Why do some Black women resist embracing their God-given hair?

Question

Hair straightening chemicals break down the bonds in spirally or tightly curled hair and damage it PERMANENTLY. It seems some black women are caught up in maintaining an image; but whose image? Please let me know what you think?

I read a poll in Shape Magazine of 1,000 African-American women aged 18 to 64 that "of the 66 percent who do relax their hair [made it super straight with chemicals], 28 percent plan to go au naturel within the year." "It's healthier" and "it's less expensive" were the top reasons cited.

Any RELEVANT and USEFUL comments and answers are appreciated. Thanks.

Oh and I'm a Black female who has cultivated locs (natural hairstyle) for the past 5 years. Made the switch when I realized I was damaging my hair and spending thousands yearly doing it!

WOW...I really didn't expect that there would be doubt expressed at my color! What the hell??!!!

I really AM black. I was raised in West Africa till I was 13 and it wasn't till I migrated here that I saw how prevalent the hair-straightening was. I fell into it for a while before I realized it was wrong for ME and stopped it!

PLEASE no more comments about doubting my race. This is a REAL black (African) woman asking these questions and I want REAL answers. No more phonies, Please. Thanks.

Answer 1

In my experience, I relaxed my hair because I didn't know anything different. I had been getting my hair relaxed and pressed for as long as I can remember. Natural black hair has always been considered unmanageable and 'bad', unless you were biracial or had 'water wave' hair. Defined curls were 'good hair' and kinky, tightly coiled, cottony hair was considered 'bad hair' and 'nappy hair'. As a people who were brought here against our will, we were never encouraged to embrace our heritage. Everything about black people was looked upon as ugly and dirty. Everything about white people was clean, pure, and appealing. I think that a lot of black women don't know how to take care of their natural hair because it's a TOTALLY different process from maintaining relaxed hair. And they don't know because they've never been taught, and they've never been taught because they've been having relaxers since they could remember. It's a vicious cycle. I just recently cut off my relaxer and I am happy to say that I have a head full of kinky, tightly curled cottony hair and I LOVE IT.

Answer 2

I think this is a great question. To be perfectly honest, I think it just has made a lot of us African American Woman feel uncomfortable to be ourselves. When everyone around you is working so hard to achieve something else you never see people embracing their authentic self. Fortunately things are really starting to change. I know for me personally once I had my twin girls I knew I really had to put it into practice. It took me a while, but now 5 years going on six I have been natural all the way and love it. I wear my hair straight sometimes, I wear it curly sometimes. I love the freedom of having any look I want and not having to worry if I just had a relaxer. I also know that I am a lot more creditable when my girls and my sons see me embrace my own African American beauty.

Answer 3

I don't know, but I wonder about it as well. I am a white middle aged male, so cannot speak to the reason, but I will say that I always found natural hairstyles fit the features of a black woman much better, bringing out her natural beauty whereas some of the flattened and pressed styles do not even look like real hair, more like plastic. I had a playmate when I was about 10, her name was Ruthie and she had an afro, not really big, maybe 3 inches (this was in the 60s or early 70s) And I asked her one day could I touch her hair because I was curious and I will never forget it. It was soft like a cotton ball and not hard or greasy feeling at all. It was the softest human hair I have ever felt down to this day. But I have touched the hair of black women who have severely treated and pressed and oiled their hair and it was not soft at all. So your question is a good one and I would like to know the answer. It doesn't look better, and it doesn't feel nicer. My guess is that it is much easier to care because that is the only answer that makes sense to me.

Answer 4

I think women of all colors resist their God-given features, it is certainly not something limited to black women and their hair. Media presents an image of the rich and famous and thoroughly altered....regular folks are subliminally brainwashed into believing such altered and artificial features are normal and attractive. All women of all colors should stay real - real hair, real skin, real bodies, real nails, REAL is so much more attractive, genuine, and authentically diverse than plastic, painted, burned, or dyed.


To Maria below - I do hope you are aware that even black scholars have determined the "speech" you have linked to to be a fraud. No one had ever seen or read it until the 1993, when it began to circulate on the internet. William Lynch was not even born until 1742. Somehow, the urban legend you seem to believe without taking a few seconds to research it has resurfaced in the past few weeks, despite being debunked nearly 10 years ago. Look up the Freeman Institute and William Jelani Cobb, Ph.D. and their research into the fraudulent BS. You do not gain credibility by distributing lies, fabrications, myths, and propaganda. By posting that link, you've exhausted your credibility. I encourage you to look into things before believing or spreading them in the future.

Answer 5

I applaud you for asking this question--- I am transitioning to natural hair- I was natural for about two years and then due to a change in life schedule opted to get a perm again- I am now strongly considering going natural- I am not against chemicals- because I enjoy the freedom to wear my hair according to the type of mood I'm in. I am not ashamed of my natural hair- I know I exemplify natural beauty regardless, besides I don't wear anything artificial ( hair, nails, lashes or makeup)-- the only non-natural process I use it a perm. But black women are some of the most beautiful people to grace this great Earth!

Answer 6

You are absolutely right chemicals do damage the hair permanently. And yes some black women are caught up in this. I was caught up in it myself. But I came to my senses. I'll tell you who's image the black women's trying to keep up: the white womens IMAGE. Now, I am black and a Salafi Muslim. I don't believe in hating white people but we have been enslaved by them for many years. And now are bodies are free but are minds are still enslaved. Look at the link I have for evidence and you'll see the mind of the white slave master for keeping blacks enslaved.Look under the title: WARNING: POSSIBLE INTERLOPING NEGATIVES. This is no joke. The media tells women how they should be. long straight hair, and a skinny body is the life of a white women. We are the descendents of Africa not this brain washing country. This document tells all about the enslavement of black people and the site list other links as well to check out. So check it out.

Answer 7

Forced conversion is poor conversion at best. That has been the history of Christianity. Few cultures have willingly accepted imposed gods. I do not think Africans or Native South Americans would have either. History implies as much.

Answer 8

You know something if they did understand this they would have gone a lot further in life. and it would be better for them to understand how much better they would look. i know some very smart women i mean book smart. and they will blame it on their hair the reason they did`nt make an interview. if you notice the Nubian women pay more for hair than anything. it`s time to get real. this was a great question. i hope you understand what i`m talking about.

Answer 9

BRAIN WASHING!!!!! Screw the damage to this dead protein we call hair... think about what the chemicals are doing to our scalps... and have you ever wondered if that **** is absorbed into your body in any way. It's just not worth it, and I myself am so happy that I grew my relaxer out... Ahhhh relif.

Answer 10

Black woman are starting to totally embrace their natural hair.White women are the worst for ruining their hair trust me. I know I have ruined mine on many of an occassion. I have curly hair and have had it every different color and style.When are white women going to stop perming their hair with all the chemical crap. When are women going to stop bleaching the heck out of their hair so they look like haystacks ontop of their heads. When are white women going to stop using ceramic straighteners and have their hair fall off in the sink. Black women are the same as white woman. We all want change. Nothing different. Its style. We as women love to change colors and styles. We should learn to love ourselves black and white and yellow and red.