To : All

Date: 10/09/2009 04:54:52 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.702

in Reply To : I know I'm not the only one. There has been enough dissent on this board alone to warrant a boycott. I want this mockumentary to go brick! The only way that Black women are going to get through to Chris Rock and the coons of his ilk is to not give...

Black women's politically correct hair: there is no other group of people in the world today who experience so much ado about their ever-evolving hairdos as we black women. Regina Jere-Malanda looks at the vexing and never-ending debate on Afro hair in the reconstruction of the contemporary black woman's identity, to reveal why political correctness seems glued to our hairstyles.

As can be seen on these pages, black women today rarely wear their hair naturally. Next to skin colour, hair is truly the other most visible stereotype of being a black woman. Physically, socially, economically and stylistically, black women's hair is, indeed, not just hair. It is a big deal which evokes serious debate, and here is why:

[
In the late 1960s, the Afro or natural look became one of the emblems of Black Power, as popularised by the iconic Angela Davis. It became a reflection of political and cultural progressiveness, as well as self-esteem, among black people. Fast forward to December 2008, the hairstyle that said "I'm black and proud", has almost disappeared, replaced by sleek fake-hair weaves and hair extensions or, worse still, hair straightened into submission through chemical creams.

For those of you who may feel a topic of Black women's hair is just another frothy fashion issue, think again. Just try to follow some blogsphere debates in the run-up to the just-ended historic White House race to see just how Michelle Obama's hair took its own political trail.

Check out, for example, the controversial cartoon cover of the New Yorker magazine which depicted the Obamas in the Oval Office at the White House, in which Michelle is sporting an Afro and carrying AK-47. Satire, it was claimed. But to many black people, the message was clear: Afro = angry and militant, reinforcing the age-old prejudice against natural black hair.

But there was even more in cyberspace, as many Black women's blogs dedicated entire forums to debating Michelle's hair. For good reason, in some instances. One in particular--The Politics of Michelle Obama's hair by Patricia J Williams--was quite revealing. Although quoted rather at length here for emphasis, her views are, however, just scratching the surface of the hair issue, whose roots run deep, very deep.

"When i graduated from law school in the mid-1970s," says Williams, "African-American women's hair was constantly being scrutinised for signs of subversion: the more 'natural' the more dangerous. So we pressed our hair flat with the weight of other people's expectations and waited for times to change. While curly hair, twists, short Afros, and corn rows are all much more prevalent and tolerated these days, those choices are still publicly interrogated to an unseemly degree. Lani Guinier, Bill Clinton's nominee to head the civil rights division of the Justice Department, was deemed radical in part because of what some commentators called her 'strange hair.' Similarly, when Cynthia McKinney [the Congresswoman who stood as presidential candidate for the little-known Green Party in the November elections. Yes, there were two black candidates in this election!] changed her hairstyle to corn rows, the [US] Capitol security guards blocked her way, claiming they didn't recognise her as a member of Congress."

"Most recently," she continues, "in the most-discussed New Yorker magazine cover ever, what stood out for me was that Michelle Obama's putative politics were satirised via an Afro! Angela Davis hair! Yes, friends, the hairdo that crossword-puzzle enthusiasts find regularly described as a four-letter synonym for the fashion sensibility of protesters, armed revolutionaries, and frat boys yukking it up in 'fright wigs'. We're talking unequivocally, implacably, no bones about it, political hair. Regardless of how differently the real Davis may wear her hair today, her coif is remembered as a mathematically precise series of explosions, of radioactive microwaves pulsing outward from the sun of the universalised angry black scalp".

Yes, Black women globally couldn't help but notice and discuss Michelle's perfectly coiffed tresses--and in as much as we were moved and inspired by her devotion-filled speeches in support of her husband and country's future--we also wanted to know: who does her hair? What hair products does she use? Is her hair chemically straightened? And so forth.

