Curly hair, yes I am fully black.
Codi Fillmore,
Houston, TX
You do not have to be mixed to have curly hair. Black people’s hair isn’t “nappy”. We several different skin tones and several different textures of hair. Still black.
Dillard University
They glare at my bi-racial son.
Linnette Derry,
New York City, NY.
I often think about the inevitable discussion about race that I will have to have with my son one day. That day when he will begin to ask me why people think I’m his nanny/housekeeper instead of his mother; the day when he will ask me why people keep staring at us when daddy is with us; the day when he will ask me what do the words “exotic”, “nappy”, “yellow” and “dark-skinned mean.
The Nappy Headed Black Girl
Tre’zure Glover,
Banning, CA.
Being an African American woman comes with its assumptions and stereotypes. The main stereotype and assumptions deals with our hair. Many people question why is our hair so nappy? Why is it so greasy? How long does it take to grow? do you wash it everyday? Those are just some questions that I endured growing up. But to answer the question, no my hair is not nappy, it is kinky and has texture. My hair isn’t greasy, I keep it oil to keep the lice away and to give it some shine. My hair grows just as fast as an average person. And no I do not wash it everyday, because it does not require to be wash everyday, because it does not get dirty easily. So before you go and question/judge me based on my “nappy” hair, let me ask you a few questions. Why do you moisturize your hair? why do you get extensions that are sometimes similar to African American hair? why do you braid your hair or try to make it coarse like ours. We are all different, whether it comes to skin tones or to hair types. But just because my hair may be different than yours, it does not make me any less of a human being than you are. I am proud that God bless me to be African American and to have the hair type that I have, because without my kinky coarse hair, I wouldn’t be who I am. And that is a proud African American woman.
Girl, you got that good hair.
Clare Norris-Bell,
Los Angeles, CA.
In the Black community, hair has been been a measurement of one’s value for generations. In the African-American culture, “good” hair refers to hair that is not kinky or not what is pejoratively called “nappy”. It is hair that is closer to the texture of people in parts of the world away from sub-saharan Africa, like Europe, Asia, or the Middle East. My hair has almost always been at least to my shoulders and wavy when pulled back and braided, fuzzy when left to its own devices, but formed small, uniform ringlets when controlled with a handful of hair gel or mousse. Obviously, “good” hair is a judgement call, not just an objective observation, and those Black girls and women who called my hair “good” as I grew up were giving my hair texture value usually superior to their own. Unfortunately, with the advent of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, it was to the advantage of Europeans to convince Americans of African decent that their features were inferior to European features. That message was powerful and pervasive. Its remnants remain strong in our society. I teach at a community college with a large African-American population, and I look at students who cannot afford books but invest their money in straight, Indian-hair weaves that hide their natural hair. That investment speaks volumes to the value Black women place on possessing what they classify as “good” hair. So I dedicate my race card to all of those beautiful Black women out there with beautiful kinky, curly hair. I am so gratified to see the slowly burgeoning movement of Black women embracing the texture of hair that grows from their heads and trying new styles and products to care for it. I am eager for the day when the weaves and relaxer chemicals stop selling and I hear Black girls and women refer to the wide variety of textures in the African-American community as “good” hair.
My Hair is NAPPY and HAPPY
Cynthia
Detroit, MI
Growing into my African heritage in America, I love to wear my hair how it naturally grows. I get the stares of disapproval but we all must remember i’m not here for your approval. Please, ask before you touch.
