African vs. African American Women Views on Hair Practices

[LovelyNaps26]

Never really thought about this before. I found this article interesting. I saw this posted today on Curly Nikki and there was a little back and forth in some of the comments.

Synopsis of article:​

A young Nigerian women who grew up in Ghana discusses how it was a rite of passage for girls to get relaxers after graduating high school b/c when up through the end of high school you had to wear you hair very short, like 1-3 inches. She wanted to know why black women raised in two different contexts both had a reluctance (on the whole) to give up relaxers.


Some posters in the comment section argued that the 'rite of passage" argument didn't negate the reality that African women have just as much cultural baggage around hair as African American women. Some African Americans were puzzled as to how Europeans were able to completely replace pre-colonial hair practices with European standards of beauty. There also seemed to be a bit of posturing (AA women saying that the natural hair movement is most evident in the U.S., thus there being a more enlightened perspective in the U.S....)

Here's the question raised in the comments:

Why is it that African women (in Africa, not living in the states) seed to have just as much 'cultural baggage' around hair when they are the majority (in terms of race)?

I'm still mulling this over...

 

[nzeee]

great thread. i have no answers (you're welcome everybody. y'all are spared from my long *** posts).

curious to see the discussion. subbing!

(oh, and can we talk about the caribbean as well? even if the article didn't?). cuz long-stay visits to different parts of english caribbean (jamaica, t&t, barbados) has shown me there are differences even on each island.

let the discussions begin

 

[Ms_CoCo37]

My curiosity is piqued. Subscribing.

 

[Austro-Afrikana]

Well this "right of passage" must be a West African thing. Never heard of this. My mum says relaxers are much more prevalent in West Africa because of the French influence. All Kenyans, Congolese, Angolan etc women I know are natural... and yes, a lot of African girls go to boarding school and tend to keep their hair short but it is normally natural. They have recently started employing braiders in these schools so the girls can still get their hair done.

 

[Lucille]

Well this "right of passage" must be a West African thing. Never heard of this. My mum says relaxers are much more prevalent in West Africa because of the French influence. All Kenyans, Congolese, Angolan etc women I know are natural... and yes, a lot of African girls go to boarding school and tend to keep their hair short but it is normally natural. They have recently started employing braiders in these schools so the girls can still get their hair done.

Never heard of this ''right of passage'' before.

 

[Nonie]

Well this "right of passage" must be a West African thing. Never heard of this. My mum says relaxers are much more prevalent in West Africa because of the French influence. All Kenyans, Congolese, Angolan etc women I know are natural... and yes, a lot of African girls go to boarding school and tend to keep their hair short but it is normally natural. They have recently started employing braiders in these schools so the girls can still get their hair done.

Never heard of this ''right of passage'' before.

I grew up in Kenyan and like you two, I've never heard of it either.

There are many schools in Kenya that don't allow long hair because it's a distraction and students need to focus on school work, but once people finish school, they just start to enjoy their hair and can grow it or not. Some relax, but I've never known it to be because of anything other than easy management or change of style. I relaxed my hair because I thought it would grow long that way. Always wanted long hair, and I used to comb it dry and pieces would be falling all over, so having straight hair made sense as a good way to grow it long as the hair'd not be caught in the comb and yanked out. I also got a jheri curl also to grow my hair long. There was no deep psychological reason to this. I never even played the games of wearing swinging hair. Having a "Sparkling Flame/Mizz Brit" puff has always been my dream. Just long hair that can be put up in a puff or 3 big braids was always what I wanted.

In the boarding school I went to, we were not allowed to braid our hair--which is basically how just about everyone I knew who didn't have a TWA wore their hair--unless you could get it into a max of 3 plaits. For that reason, those of us with short hair had no choice but to comb our hair daily. And so yanking a comb through dry natural hair and pulling out the broken hairs was a regular thing. But when I got a jheri curl, combing became easier so that's what I did. Also having chemically processed hair meant no need to plait it at night and undo in the AM so it was time-saving--plus I believed I'd finally have the long hair I always wanted. So for me, it's always been about getting long hair. I didn't consider overprocessing and how that would thwart retention...plus if my hair got to 5-6 inches, it was long to me and I was always so happy about that.

I might be reaching here but I wonder if the West African apparent "cultural baggage" may have something to do with Liberia. Freed slaves returned to Liberia so they might've brought with them the effect of "400 Years Without a Comb" (There are six parts to it) and passed that on. *shrug* I don't know, but every time I hear stories like these, they are so foreign to me.

