So I felt so passionate about this subject, that I actually created a new blog just to express my disdain! A word of advice....telling a natural sister to relax or (perm) her hair OR telling a natural, long haired brotha to cut or process his hair is THE SAME as telling him or her, "wow you should really wear more make up...or you should really lose weight...how about some plastic surgery...the way God made you is surely not good enough...and absolutely unattractive."
can you make these phrases relate?
I created this blog because in the year 2009 - 2010, we as beautiful, black people STILL have not embraced our true, natural beauty. We are under the impression that we need to straighten or relax our coils so that our hair can resemble people of another race or culture. We STILL HATE OURSELVES....yes, in this day and age. And i am saddened, to NO end, about it.
People compliment my natural hair all the time, telling me they would like to go natural, but are too afraid, telling me they wish their wife/gf would go natural, telling me they appreciate how i rock my natural. Then, in the same breath, tell me my hair would look even more awesome if i relaxed or straightened it. I am dumbfounded by how blind we still are.
I'm glad Chris Rock is coming out with his new film and has made appearances on so many shows. Maybe all you wanna-go-natural-but-i'm-scared people will finally become bold enough to do it. And maybe you brothas who have internal issues with black hair and feel like we should all wear it long and straight will get a wake up call.
White women have long, silky, beautiful manes and lovely multi-colored eyes.
Hispanic women have silky, shiny, flawless hair, beautiful brown eyes and lovely tanned skin.
Asian women have healthy hair and lovely facial features.
Indian women usually have gorgeously, dark features and thick, flowing locks.
These are all truths and I appreciate these features in women of other cultures. But why don't we embrace our own beauty? Everything that makes us black, our culture has been molded to believe is ugly.
Black people have physiques that are unsurpassed. Smooth skin that has so many colors and variations, we can't even count, luscious, full lips, voluptuous curves, sultry voices, thick and healthy hair that ranges in so many textures and colors, i would be pointless to count or categorize...yet we still do. And these things are only physical characteristics. why can't we embrace these things about us?
- How many of us wear bangs or swoops to cover our Nubian forehead?
How about the sisters with over processed hair...brittle, breaking - can't even enjoy simple life pleasures like kissing in the rain, swimming with our children? - How many of us are embarrassed of our shoe size, complain about our ass, or won't take pictures because of our noses?
- who still insults people by calling them "black". htf is that in insult? and why?
What's even more disgusting to me, is that today, October 16, 2009, I am writing a blog that is surely of the same content of blogs, articles, journal entries and conversations that were established as long as 30 and 40 years ago. SERIOUSLY???? what tha fk is taking us SOOOOO long to catch on? You have all heard of Willie Lynch. Most of us, unless we've been living under a rock, have read the letter....and we still don't get it.
On the flip side. PLEASE allow me to make CLEAR that I am not forcing any ideas on you all. If you hate natural hair, so be it. Everybody is at differnt points on their paths in this life. but please, don't make yourself appear ignorant, and please refrain from telling a natural haired person that they look like ---a. a slave b. a homeless person c. like they need a perm etc....i have been told all these things...and i am not in denial, folks. i really am beautiful, inside and out. AND, so are my natural-haired sisters....AND so are my relaxed and curly sisters.
Whatever you decide to do with your hair, don't let it define you. Women, a man that loves you will appreciate you the way you are, without the M.A.C., without the eyelashes, without the added hair, and ANYTHING that alters your naturalness for that matter.
I am an artist and love to alter my looks for artistic and expressive purposes. So I am not knocking make-up, weave, braids, body art or any kind of fashionable expressions... I actually love these things because it shows how versatile, fashionable, and creative we can be. But i'll be DAMNED if I hide my true, God-given beauty from the world. God did this. And I trust his judgment :)
I love ya'll....
Blessings in abundance,
Shun~aniganz
