’t concern you.” Oh and please don’t use the “I was defending myself” because you’ll look even more childish for actually admitting you have something to prove to a bunch of strangers. 2nd, “she equates “strength” with being “natural”.” Hmmmm, when the hell did you become Solange’s personal mind reader and inner most feelings personified? Yea… I didn’t think you were so STFU. 3rd, “They like to feel sexy, and maybe spending $40k on hair extensions (or w/e) helps them achieve that feeling.” So WHY THE HELL are you on here bitching about ppl who see that as a PROBLEM worth speaking out against? Where the hell is your logic to imply spending that much money on ANYTHING to make you feel beautiful is ok? Girl you really have a problem if you gonna accuse ppl of having low self-esteem while defending them in the same breath. Oh are you really gonna sit here and agree the statement YOU MADE isn’t the epitomy of a serious problem? No, you probably wouldn’t because if you did your young ass wouldn’t have missed the REAL point in the 1st place ERGO others including myself wouldn’t be bitching about you. It’s f*cking sad ERGO you’re f*cking sad. Oh and stop being childish by bringing up who’s getting pointed out. Get the f*ck over because that isn’t the issue. Yes, AA’s are getting pointed out BUT by their own ppl which is how is should be. Respect starts AT HOME and if you’re own family can’t tell you when you are acting like an ass in hopes for a better you, who will?
@ 79 totally agree.
When his daughter asked him why she didn’t have good hair, Chris Rock should have said something like this…
don’t worry i have enough money for you to sort that out when you’re older so you can look like your mum, because me and the majority of black men in this country ain’t checking for no woman whose skin is too dark and hair is too nappy. look in the magazines, watch the videos, watch the films- black people love black people just as long as they don’t look too black.
Solange needs to quit pretending that this is new. She’s been rocking this under her wigs forever.
When solange walked out chris rock looked shocked at how pretty she was. almost like he wanted to say “damn dis chick is fine”!
IM SORRY BUT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE TYRA SHOW – SHE DID THIS DICUSSION ABOUT HAIR FIRST – TYRA MUST BE (SHOULD BE) REALLY SAD ABOUT THIS – OPRAH HAS ENOUGH SPOTLIGHT NOW LET MAMA TYRA SHINE – PLEEEEEEASE
Haha, I loved the thing about no white woman really having blonde hair! I’m white and brunette and have issues with all blonde people not really being blonde! I’m all about sticking to my natural colour! And it’s seriously expensive to get your roots touched up every month or whatever…I think white folks have their own sickness too people…
I think this is more how women view their physical appearance than hair. Its not only a black women issue, but all women. Like I think for whites, its hair color and I heard for in the Indian & Latin culture, light colored eyes are more favorable.
Even though I read someone didn’t like biographies, I’m about to write about my experiences. So those people don’t have to read the rest.
I was permed from age 12 to 24. I been natural almost 2 years now. I did notice a big difference the way men and some of my family members viewed me when I had long hair appearance (weaves or not), short, & natural. When I was long relaxed as a child, other girls thought I wore weave. Then in my early twenties, I got alot more attention with the long weave than the short perm from guys, regardless of my shape( skinny or thick). I had an ex boyfriend that would have a fit if I cut my hair to keep it healthy. He only cared about if I wore long weave on the outside, and it be short and unhealthy on the inside. When I transition to the natural, it wasn’t on purpose. I wanted a texturized style, but I like the transitional styles and got some great compliments, so I stayed natural. But it also kind of hurt too when I was first transitioned. But when I did the big cut, it was crazy. Guys from college asking me why I did that to my hair for and do I like my hair like that. I got positive reaction from women, except for my family. My mom still to this day wants me to go back to my short perm hair. But also, now guys I don’t know, I do get less attention, but I have more positive, respectable comments. The attention and comments bothered me when I was younger, but now I have grown and don’t care about other people opinions. So, overall, all hair can be expensive and time consuming, but if you’re happy with it, stick with it.
Solange Knowles is not getting ready to get the credit for anyone going around with their natural hair. When she models she still puts the wig on. She couldn’t get India Arie, Jill Scott, or Lauryn Hill and countless others who have been rocking natural hair since they been on the scene. Give me a break with this chick, They are going to just try make her be a superstat. I won’t acknowledge her for that.