Gladly, New African Woman has reliably learnt that Michelle Obama is a no-lye lady! That is, she does not chemically straighten her hair--if true, this is good news to millions of Black womenfolk still in search of that chemical-free hair nirvana. In fact, the First Lady-in-waiting's mane is the handiwork of a hither to little-known California-based stylist, Johnny Wright of Frederic Fekkai, the famous creator of celebrity hairstyles and hair-care products, who is also a consultant for the big black-hair brand SoftSheen-Carson. Wright is also reported to be the magic hands behind the hairstyles of celebrities Vanessa Williams, Anita Baker and Vivica A. Fox.

Indeed, while every society in the world has come up with ways, gadgets and products to groom itself for beauty purposes, Black women's hair goes far beyond mere sprucing up and aesthetics. With its history of deep roots in slavery and its politics that change many people's viewpoints, it's a marker of femininity that can influence how the global society embraces the Black woman in both political and social circles. How else can society explain this outrageous scenario at a New York law firm which invited Ashley Baker, then associate editor of the prominent glossy beauty magazine Glamour, to speak to them on the "Dos and Don'ts of Corporate Fashion". In a slide show, she says about a Black woman in an Afro hairdo: "A real no-no! As for dreadlocks, how truly dreadful! Shocking that some people still think it's appropriate to wear those hairstyles at the office. No offence, but those political hairstyles really have to go."

Although she resigned soon after, following public outrage and Glamour issuing a grovelling apology, Baker touched many raw nerves among Black women, including Afro-wearing Dr Venus Opal Reese, who said in reaction: "When it comes to race, we're looking from the past. When people see me with my natural hair, they don't see Dr Venus Opal Reese who has four degrees, they see an historical idea of what natural hair means. And that's what it meant in the 1970s and 1960s; it equalled Black Nationalism and was linked to the Black Panther Party. It was considered militant. That doesn't mean it's true now, but that's how it's linked." Dr Reese, who is assistant professor of Aesthetics and Cultural Studies at the University of Texas in Dallas, connects hair with culture and politics, whether as an attempt to conform or as a way to declare a revolution. "Some people know wine. I pay attention to h

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To :

Date: 10/09/2009 06:16:42 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.703

in Reply To : Its funny how black women always try to demean white women but yet would give anything to look like them. Stop hating on brothers who date white women b'cos its obvious most of you wish you were white with long flowing hair. I personally think God...

Its funny how black women always try to demean white women but yet would give anything to look like them. Stop hating on brothers who date white women b'cos its obvious most of you wish you were white with long flowing hair. I personally think God gave you hair the way he intended it to be. You want it long. grow an afro or dreadlocks and stop buying weaves relaxers and all that shit you use to have white (good ) hair. Chris Rock is doing the right thing by making this documentary and I hope more sisters will wake up and be proud of the way God made them. GET THE KINK OUT OF YOUR MINDS, NOT YOUR HAIR!!! Who in the world has the audacity to say "this is good hair and this is bad hair"? Are white standards of beauty God's standards of beauty, b'cos if there are, then all Black women are ugly.

Are you with a WW... if so, what stopped YOU (and others) from seeing the beauty in kinky hair?

To : All

Date: 10/09/2009 06:20:40 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.704

in Reply To : I know I'm not the only one. There has been enough dissent on this board alone to warrant a boycott. I want this mockumentary to go brick! The only way that Black women are going to get through to Chris Rock and the coons of his ilk is to not give...

DREADLOCKS, BLACK PEOPLE'S MIDDLE FINGER TO BABYLON'S FAKE BEAUTY STANDARDS; THAT'S THE WAY TO GO!!

JAH RASTAFARI!

To :

Date: 10/09/2009 06:38:19 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.705

in Reply To :

Just gloss over the question, huh? Figures... and why did you bring white women into the convo? No one says a bleep when BM steal kill and rob to attain the wealth that WM have... oh no, that's not trying to emulate the WM, is it?

