I'll never forget the first time I saw Mocha Girl One (HmG) . She was an emergency c-section, and had to spend several days in NICU. She was born four days past her estimated due date and looked huge in her incubator. I imagined her to be especially delicate and feminine. I couldn't wait to frill her up, and more importantly to do her hair ! The only reason she wasn't sporting a barrette the day we took her home from the hospital, was because the one I brought to match her lacey outfit, slid right out. Mocha Girl One's baby hair was silky straight and fine. As the weeks rolled by, it became wavier until she had a lovely curly fro. I washed it all the time . I brushed it several times a day . I tried snap clips, and moved to velcro barrets when the clips slid out. I bought a different head band for every outfit. Meanwhile her curls continued to wind tighter and tighter. I kept everything in a pretty box, dubbed the hair bin . I was really frustrated at not b
Growing in treasuring my girls, and sharing what I am learning along the way.
I think that, in general, whites simply don't have the same historical/emotional hair baggage that many black women have, so it's less of a big deal to many whites.
ReplyDeleteI remember the first time I cut off my relaxed hair and had short natural hair. A black lady I had recently met asked me in horror, "Why would you do that to yourself?!!" I was soooooo taken aback I didn't even know what to say.
I read an article a while back that captures, in many ways, the acute differences between what hair means to black women and white women. I'll post the link here, Mocha Mom, if that's ok. If not, please feel free to remove it:
http://www.nappturality.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=905:white-women-dyeing-black-women-relaxing-why-its-not-the-same-thing&catid=34:careinfo&Itemid=30
I don't know what to say about this one. Other than you're right....I am blissfully ignorant. I have some reading to do.
ReplyDelete@ Janet
ReplyDeleteOne thing to look at is "400 years without a comb"--it's the written work the videos you'll find for free on YouTube is based on. Right now I'm reading Landmarks in African American History. Very interesting.
@Dr. I've read that article on Nappturality--I thought it was a really good analogy--though I don't think there is a perfect analogy. it came pretty close and the author is particularly articulate.
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