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Natural Hair Extremism... Discuss!

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MsLizziA

MsLizziA

Well-Known Member
This is a topic that i don't see discussed often and this is not meant to be any mess, i just figured it would be a healthy debate. Im talking about when the natural hair community gets up in arms about every single thing. Its like a cult or something sometimes b/c the women of the world doesn't sign on to our way of thinking.
Well i did a vid stating what my stand on it is, but what about you guys? How do you feel about it?

YouTube - The Natural Hair Extremism

African Export started a discussion about Nicki Minaj's verse in her song where she said "nappy headed hos need a perminator" because everyone was calling her a natural hair "hater"
 
I'm subscribed to African Export's channel, she's all over it. I think that I've seen/heard what it is you're talking about. Saw a youtube 3-4 part vid series that was posted on the forum a while back. There were 2 young ladies, one natural and one that preffered relaxing and weaves. Durring their inverview there were times were the disscusstion got a slightly heated, but not from the relaxed young lady but from the natural young lady.

My mother is a "Militant" natural and has been for over almost 10 years. She's against putting anything that didn't come out of the ground in her hair and even then she's very picky. Me on the other hand, I just want to do what best for my hair. What ever I can do to keep it healthy, shiny and healthy...

I give my hair whatever it wants :)
 
First post on this site :grin:


I don't believe that someone is a natural hair extremist because they do not agree with the lyrics to that particular song. What she said offended some people. And they have their right to be offended the same way that Minaj has the right to say what she said in America no matter how repulsive it may be.

I understand where you and AE are coming from but I do not excuse what she said just because she is a "rapper." No matter who she is she is a public figure who has influence over a lot of people whether she wants to or not (and she does have influence, how many black women are running around here pretending to be Barbies now?). I am not offended by her lyrics personally but I am also not okay with them.

What she said in that song is the reason why you still hear little kids thinking it is okay to make fun of their African features: because we are passing that hate down to them through our actions and our words.
 
I just think that people are people. There are even-keeled, more balanced people and there are extreme people. Extreme people will be extreme in their views (the Bible Beater, the Natural Hair Nazi, the Relaxed Hair Nazi, etc.) and it seems that they can also be the most vocal (therefore, you get the Vocal Minority commenting for all). For me, I am natural, I can say with almost 100% certainty that I will neva, eva, eva, eva, eva, eva relax again...When asked my opinion, I will give it. I enjoy debating, but I try not to push my personal views/opinions on others...Everyone is not like that but I try not to let them affect me...
 
Janet' said:
I just think that people are people. There are even-keeled, more balanced people and there are extreme people. Extreme people will be extreme in their views (the Bible Beater, the Natural Hair Nazi, the Relaxed Hair Nazi, etc.) and it seems that they can also be the most vocal (therefore, you get the Vocal Minority commenting for all). For me, I am natural, I can say with almost 100% certainty that I will neva, eva, eva, eva, eva, eva relax again...When asked my opinion, I will give it. I enjoy debating, but I try not to push my personal views/opinions on others...Everyone is not like that but I try not to let them affect me...
Click to expand...
RIGHT! That's how i feel
 
Janet' said:
I just think that people are people. There are even-keeled, more balanced people and there are extreme people. Extreme people will be extreme in their views (the Bible Beater, the Natural Hair Nazi, the Relaxed Hair Nazi, etc.) and it seems that they can also be the most vocal (therefore, you get the Vocal Minority commenting for all). For me, I am natural, I can say with almost 100% certainty that I will neva, eva, eva, eva, eva, eva relax again...When asked my opinion, I will give it. I enjoy debating, but I try not to push my personal views/opinions on others...Everyone is not like that but I try not to let them affect me...
Click to expand...

So true! People are extreme about many different things! One of my best friends is a bible extremist lol and the problem with these type of people is they try to push thier views on everyone! So of course we can expect some ppl to be extreme about natural hair just like others are exteme about sports, working out, ect.
 
ms-gg said:
First post on this site :grin:


I don't believe that someone is a natural hair extremist because they do not agree with the lyrics to that particular song. What she said offended some people. And they have their right to be offended the same way that Minaj has the right to say what she said in America no matter how repulsive it may be.

I understand where you and AE are coming from but I do not excuse what she said just because she is a "rapper." No matter who she is she is a public figure who has influence over a lot of people whether she wants to or not (and she does have influence, how many black women are running around here pretending to be Barbies now?). I am not offended by her lyrics personally but I am also not okay with them.

What she said in that song is the reason why you still hear little kids thinking it is okay to make fun of their African features: because we are passing that hate down to them through our actions and our words.
Click to expand...