To :

Date: 10/09/2009 07:00:36 PM
Total Posts: Unread Msg 275847.706

in Reply To : Ha. You showed up extremely late for this debate and every last one of your little comments is missing the mark in regards to my views. I've said just about everything I've needed to say in this very long and interesting thread. I certainly have...

Ha. You showed up extremely late for this debate and every last one of your little comments is missing the mark in regards to my views. I've said just about everything I've needed to say in this very long and interesting thread. I certainly have nothing to prove to a man whose Mother used to hot comb his hair and put it up in ponytails when he was a boy or maybe she still does that for you? That right there shed a lot of light on your particular issue so no real need for me to delve any further. Enjoy the movie. And take that other dude that you came in here to rescue witcha'. He'd probably be a good date for you since he seems to be so wierded out by Black women. And take that other chick co-signin' witcha' too. The 3 of you should enjoy this movie. Help Chris Rock salvage whatever will be left after his career once this movie tanks. Toodle-loo! LOL. all this cause you hate your hair?

To :

Date: 10/09/2009 07:03:23 PM
Total Posts: Unread Msg 275847.707

in Reply To : had white women in my office snarled up at my head reaching to touch what he portrayed as a curse.>>>> OMG, lol. What did you do?

I was pissed at first and trying to explain that just as they have different styles and textures so do we. But then I got mad and stormed up to the main white b- with her hand in my head and put both my hands it in. And guess what? They don't like their hair touched EITHER. But thanks to Chris Rock they think we some g-damnx puppies they can pet. Her hair was so thin I know she must get up 5 hours early to seperate every strand and put Aqua Net on it. She turned blood red when I said, "Wow how do you comb this?" She immediately began telling me how thin it is, and hard to care for. Yet they worried about our hair being a curse. I made the point. That B was so upset she called in sick the next day.

"I never once turned my back on MJ." Rest in peace my other big brother. JK

To :

Date: 10/09/2009 08:15:30 PM
Total Posts: Unread Msg 275847.708

in Reply To :

That said I would advise my sistas to be very careful who you procreate with, not just for economic reasons but you don't want that kind of self-hatred to affect the self-esteem of your children especially the girls.

Be careful who you procreate with? Are you kidding? Your so called advise comes about thirity years too late! That's already apparantly evident by BW who have low self esteems (still) laying down with the mookies, drug dealers, convicted felons, and in general those BM that are viewed as deadbeats! And, that predictable behavior directly reflects, and continues to reflect the "poor" choices, and lack or personal responsibility still being made by BW to continue their onslaught of poppoing out only more OOW babies, failing "still" to pratice safe sex, or any accountability whatseoever! That's why BW are having 70% OOW babies. Typical responses from BW that are out of touch with themselves, reality, and victims of their own self hatred wherein.

To : All

Date: 10/09/2009 10:33:11 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.709

in Reply To : I know I'm not the only one. There has been enough dissent on this board alone to warrant a boycott. I want this mockumentary to go brick! The only way that Black women are going to get through to Chris Rock and the coons of his ilk is to not give...

I WILL NOT BE SEEING THE MOVIE. I HOPE IT DOES NOT DO WELL. I WAS WATCHING OPRAH TODAY AND SHE HAD CHRIS ON THE SHOW. SHE SHOWED A PICTURE OF HERSELF AS A CHILD WITH BRAIDS AND CHRIS ACTUALLY SAID OPRAH LOOKED LIKE A SLAVE.

THIS TELLS ME HE IS SICK. HE DEGRADED OPRAH ON HER SHOW.

WE AS BLACK PEOPLE WOULD HAVE NOT ACCEPTED A WHITE PERSON OR ANY OTHER PERSON MAKING A STATEMENT LIKE THAT .....AND THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL WE SHOULD ACCEPT CHRIS MAKING THAT STATEMENT.

CHRIS HAS STEPPED WAY OVER THE LINE.....WAY OVER THE LINE.

