For the first Ujima Blog post, we’re going to be diving into an issue that has caused pain, anger and wreaked havoc in an entire community. I, too, am no stranger to searing pain, bouts of violence, and public moments of insanity over this perilous situation. In fact, I walked right into the heart of this fierce battle when I stepped foot into the JR Salon for a routine relaxer and cut last week. Yes, friends, hair is one of the most divisive issues in the African-American community. I’m talking about curling irons, hot combs, rollers, hair straighteners, relaxers, twists, cornrows, braids, afros and countless other styling products, tools, and hairstyles. For African-American women, our hair has been a sore subject for generations. Choosing between natural hairstyles and relaxed free-flowing locks stirs up more emotion than the Israel-Palestine conflict. Some believe that too many African-American women rely heavily on the “creamy crack” or chemical relaxers. Having hair relaxed every 4 to 6 weeks is not only costly and difficult to keep up, it is considered an addiction. On the other hand, some believe that long, relaxed hair is more aesthetically pleasing and more accepted in the media and our culture.
Nevertheless, the natural hair trend has picked up steam in the African-American community. Chris Rock recently released a documentary about the hair industry after his young daughter asked him why she had “bad” hair. Explaining why there is “good” and “bad” hair to children is a difficult task. Historically, slaves with wavier, more European hair were treated better as they were genetically related in some way to their masters. Over time, the media and the African-American community have bought into the idea that chemically-relaxed hair is “good” hair. Whereas, natural, kinky or tightly wound curls are considered “bad” hair.
Even media personality Tyra Banks jumped into this debate. On her talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, she recently showed her hair devoid of wigs or weaves. Though she called it her “natural” hair, it was unmistakably relaxed hair and not her naturally textured hair. Omitting this distinction was an interesting choice by Banks. Was she unaware of the definition of natural hair or was she embarrassed to show her natural texture?
Mattel launched a new line of black Barbies to more accurately reflect the features of the black community, whereas previous black dolls were essentially white Barbies painted a darker color. The line was created by a black woman at Mattel, who wanted to make a Barbie with which her daughter could better connect. Though praised for depicting accurate facial features, the Mattel line faced much criticism for its choices in hair for the dolls. All of the dolls featured long, wavy locks reminiscent of chemically straightened hair or European hair. Critics ranged in opinion from feeling that relaxed hair does not reflect the many popular hairstyles in the community to claiming that these dolls feed into the media’s expectation of what hair “should” be.
Personally, I choose to relax my hair. I find that altering my hair texture makes it easier for me to style. However, I can’t deny that the media and other social and cultural norms steered me towards making that choice. And like countless other women, I have cried out of frustration while trying to get my hair to stay straight. I have considered getting a gym membership only when my arms got tired while blow drying my hair. I have gritted my teeth, clenched my fists, and prayed silently in order to withstand the intense pain of a chemical relaxer—all in an effort to make sure my hair got as straight as possible. And I have made deals with God while sitting in a styling chair, desperately pleading in my head for my hair to look good when I turned to face the mirror. All of the pain I’ve experienced in a salon has not deterred me from coming back time and time again. Instead, relaxers have made me withstand pain and feeling uncomfortable better. I’m still not sure if that is a positive consequence of my beauty regimen.
So Ujima readers, where do you stand on the natural versus relaxed hair debate? Should the media show black women with different hairstyles? Is there such thing as “good” or “bad” hair? Should Mattel alter its dolls further?
Further reading:
New black Barbies spark hair-raising debate
Tyra Banks talks body image, hair
Chris Rock Discusses Hair Documentary