I mean this in the most friendliest way possible when i say i feel as though people need to stop depending on "public figures" to raise, influence, and inspire their children. Yes, these artist have slight influences over these kids, but its the child's parent's job to encourage self- esteem in their kids when they have issues with their appearance. Even if that means banning and restricting certain music and images that their children are influenced by
 
MsLizziA said:
I mean this in the most friendliest way possible when i say i feel as though people need to stop depending on "public figures" to raise, influence, and inspire their children. Yes, these artist have slight influences over these kids, but its the child's parent's job to encourage self- esteem in their kids when they have issues with their appearance. Even if that means banning and restricting certain music and images that their children are influenced by
Click to expand...

I totally understand that. The thing is, you can be as protective as you want with your children but you cannot protect them from everything. Yes you can censor the music they buy, the friends that they hang out with, and the television programming that they watch, but I am sure that you know and I know that children will still be exposed to those elements that you are trying to protect them from seeing.

We can always say that we do not want our children to be influenced or inspired by rappers, singers, actors, and everyone else in the media, but we live in a pop culture society where our entire world is surrounded around these types of people and the truth of the matter is, people do look up to them regardless.
 
I mean this in the most friendliest way possible when i say i feel as though people need to stop depending on "public figures" to raise, influence, and inspire their children.
Click to expand...

I don't think that acknowledging some of the detrimental effects of popular culture on young, easily influenced minds translates into a dependence on public figures to raise and influence your children. Children are going to be influenced by the world around them. It's going to happen. I entirely agree that it's a parent's responsibility to raise a child with high self-esteem etc but I don't think that public figures should get a blanket pass for anything they say and/or put out into the world. A parent can try to ban or protect their kid against many things but they can't raise their kids in vacuum. I can't protect my child against every person (and they are still many) who will tell them their natural hair is unacceptable or ugly. I don't appreciate it from family members (and I let them know) and I don't appreciate it from entertainers either.

I agree with ms-gg, I have the right to say I don't agree with Nicki Minaj's lyrics. I think that "nappy-headed hos need a perminator" (or whatever) is insulting and it's unhealthy for black people (not just children) to take in that nonsense. I'm not suggesting that such music should be banned or that natural-headed women should go blazing through the streets, but I'm entitled to that opinion and I should be able to express it without being labeled a natural nazi (which I'm really not).

p.s. I should add that I'm actually not a parent
 
ms-gg said:
I totally understand that. The thing is, you can be as protective as you want with your children but you cannot protect them from everything. Yes you can censor the music they buy, the friends that they hang out with, and the television programming that they watch, but I am sure that you know and I know that children will still be exposed to those elements that you are trying to protect them from seeing.

We can always say that we do not want our children to be influenced or inspired by rappers, singers, actors, and everyone else in the media, but we live in a pop culture society where our entire world is surrounded around these types of people and the truth of the matter is, people do look up to them regardless.
Click to expand...


Right about this one. My parents tried to censor EVERYTHING but they could not stop those little bad kids from bringing the lyrics to "project bi***" to school, me and my friend sneaking to watch her mothers rated R movies, me looking through one of my aunts friend's karma sutra books with her kids....like some stuff parents just can't control no matter how well they try to raise their kids (which I think my parents did a GREAT job but they're not God and they're not all knowing)

Not that that has anything to do with Nicki lol I'm just saying you can't just say "parents need to teach their kids..." blahblahblah
 
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Foxglove said:
I was just thinking that avatar looked really familiar. Welcome! :wave:
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Hey Foxglove!
hiya2.gif


Thank you for the :bighug:
 
islanchile said:
I don't think that acknowledging some of the detrimental effects of popular culture on young, easily influenced minds translates into a dependence on public figures to raise and influence your children. Children are going to be influenced by the world around them. It's going to happen. I entirely agree that it's a parent's responsibility to raise a child with high self-esteem etc but I don't think that public figures should get a blanket pass for anything they say and/or put out into the world. A parent can try to ban or protect their kid against many things but they can't raise their kids in vacuum. I can't protect my child against every person (and they are still many) who will tell them their natural hair is unacceptable or ugly. I don't appreciate it from family members (and I let them know) and I don't appreciate it from entertainers either.

I agree with ms-gg, I have the right to say I don't agree with Nicki Minaj's lyrics. I think that "nappy-headed hos need a perminator" (or whatever) is insulting and it's unhealthy for black people (not just children) to take in that nonsense. I'm not suggesting that such music should be banned or that natural-headed women should go blazing through the streets, but I'm entitled to that opinion and I should be able to express it without being labeled a natural nazi (which I'm really not).

p.s. I should add that I'm actually not a parent
Click to expand...

Oh don't think im saying that its not insulting, cuz it is, im just saying i think ppl tend to forget that our views on hair is not everyone's views and they tend to take it as personal attacks.
 