I’m so sick of hearing about this shit. Folks wear their hair however they wanna wear it. It doesn’t mean black women are trying to be something they are not. That statement to me is just a bunch of bull. If Solange felt like she was in bondage then that’s her, but folks need to quit trying to pass that statement off on every black woman who wears a weave…that’s so general. Now since Oprah is wearing her natural hair she has so much to say about the topic GTFOH with that Oprah. You have this show which caters to predominatly middle aged white woman…like they can really understand the plight of a black woman. Hair doesn’t define black women unless we let it define us. Having color in your hair, wearing fake lashes, all that make up and every thing else isn’t natural either, so why is it just focused on hair. I’m sorry, but I don’t feel that look on Solange at all, not saying she has have to hair all weaved down her back, but that look on her I just don’t like. So has Chris Rocks wife stopped wearing all her weave too?
EVERYBODY WANTS THE INDIAN LOOK. Plastic surgery to get their cheek bones and nose shape, tanning salon to get their skin color (there are some that are very dark), they are for the most slim and curvaceous and now their hair for weave to get great texture and length. Yes because of poverty they have a few birth defects, but for the majority, they seem to be what most people want to look like minus the hair color.
GOOD TO SEE OPRAH ROCKING HER OWN HAIR.
Hair is a big deal to me… Nor does it bother me that it is… I love my REAL hair… Some years I wear it natural…. Some years I dye it… Some years (like this year) I have been wearing a weave because its less work and looks good…. Overall I love my hair and all I care about is that its healthy and I look good with that style… I understand that not everyone feels that way…. So speak out about it if you feel you must…
@58- you took the words right out of my mouth!
I permed my daughters hair at age 8 and doing that was the biggest mistake I have done as a mother and the reason behind my insanity was because I couldn’t “deal with the texture” Before perming, my daughters hair was kinky curly, thick, and long. Right now we’re both wearing our hair natural, meaning no chemicals. At the time I was uneducated about our natural hair and thought the quick fix was perming. It’s still a challenge not having a perm, but I rather deal with my natural state than to keep putting poison on my scalp and in my body. The hair topic is important in some degree. Some of these women and little girls have no hairline because of the tight braids, weaves, and perms and this is making some women and girls feel less beautiful because of the damaged and balding hairlines. It’s called Traction Alopecia and it can be corrected if the tightness of the hair is lessened.
This all sounds great and all… acceptance and pride. Well, we are not always accepted, especially by our own. I have no problem with my natural styles. However, in reality, Black men, especially men like Chris Rock rarely look twice at those who go el natural. Let’s be real here. I stated to my man that I needed to get my ends clipped and his first response was “don’t get it cut though.” Don’t get it cut though? He, like many others equate shorter hair as being less attractive than longer hair. I had another man make the statement that woman over 40 cut their hair off and lose their femininity. Although my hair is pretty long, I choose to wear a weave sometimes for convenience. Like someone else pointed out, it’s no different from wearing false eyelashes and make up. To each his own. But I won’t feel guilty for it either.
The reason why oprah is talking about hair is to promote the movie. Come on folks- its called promotion for the movie. The reason why Solo was chosen is because most of you blog reading idiots gave her such hell for doing it – Thats why she was chosen. Put 2 and 2 together and stop being dumb – its not cute
Oh brother. This shyt is getting way out of hand IMO. Hair is an accessory. It isn’t that serious. Sheesh.
Women that keep saying that “it’s just hair” or “hair is just an accessory” or “your hair doesn’t define you” are clearly missing the point or in serious need of some logic classes because your argument isn’t the least bit compelling
Those cop outs and simplifications are just that: cop outs and simplifications. You’re sugarcoating the issue and endorsing it as Okay.
If it were “just hair” then please explain to me why 80-85% of black women in this country relax their hair? If it were just a styling decision then please explain that phenomena to me
Besides since it’s “just hair” why the hell is the hair growing out of your scalp so difficult to accept
“if your hair doesn’t define you” then why do black women avoid simple life style decisions like working out because of their hair? Or simple activities like swimming?
you claim that “hair doesn’t define you” but it invariably defines us black women whether you like the truth or not. The fact that it’s a multi billion dollar industry alone and we over represent ourselves as consumers in the hair industry by an obscene amount despite the fact that we are a minority, is a mathematical phenomena. If you would like, I can devise an algorithm, an equation to illustrate to you how serious black women take their hair in comparison to other racial groups.
