There is a lot of hype out there about Chris Rock's new movie. And I am gonna tell you the truth, at first I did not feel comfortable with having a public discussion about "our hair”. I have no problem talking to my friends and family about it, but did I want to have that conversation all out in public with everyone - not so much!!! I mean Chris is all on MSNBC, CNN, The Nightly News with Brian Williams talking about black hair. Then I thought about why his movie bothered me and I realized it wasn’t that he was discussing black hair in public. Hell, it ain’t no secret that we have different hair. It was the title of the movie that bothered me. So many people do not know the history of our hair and what the statement "good hair" really and truly means. It started as a survival phrase and over the years had progressed into a discriminatory phrase within our ethnic group; the black community.
The phrase "good hair" was never really about hair term or beauty at all. It goes back to the days of slavery. The phrase "good hair" was a survival phrase. Black women and men who had hair that was silky, curly, longer more flowing, meaning that they were more connected to the white man had advantages. Being connected to the white man meant a person was more likely to be freed when the slave owner died, they got to work in the house which led to having access to better food, clothing, books, warmth, and other necessities of life. During those days it wasn't about blacks saying that they were "cute" it was about having a better chance in life, a better chance of being freed, and after slavery it was about getting a job and education. This whole "good hair" statement is something that is now imbedded into our cultural psyche and it needs to be surgically removed.
Grandma don’t know what she is talking about! Yeah, I said it. Many older adults (my parents included) are still stuck in the mindset that if you walk around with your natural hair then you will not be accepted. You will not get a job. You will not have access to the better things in life. Whites prefer lighter skin tones while darker skin is considered less desirable therefore if you have a darker complexion and have natural hair you will never get ahead. It all goes back to what I said above and colorism (brown paper bag test---heard of it?) within the black community. Colorism is a form of discrimination in which human beings are accorded differing social and treatment based on skin color (within the black community). The preference often gets translated into economic status because of opportunities for work. Now with that being said, what our peeps (the older ones and some of the younger ones) need to realize is that society is not what it use to be. Yes, there is still colorism and racism but all things in Corporate America are not tied to the hair and skin the way they were in the days of Jim Crow. This whole "good hair" thing became demoralizing within the black community. "Good Hair" became equated with fair skin all a symbol of beauty. For those of us (ME) who didn't fit into this light complexion society life was not easy. I was mistreated on the school playground. Hell, the stereotype still exists at some colleges. No it isn't you say. THAT'S BULL....think about black sororities and fraternities. Nuff said. I know fo darn sure that I would not have passed the brown paper bag test, the ruler test, the blue vein test or any of those colorism test they had back in the day. I am all black and proud of it.
Okay, I am off of my soapbox. Now am I going to go and see Chris Rock's movie? Hell yes! I mean I can't pass up an opportunity to see about this weave that you can put on lay away. It just doesn't seen natural (no pun intended).
Peace, Love and Sooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuul
~GNH~