LaFemmeNaturelle said:
Right about this one. My parents tried to censor EVERYTHING but they could not stop those little bad kids from bringing the lyrics to "project bi***" to school, me and my friend sneaking to watch her mothers rated R movies, me looking through one of my aunts friend's karma sutra books with her kids....like some stuff parents just can't control no matter how well they try to raise their kids (which I think my parents did a GREAT job but they're not God and they're not all knowing)

Not that that has anything to do with Nicki lol I'm just saying you can't just say "parents need to teach their kids..." blahblahblah
Click to expand...

:lachen: Girl who you telling! My mother thought she was doing something by taking away my clean Wal-Mart edited cds. She didn't know I was borrowing the real Eminem and Hot Boyz cd's from my friends :blush: :nono:
 
This may be ignorant, but...

I'm natural but have this "hope" that people won't misinterpret my being natural as any reason that is bigger than it is. I've always hated the fact that my relaxed hair was always too "thin/fine" and I always tended to have my hair hiding under half wigs, tracks, braids, cornrows, etc...So getting a relaxer just to have it hidden seemed stupid. ESPECIALLY once I saw how beautiful the heads of natural hair was on this board, I think what sealed my decision was seeing how straight natural hair could get (knowing the option to straighten was still available).

I was not offended at all by the lyric in the song. It may be my denial (or automatic defense mechanism), but I interpreted it as a lyric first (she needed a rhyme lol), and a lyric towards people whose hair really looks jacked up. lol. For instance, I'm about to get some relaxed straight tracks in my head, if I don't do a good job at blending it, then it's only right that someone suggest a perm for me. lol.
 
Ya'll worried about a girl that walks around claiming certain body parts are real when they are clearly not invoking negativity toward our features? Please she has issues that she has to deal with.
 
I'm sorry but I will never trip over any thing that nicki minaj says. She can keep her nursery rhymes to herself. She won't get my panties in a bunch.

I do feel that there is definitely an extreme factor among people with natural hair. Some people are just go-hards and they don't really care what they go hard about. Some naturals like to discriminate against other naturals and some of their attitudes towards relaxed women truly disgust me. Don't try to tell me I'm not really natural because I use scurl! Our that women with relaxers want to be white. Sometimes when I go to school I feel like I'm in a scene of Skool Daze. I don't have time for jiggaboos or wannabes.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Long Hair Care Forum App
 
I'm sorry, but to be clear, she had beef with some naturals so she wrote that line as a diss?

BTW. I really don't care what she has to say because I can't stand her voice(s)
 
Like I give a crap what some "rapper" says. :lachen:

That being said, as a natural, I have strong views about the relaxer. But, then, I have strong views about a lotta things :yep:. (I'm pretty opinionated.) I don't bother wasting my breath anymore tho, cuz everyone's entitled to their own opinions.
 
afrikurl said:
I'm sorry, but to be clear, she had beef with some naturals so she wrote that line as a diss?

BTW. I really don't care what she has to say because I can't stand her voice(s)
Click to expand...


No, it's just a random line in one of her songs that some naturals have taken offense to.
 
i actually think nicki might be natural under those wigs...when she went back to trinidad on that mtv special, all her fam was natural and their hair was gorgeous.

but i think it was just a line too...it irked me when i first heard it, but im not gonna boycott her or anything...its for entertainment only... i wasnt going to buy her album b4 i heard it, im not now, i wouldnt if the line wasnt there, and i wouldnt if she said permed up hoes need to go natural...

i seriously hope no1 on this board needs nicki to validate them or their hair, or is losing sleep over that line. if so, maybe you should spend less time on the forums and more time working on the esteem of your mother'effin self *katt williams voice*:look:

plus she wasnt talkin bout me anyways cuz i aint a *** and i dont need a permanator :look:
 
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Ok I'm going to throw my two pennies in the pond.

I wonder what makes people more upset the nappy part of the lyrics or the perm. I have heard Nappy headed H--s in many lyrics and I have yet to see the rioting in the streets. OP you're video made a good point there are plently of lyrics Rap and otherwise that are completely offensive to women, black women, white women, ect so why would a pharse (that I'm sure she throught was just a clever rhyme) upset you permed or natural?
If it does I would argue that you hind your wife hide your kids and stay in your home with the ligths turned off because I have a feeling things are only going to get uglier for you. And do not turn on the radio.


If the "extremist" had their say I'm not natural and never will be because I BKT. Eh,in the end, I think it's just hair. As for the whole Natural versus relaxed my feelings are: As long as you like it I love it. I only stopped perming because a perm took my hair out and I have fine hair that wasn't thriving despitethe best care.

Don't look to others for approval or validation. There is enough negativity out there already that we don't need all this noise. Be blessed peeps
 
~Sparklingflame~ said:
I loved being natural but I never was extream with it. I really dont like extreams. Thats why I didnt last too long at NP.com
Click to expand...

ITA. I had to leave "NP." They would censor the word "relaxer" so that it said "creamy crack" ... :nono: too much. It creates a cult-like environment.

I much prefer this site. I appreciate the balance.
 
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