THE BEST WAY TO GET OUR MESSAGE OUT THAT WE AS BLACK WOMEN DON'T APPRECIATE HIS PORTRAYAL OF US.....IS TO NOT SUPPORT THIS CRAP MOVIE. THAT SHOULD SEND THE MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR.

THE MAJORITY OF THE ACTRESSES IN THE MOVIE WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING ANYWAY....SO THEY WERE GLAD TO BE IN THIS MOVIE FOR SOME EXPOSURE.

THERE WAS A BLACK WOMAN ON OPRAH TODAY WHO REALLY SAID SOME THINGS TO CHRIS THAT I KNOW A LOT OF US WANTED TO SAY. SHE WAS VERY UPSET. SHE STATED THAT WHEN SHE GOES TO THE HAIRDRESSER AND HER HAIR IS DONE NICELY....WHITE WOMEN WILL ASK HER IF SHE IS WEARING A WEAVE.

THIS IS SOME REAL SICK SH-T.

I ALSO AGREE WITH ONE OF THE OTHER POSTERS WHO STATED THAT JUST BECAUSE WE WANT TO WEAR A WEAVE OR DYE OUR HAIR DOES NOT MEAN WE WANT TO BE WHITE. WHITE PEOPLE SPEND HOURS IN TANNING BEDS AND KILLING THEMSELVES LYING IN THE SUN FOR HOURS IN ORDER TO GET A TAN. DOES ANYONE ACTUALLY THINK THEY ARE DOING THIS TO BECOME BLACK?

NO....THEY ARE DOING THIS TO BETTER THEIR SKIN TONE. THAT'S THEIR THING. DO I WANT TO SEE A MOVIE ABOUT WHITE PEOPLE TANNING.....NO .....BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY GIVE A DAMN.

BUT CHRIS HAS TO DO SOME REAL SISSY SH-T AND MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT BLACK WOMEN'S HAIR.

THE ONLY PEOPLE I KNOW THAT SPEND THEIR TIME ASKING BLACK WOMEN "IS THAT YOUR HAIR?" ARE JEALOUS A-S WOMEN AND SISSY MEN.

To :

Date: 10/09/2009 10:35:02 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.710

in Reply To : Just gloss over the question, huh? Figures... and why did you bring white women into the convo? No one says a bleep when BM steal kill and rob to attain the wealth that WM have... oh no, that's not trying to emulate the WM, is it?

Just gloss over the question, huh? Figures... and why did you bring white women into the convo? No one says a bleep when BM steal kill and rob to attain the wealth that WM have... oh no, that's not trying to emulate the WM, is it?

I'll answer that question. Yes, when black men steal and kill to attain wealth they are emulating wm.

To :

Date: 10/09/2009 10:37:59 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.711

in Reply To : I WILL NOT BE SEEING THE MOVIE. I HOPE IT DOES NOT DO WELL. I WAS WATCHING OPRAH TODAY AND SHE HAD CHRIS ON THE SHOW. SHE SHOWED A PICTURE OF HERSELF AS A CHILD WITH BRAIDS AND CHRIS ACTUALLY SAID OPRAH LOOKED LIKE A SLAVE. THIS TELLS ME HE IS...

THERE WAS A BLACK WOMAN ON OPRAH TODAY WHO REALLY SAID SOME THINGS TO CHRIS THAT I KNOW A LOT OF US WANTED TO SAY. SHE WAS VERY UPSET. SHE STATED THAT WHEN SHE GOES TO THE HAIRDRESSER AND HER HAIR IS DONE NICELY....WHITE WOMEN WILL ASK HER IF SHE IS WEARING A WEAVE.

LOL. WW haven't just found out BW wear weaves because of the movie. I don't know why some sistas are acting as if it was some well-kept secret.

To :

Date: 10/09/2009 11:18:09 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.712

in Reply To :

you should pump your breaks just a bit.....I wear my hair natural ...dont think weaves and perming are necessary for anyone but to each his own..

just because a sister chooses a particular style it doesnt mean she is trying to be white.

we have been conditioned to hate our looks and until very recently natural styles including dreds and braids were an absolute no no at work...

