From My Brown Eyes

This belongs to a writer, an editor, a journalist, a Columbia Graduate School of journalism student, and a natural hair woman named Shonitria.

From Natural hair woman to another

I have been trained since childhood by close friends, family and classmates how black nappy hair is bad hair. I am ashamed to say that I believed that until I was old enough to form my own opinion. Now, everyone is entitled to their own opinion no matter how ill-informed it may be. I read the above article just a few minutes ago, and I was shocked. The author, Kamilah Blackston, is a natural hair young lady and she had a lot to say about the growing natural hair trend.

Here are some passages that stood out to me:

“Women need to find out what looks good on them and what does not.

If your head is bigger than your body, short hair might not be the way to go. If your hair is dry, brittle, and extremely nappy, natural hair is just not for you.

A lot of girls need a wakeup call. Some girls might just have to resort to a perm if the texture of their hair is not too pretty. If you know your hair does not grow, you might want to consider getting a sew-in and keeping one.

We all try to be queens and some people feel like going natural is getting back in touch with your roots. However, if you are looking more like a slave than a queen, you might want to take a trip to the beauty supply store and get some perm or weave.

This natural hair trend is getting out of control. I hate that girls walk around thinking that natural bush is fly when it is not. Ladies, please go do something to that head because that bush is making you look foolish.”

Kamilah is a writer for her college newspaper and shockingly enough this article was published in the newspaper. There is an old saying, “Ignorance is bliss.” I whole-heartedly believe in that saying but only when said person is not sharing their ignorance with the public. What I am taking away from this young black woman is that she believes only black women with curly “good” hair should wear their hair naturally without chemicals and weave (hair extensions). While everyone is entitled to their own opinion I think that for a black woman to say that of other black women is the epitome of self-hate.

How dare she tell her own people that their hair is not good enough to be worn naturally? The comments of those who agreed with her made me feel so ashamed of my own people. Love yourself. When will people stop letting others tell them what is beautiful and what is not? I do not think we as women need to suppress our natural appearance (whatever that may be) for the sake of social acceptance- to be considered beautiful.

A large majority of black people were not “blessed” (so to speak) with straight, wavy or curly hair. Our hair can be kinky, nappy and coarse. Some of us accept it and others do not- as a result; relax, perm, texturize or weave our hair. We do what we must to our hair to keep it manageable and of course, pretty. Whether your hair be nappy or curly that should give no reason to be ashamed of it. Nappy hair is not bad hair.

There is no such thing as good hair or bad hair in my opinion but sadly there are many people out there who do not share my sentiment. For those few black people who have negative things to say about the nappy hair of other ‘black folks’, I say: it is who we are, accept it. I firmly believe we make it OK for other races to judge and put down our heritage when we as a people are busy doing the same by hating and putting down ourselves. We must do better.

If interested in reading the article CLICK HERE .

-Live with your eyes open, S.

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