It’s not a coincidence that the more educated and intelligent black women become, the less likely they are to relax their hair. I feel that there is a link between intelligence and not crossing to relax and I’m willing to research it. I go to an engineering University and the vast majority of black women there do not relax their hair. I find that interesting.
I THOUGHT BEING A SINGLE MOTHER MEANT HAVING NO HELP/CONTACT FROM THE CHILD’S FATHER, U ARE DIVORCED HONEY!! ITS NOT LIKE SHE DOESNT HAVE MILLIONS IN THE BANK TO GIVE HIM ANYTHING HE EVER WANTS, JULEZ PROBABLY GOT A COUPLE MIL IN THE BANK!!! A LOT OF PPL DONT EVEN EARN $40000 -$50000 PER ANNUM AND SHE WAS SPENDING THAT ON HAIR. SHE SHOULDNT USE THAT TERM COZ SHE DOESNT KNOW THE TRUE STRUGGLE A LOT OF SINGLE MOTHER’S GO THROUGH, SHE CAN AFFORD A NANNY WHEN SHE HAS SHOWS TO DO OR WHATEVER! WAS SHE TALKIN ABOUT THE IRANIAN ELECTION WHEN IT HAPENED?? I BET SHE WASNT, SHE PROBABLY READ THAT SOMEWHERE AND FOUND ANOTHER EXCUSE TO RANT ABOUT SOMETHING ON TWITTER. AND WHAT A CONTRADICTION TINA KNOWLES.. “GOOD HAIR IS HEALTHY HAIR” U PERM THE CHILDS HAIR AT 4 YRS OLD… THATS STILL GROWING OUT OF THE BABY STAGE.
I am not my hair…
I think Oprah needs to do a SERIOUS (not silly comedy HAHA,am Xhris Rock and weaves Bullshit). Its not even funny,its an ADDITION ofr my people this whole weave,hair extension thing.
She said she got a perm at 4, but then said her mom didn’t allow perm in the house……which one is it???
I think it’s PATHETIC that black women wear weave
like they don’t have hair on their heads. Lol. Look,
my sister went and got a lace front or whatever the
hell you want to call it and the woman asked me if I
was up next! I was like “No…” I don’t want that ugly
B.S. in my head. I have medium length hair, it’s getting
long and I LOVE it.
So sad. The woman told my sister “You sure you want
that Yaki hair?” That’s like the texture of our hair permed…
like there’s something wrong with the texture of black hair.
I’m not gonna be a part of this SELF HATRED. I HAVE self esteem.
It matters cuz i am trying to teach my 9 yr old daughter that her natural hair that has never been relaxed/permed or anything is beautiful and is not NAPPY….NAPPY is not in our vocabulary….