Its funny how black women always try to demean white women but yet would give anything to look like them. Stop hating on brothers who date white women b'cos its obvious most of you wish you were white with long flowing hair. I personally think God...

To : All

Date: 10/09/2009 11:25:38 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.713

in Reply To : I know I'm not the only one. There has been enough dissent on this board alone to warrant a boycott. I want this mockumentary to go brick! The only way that Black women are going to get through to Chris Rock and the coons of his ilk is to not give...

CHRIS ROCK HAD SOME OF THE UGLIEST ROTTEN LOOKING TEETH THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN.....AND YET HE HAS A NEW SET OF TEETH IN HIS MOUTH.

WHY DID HE DECIDE TO CHANGE HIS TEETH....WHY IS HE NOT USING HIS NATURAL TEETH INSTEAD OF THE FAKE SHINING SUPER WHITE UN-NATURAL LOOKING WHITE TEETH??????

BTW ......WOMEN WHO STRAIGHTEN,RELAX, COLOR ETC. ARE NOT DOING IT TO BE WHITE AS CHRIS SAYS....BUT THEY DO IT FOR THEIR CONVENICE.

WHITE WOMEN AND MEN WHO TAN.....ARE NOT DO SO TO BE BLACK THEY ARE DOING IT TO BETTER THEIR APPERANCE.

This message has been deleted

To :

Date: 10/09/2009 11:55:08 PM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.715

in Reply To :

"it is the fact that situations like yours will become more common place and be considered acceptable."

Exactly. She was definitely out of bounds regardless of whether or not I had a weave. Then I found myself in the uncomfortable situation of first advising her that I didn't have a "weave" but simply straightened my hair and then having to answer hair questions about "most" black women . Would she ask someone if they were wearing a pushup bra or if they had a boob job - no, but she felt perfectly ok commenting on what she thought all black women had - weaves.

Also, don't get why black women have to defend their style choices. White women straighten their hair if necessary, curl their hair with chemicals, color their hair, add weave into their hair etc. However, they are never questioned or ridiculed. We on the other hand have to defend every style choice we make.

To : All

Date: 10/10/2009 02:09:16 AM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.716

in Reply To : indeed

All I can say is that the sista that wrote this thread has out done herslef. I don't think she'll get the 1,000 post she was shooting for, but she came closer than anyone else I've seen as of yet.

She tried to get some lonely brutha to argue with me, not because she wanted to see what we'd say, but because she wanted to see more posts on her thread.

She's good. She's good. If I can get her to take her clothes off she'd be even better.

To :

Date: 10/10/2009 02:32:36 AM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.717

in Reply To :

when BM steal kill and rob to attain the wealth that WM have... oh no, that's not trying to emulate the WM, is it?

I'll answer that question. Yes, when black men steal and kill to attain wealth they are emulating wm.

Ok. Thank you for YOUR honesty. Just wondering why the ones who do the above, refuse to admit, correct it or nosedive into denial. And, why they won't focus on that instead of something as trivial as hair? I mean, da8653 even stated that BW aren't getting killed over their weave being the wrong color or too threatening in the workplace. So which fish would make a better fry? Rhetorical.

And no, I don't BM mean emulating the historic killing of colored people for material gain, I'm talking about them trying to obtain the "wealth" of the average WM in society.

To :

Date: 10/10/2009 02:38:59 AM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.718

in Reply To : when BM steal kill and rob to attain the wealth that WM have... oh no, that's not trying to emulate the WM, is it? I'll answer that question. Yes, when black men steal and kill to attain wealth they are emulating wm. Ok. Thank you for YOUR...

you so conveniently switched to referring to black people as "them", which makes me believe you not even a Black person...

