@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? ”
***************************************************
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.”
***************************************

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?

[...] tour  to promote his film which  included a stop on Oprah Winfrey’s couch. The comedian fleeced Oprah’s hair and submitted her to a  humiliating public hand to hair comb down to prove she didn’t have any weave tracks in her hair. Would Chris Rock have submitted a sex [...]