I AGREE WITH SOME OF THE COMMENTS POSTED AND DISAGREE WITH MANY. THOSE WHO CLAIM THAT GOING NATURAL IS THE KEY NEED TO THINK LONG AND HARD ABOUT WHAT THERE SAYING. AS A BLACK WOMAN MYSELF I HAVE TRIED GOING NATURAL AND FOUND THIS TO BE VERY DIFFICULT. (A) STYLING NATURAL HAIR IS LIMITED, ITS EITHER YOU DREAD IT, ROCK AN AFRO OR DO TWISTIES WHICH ARE ALL TIME CONSUMING 4 TO 6 HRS TO BE EXACT SOME EVEN OVER NIGHT. (B) SOME NATURAL STYLES ARE NOT EXCEPTED OR EMBRACED BY THE COMMUNITY AND IN GENERAL (ONLY AFROS AND DREADS I HAVE COME TO NOTICE).OLDER WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE YOUNGER GENERATION GOING NATURAL (C) MEN LOOK AT YOU DIFFERENTLY EXAMPLE : MY BEST FRIEND OFTEN WEARS HER HAIR IN BREADS. ONE DAY SHE DECIDES TO GO NATURAL BY ROCKING AN AFRO. THE GUYS WHO USED TO WORSHIP THE GROUND SHE WALKED ON IN CLASS AND AT WORK STOP TALKING TO HER. ONE GUY WENT AS FAR AS TO ASK HER IF SHE WAS WEARING HER HAIR THAT WAY BECAUSE SHE HAD NO MONEY TO GET IT DONE EVEN OFFERING TO PAY FOR IT. WHEN SHE ENCOUNTERED MEN OUT OF THESE TWO ENVIRONMENTS SHE WAS GREETED WITH THE BLACK POWER FIST OR “HEY SISTAH” “RESPECT”. THE GUY SHE WAS DATING STARTED ACTING FUNNY SAYING HE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HER HAIR THAT WAY. I HAD SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES. WHITE MEN TREATED US AS IF WE WHERE SOME KIND OF FETISH OR EXPERIMENTS. (D) FINDING A NATURAL HAIR SALON TO TEND TO OR TEACH US HOW TO CARE FOR OR NATURAL DOS BESIDES LOCKING AND TWISTING IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. I HAVE ACTUALLY SPOKEN TO A WOMAN WHO STARTED A NATURAL HAIR SCHOOL IN CHICAGO SHE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE PRACTICE IS BECOMING EXTINCT. SHE ALSO CLAIMED THAT BECAUSE THERE IS MORE OF A DEMAND FOR CHEMICAL TREATED HAIR OR WEAVING ETC.(MORE MONEY) THERE IS LESS OF AN INTEREST IN THE SALON WORLD FOR NATURAL HAIR ( WHICH CAUSES LIMITED NATURAL HAIR STYLES AND A DECLINE IN THE NEED OF NATURAL SALONS AND, OR HAIR CARE PRODUCTS). (E) THE PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET TODAY ARE GEARED TOWARDS MAINTAINING WEAVED AND CHEMICALLY TREATED HAIR ETC. OTHER THAN MISS JESSY’S CURLY PUDDING AND CAROLS DAUGHTER THERE ISN’T MUCH OUT THERE FOR KINKY OR NATURAL HAIR. IF THESE THINGS CHANGE I MAY RECONSIDER PERMING, FLAT IRONING AND GO BACK TO BEING NATURAL. UNTIL THEN I’M STICKING TO PERMS BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO ROCK DREADS, AFROS OR TWISTIES.
P.S. THIS IS FROM RESEARCH DONE WHEN I WENT NATURAL AND FORM MY OWN EXPERIENCES BEING NATURAL. WHAT WAS DISCUSSED ON THE OPRAH SHOW IS ONLY THE SURFACE OF THE ISSUE IT GOES MUCH DEEPER THAN THAT. HAIR IS NOT JUST HAIR.
@Anonymous
Please quit deluding yourself how can you make a statement that “styling natural hair is limited” when it is probably one of the most dynamic ways to wear your hair.
I can go from a full out Afro to bone straight hair if I so chose, Is that not versatile?
There’s a plethora of natural hairstyles posted all over the web, too many!
How can you quantify something so dynamic into a simple ignorant statement like that?
Anyone that doesn’t “accept” my natural hair is probably uneducated, and uncultured so I wouldn’t probably be conversing with them anyway. Furthermore I’ve found that black people say negative things about natural hair because of their own inferiority complex.
Black people feel their innate hair texture is unattractive and not socially accepted, it takes a strong and willing mind to break free from those bonds.
Any man that won’t accept me for the way I was made won’t accept the fact that I don’t chemically alter my hair is probably not in my dating pool to begin with. Mainly because I date intelligent men who are objective about beauty that would rather see black women rocking their natural hair.
STOP MAKING EXCUSES
People who want to do something find a way, others find excuses.
Don’t sit here and give excuses about why you won’t go natural, nobody wants to entertain it. I was very ignorant when I began my natural journey but using the web as a key tool, I was educated immensely about natural hair and I fell in love with it and I will never look back.
Within one year my hair has shown way more growth then it has ever did when I was damaging it, oops I meant relaxing it.