To :

Date: 10/10/2009 02:57:13 AM
Total Posts: Unread Msg 275847.719

in Reply To :

you so conveniently switched to referring to black people as "them", which makes me believe you not even a Black person...

Translation: "OUCH, her central point is beyond my scope of comprehension, so I'll just gloss over it and attempt to discredit her by focusing on the sentence structure."

To : All

Date: 10/10/2009 06:24:57 AM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.720

in Reply To : I know I'm not the only one. There has been enough dissent on this board alone to warrant a boycott. I want this mockumentary to go brick! The only way that Black women are going to get through to Chris Rock and the coons of his ilk is to not give...

FRAUD. INFRINGERS. INTELLECTUAL POSEURS.
Professor Neal Lester of Arizona State University, a brilliant (and black) intellectual was exploring, writing about, and discussing this issue YEARS ago. Now Chris Rock, a moron fronting for someone (you don't think Chris Rock has anything intelligent to say, do you?) has stolen Prof. Lester's ideas & research. This is the "crab theory" at its worst. I'm calling out any punk-ass who thinks Chris Rock had an intelligent thought on this issue, and telling you to Google, Yahoo, or use whatever search engine you want. Put in "Neal Lester" and "ASU" and hair and see what you get. My name is Skip & I live in Atlanta. I am white, but it is just Chris Rock's f'ing bad luck that I know of Prof. Lester's brilliant body of work in the English Dept. at ASU. Incidentally, the hair thing was just a brief side note for Prof. Lester- a summer break "doodle". By the way, its Professor Lester, not Dr. Lester. Only a pretentious ass would use "Dr." if they had a degree in Liberal Arts, such as Humanities, Social Sciences/Studies, etc. Maybe if you are a PhD. in engineering, biochemistry, or a psychologist, I can see it. I guess with "Dr. MLK" it was a combination of pretentiousness, plus the practical need to use the label "Dr." in an era where Blacks received so little respect for brainpower. So, he gets an "historical pass" (don't overdo it, though, he was a plagiarist).

Instead of celebrating intellectual thiefs life Chris Rock, you people (that's right, "you people") ought to be pointing out folks like Prof. Lester to your kids. A family man (i.e., he got married and raises his kids), an intellectual who worked his way up from a small-town in Georgia to be (at one time) Chairman of the English Dept. at Arizona State, and a Christian (his father was a part time preacher). Sure, maybe he got into Vandy from a podunk college in Georgia on Aff Action, but Prof. Lester is what Aff Action is SUPPOSED to be about. It helped a lower middle class black kid (well, 22 y.o.) get entree into the world of academics, and he excelled on his own merits. He did not get good grades and a PhD at Vandy because he was Black. And while Aff Action again stepped in to help him get a job in a tough market (I doubt a white PhD. from Vandy in English could have got to the Univ. of Alabama so quickly. The white guy would be stuck with S.W. Florida, S.E. Missouri, etc., at best, until he wrote something of value- i.e., several articles, at least one book), when Professor Lester got his jobs he EXCELLED.

So, you people, the H-ll with poseurs like Chris Rock, and teach your kids about folks like Prof. Neal Lester.

Disclaimer: I never went to ASU, 'Bama, or ever took a class taught by Prof. Lester. In fact, I have a geat deal of trouble even understanding most of his books & articles.

To : All

Date: 10/10/2009 09:45:26 AM
Total Posts: Msg 275847.721

in Reply To : I know I'm not the only one. There has been enough dissent on this board alone to warrant a boycott. I want this mockumentary to go brick! The only way that Black women are going to get through to Chris Rock and the coons of his ilk is to not give...

Chris should have used this platform to tell women and little girls what beautiful hair that they have. Black children don't need anymore negative remarks made own their behalf. Our children should be told how beautiful and wonderful their hair is. The only .group that can go swim straight and come out in less than minutes beautifully curly. God gave black hair his hair. Now you know you can't beat that. We are wonderlully made with all beautiful black self.

t