Hair question for black women?

Has anybody seen this?





http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090902/us…





Yes, our hair has made Time magazine. The article is a bit long, but it gets more interesting as it goes down. I found myself putting my eyebrows up a couple of times.





Discuss.....Hair question for black women?
You’re right it was a very interesting article. I passed on it at first thinking it was yet another post about random ridiculousness.





I wish black women didn’t have it this hard. I wish our hair and how we styled it could be just what it is and not a statement of any kind.





I found this exert especially relatable...





Whenever I start a new job I always wear my hair straight for the first three months until I get health care. Then gradually the curly-do comes out.'; Another echoed the practice: ';I wait about four to six months before I put the [mousse] in and wear it curly ... I have to pace myself because it usually turns into a big to-do in the office.';





...and not just in terms of hair texture. I enjoy wearing head scarves from time to time (and partly because of my religion), but it’s not lost on me that I can’t wear it for interviews like she mentioned, first dates and sometimes even at certain social gatherings. I know for a fact people treat me differently because they think I’m Muslim and as a result I feel I have to hide who I am. So I've experienced the struggle to conform to society's ';norms'; on both ends.





I don’t believe in this whole good hair bad hair issue (I’ve never in my life said I have good hair) but I can empathize with women who deal with it on a daily basis. I have curly to wavy hair and people constantly assume it must be a weave or that I’m mixed. This of course is not the case but at this point I don’t even bother correcting them.





I could easily say, hypothetically if I had kinkier hair I would most definitely wear it natural and proud on top of that. But it’s just not the case. Even though I haven't felt that particular struggle, I've changed who I am for a lot less and a lot more. Bottom line, we all want to belong and however the issue may have began our hair will always be a hot topic for everyone and I don’t think that will ever change.Hair question for black women?
Clearly the author of the article is Black and will likely be only skimmed if read at all by non Black readers...





But this is quite interesting and quite true.





I, too, was grateful that Mrs. Obama did not wear ';weaves';, but most Black women of that social class do not. ANd I am not necessarily against women who wear weaves. What I was hoping for is that women with ';obvious weave'; and very ridiculous hairstyles would actually at least CONSIDER going natural or more scaled down.





She is a fine role model for ';normal style'; among Black women, at a time when many women try to morph themselves into poorer imitations of Beyonce, Rihanna, and Mary J Blige.





Also I think it emphasizes on how ';political'; and complicated hair issues are for Black women...though as I said, it probably won't get the attention it merits. People have to really care about a group of people to really try and understand them, and that concern has always been lacking when it comes to BLACK WOMEN.
I didn't read it thoroughly but I did skim it. I do agree with the article. I see so many black women with tacky, plastic-looking wigs or with relaxed and thus severely damaged hair that doesn't move. It's not natural and it's not healthy. I've seen few girls with natural hair and their hair is very beautiful (I'm talking about girls with kinky hair not with loose curls). So it makes me wonder why so many seem to prefer hair that doesn't suit them over their natural hair that looks best on them. It does have to do with the past and so many other things.
You know, this is one thing about black culture that I just DO NOT understand.





I don't understand it.





This is the FIRST black first lady in the history of the united states and black women are the FIRST to criticize her hair. To me it's more important that's she's in the White House. I don't care if she's baldheaded. Aren't her accomplishments more important than hair texture?





Come on , vote me down. You know you want to....And besides, her hair was straightened ';before'; she became first lady, so why ';change it'; after she moved in?
Hmmm....ok.








';The notion of natural black hair as being subversive or threatening is not new. When the New Yorker set out last summer to satirize Michelle as a militant, country-hating black radical, it was no coincidence that the illustrator portrayed her with an Afro. The cartoon was calling attention to all the ridiculous pre-election fearmongering. But the stereotypes it drew from may be one reason that 56% of respondents to a poll on NaturallyCurly.com say the U.S. is not ready for a ';First Lady with kinky hair.';








I agree.
Lol you're a fool. i recall you stating how black people wish to have white peoples hair a while back. i raised my eyebrows to what you said a while back so why you surprised when the article basically implicates the same stupid shyt you say on here from time to time.





to answer your question there are certain things i agree with that article. its not that the white house ain't ready it's just black people ain't ready to start appreciating and representing natural black beauty.
i dont want white ppls hair, I have whatever I want. Afros, straight hair, curly hair, whatever. When I do that I dont think ';Now am gonna look like a white girl';
our hair? mrs. obamas hair looks straightened and not nappy not natural.