Why don’t you get educated before you start spewing nonsense
Furthermore, I can give you like 25 Youtube accounts where the women there give tutorials about how to do SEVERAL natural hairstyles that aren’t “twists and afros”
I don’t know where you got your natural hair information from but I’m not at all impressed.
I cannot believe how many people missed the point. We, black women, rate our self-worth with our hair– and if we don’t our men do. If I’m dating a white guy, he could care less about whether or not I’ve gotten a relaxer, but let that be a black or spanish guy and it is on. Don’t cut your hair and God forbid you choose not to get a relaxer.
I’ve been natural for a little over a year now and it really has been a liberating journey. I used to model and they TELL you to keep your hair straight (usually via weave, you can keep your hair natural underneath– just don’t let it show) and to stay out of the sun. If you are not already naturally very dark they do not want you to take a chance and become very dark. To them, it doesn’t sell.
I could identify with every worth Solange said. It’s completely liberating and I love it. I don’t knock the girls who still use a relaxer, I only dropped the relaxer because I did not feel like dying early for some straight hair. Absorption exists, it really is that simple.
I don’t feel any animosity towards women that choose to relax their hair and I’m annoyed when they give me attitude about not relaxing my hair, as if I’m about to launch a anti-relaxer campaign on them. I still wear full head sew ins sometimes and I used to wear them all the time when I was growing my hair out. The point that Solange made was that she now feels she has a CHOICE. To each his/her own. But for me, it was about learning to love my hair (which I’d never really paid much attention to), realizing that the same guys still notice me with or without straight hair, and learning to love ALL of me.
It’s a good sign that everyone (under the age of 25?) is talking is going, “It’s not that serious.” I only hope that everyone is sincere.
OMG!! ITS NOT THAT SERIOUS… SHE STILL LOOKS DUMB WIT OR WITOUT HAIR!! SHE WILL NEVER BE BEYONCE THATS WHY SHE CUT HER HAIR OFF SO SHE CAN GET ATTENTION.. DAMN SUM PPL ARE SOO DESPERATE!
“Solange talking about being a single mother…like, what does that have to do with her choice to go natural? ”
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Absolutely nothing! She doesn’t work 9-5 like the rest of us. She has nanny’s etc. She is seen plenty without her son. Good for her,but we are not in the same lane. It would have been much better if they just had a regular working mom’s there.. I still don’t get why Solange was there.
@ANA…STFU! Seriously. You are like a broken record-except you are more played out. I swear,they must of banned you from the latina boards. I can see why. You are annoying as hell!!
@ANA…You aren’t black! Your assumptions are just that. Please don’t speak for the black woman or assume what we are thinking. For the last time,don’t yell. Haven’t you learned by now you can’t type in capital letters? Then again,you are the same fool who keeps telling us your business and we keep telling you we don’t give a shyt.
Please tell me why Solange felt the need to get a nose job since she’s celebrating her black/natural roots?
“Also, when Chris Rock raves about Oprah’s length of hair and how beautiful it is it was contradictory to his message.”
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THANK YOU! Chris doesn’t believe his own message,muchless understand it. These celebrities are all full of it.
@99…I wear my hair however I feel. It it usually natural,but if I feel like perming it I will. I am known at work for having lots of different hair styles. I’m from the Caribbean and have always loved the water and my hair has never stopped me from jumping in the pool and doing a few laps on a hot day. I love fashion in general and thankfully my mother didn’t raise me to be overly conscious about my hair. My mother also has natural hair and doesn’t wear make-up(neither do I). My girlfriends of 30+ years are also natural,but like me mix it up once in a while,so life doesn’t get boring.
A question for ladies who wear fake nails. Do you all cook?
this is real interesting, a couple of months ago my history teacher mentioned the reason why most black people have short hair is because of the region where we originated (AFRICA) can you imagine running from a lion and your hair get caught up and tangled in a tree? So we were given short hair to save our life! Not to say some are blessed with long hair, but that is the reason, the whites on the other maybe needed longer hair to keep thier head warm in them freezing climates that they originated, just a little fact to through in the boiling pot.
To 115, how is the fact that Chris admires Oprah’s REAL,
acutually long hair length a contradiction, she grew her
own hair out of her scalp and it’s long and it’s thick as heck
and healthy….nothing wrong with that. The point is why weave it?
Why not grow your own?
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