My mom came to visit me in 2008 from Kenya and when I told her about the "good hurr" phenomenon, she was so tickled because she's never been crazy about any hair that is not like type 4 hair. I remembered how I used to hear people talking of wanting to shave babies ASAP so they can get "normal hair" because the soft "good hurr" was just not that appealing. It never used to bother me at all, but I do remember hearing adults saying that. My mom's comment when I showed her what is considered "good hurr" was something like "They like that hair? Wow!" She was like "And how we hate it back home!" Not sure who "we" was, coz I personally didn't care one way or another growing up. I've always really liked my hair so I've never really cared about other types. I do remember feeling sorry for my biracial friend though coz her hair just would not cooperate when you tried to style it. It wouldn't stay braided or hold a style like mine, but rather flopped everywhere. I remember feeling sorry for her and wondering if she's sad about having such difficult hair. But yeah, I never grew up having any qualms about natural hair or having any special love for relaxed hair. Even my mom who's had a jheri curl too did it just for a change of style and ease of care like no braiding necessary; just put on a cap and call it a night and comb out in the AM (no braids to undo). And she'd not even use activator but combed it out like an afro so it kinda just looked how afro wigs look.

So yeah, unless this "baggage" is a new trend, it's not something I grew up with or that anyone I know grew up with. In my boarding school we were more natural folks than relaxed and in my neighborhood, I'd say only 10% had any chemicals in their hair. Most of the people I knew were natural. In my family today, only my sister and some cousins are relaxed. Everyone else in the family is natural.

 

[MrsJaiDiva]

LovelyNaps26 "Why is it that African women (in Africa, not living in the states) seed to have just as much 'cultural baggage' around hair when they are the majority (in terms of race)?"

The Bible and the Gun...and after the Europeans were done beating everyone who Wasn't them into submission, they planted an inferiority complex so deep we would need to have a Global thought and cultural revolution to get over it. The damage done by the Bible and the Gun can be seen Everywhere...it's in our Global Media, our Education, our Music, the hair products we are sold, and the fashion that we covet. It was planted deeply in Africa, because the Cononialists are still there...pulling all of the available natural reasources out of Africa and giving it's people nothing in return. Physical slavery couldn't work if they had not first Mentally enslaved everyone else. And the greatest trick they ever played is convincing every other culture that they are better than Africans, while they do the Exact same thing to them.

 

[sunnieb]

Interesting article!

My question is this, why after having two very different and distinct experiences do African -American and African woman have this reluctance to let go of the relaxer?

I can only answer for myself. I'm African-American. I don't have a "reluctance" to let go of the relaxer. I want to relax. My mom is a proud 4b/c natural and yet she loves and compliments my relaxed hair. She never pressured me to get a relaxer. I remember begging her for one because I was tired of the "little girl" puffs and ponytails.

Also, I HATE using heat on my hair. Hate it! Even when I was little. I asked my mom to braid my hair instead of straightening it. I had alot of hair, so she didn't braid it often.

Relaxing allows me to get the straight hair I want without heat.

 

[Ogoma]

I grew up in Kenyan and like you two, I've never heard of it either.

There are many schools in Kenya that don't allow long hair because it's a distraction and students need to focus on school work, but once people finish school, they just start to enjoy their hair and can grow it or not. Some relax, but I've never known it to be because of anything other than easy management or change of style. I relaxed my hair because I thought it would grow long that way. Always wanted long hair, and I used to comb it dry and pieces would be falling all over, so having straight hair made sense as a good way to grow it long as the hair'd not be caught in the comb and yanked out. I also got a jheri curl also to grow my hair long. There was no deep psychological reason to this. I never even played the games of wearing swinging hair. Having a "Sparkling Flame/Mizz Brit" puff has always been my dream. Just long hair that can be put up in a puff or 3 big braids was always what I wanted.

In the boarding school I went to, we were not allowed to braid our hair--which is basically how just about everyone I knew who didn't have a TWA wore their hair--unless you could get it into a max of 3 plaits. For that reason, those of us with short hair had no choice but to comb our hair daily. And so yanking a comb through dry natural hair and pulling out the broken hairs was a regular thing. But when I got a jheri curl, combing became easier so that's what I did. Also having chemically processed hair meant no need to plait it at night and undo in the AM so it was time-saving--plus I believed I'd finally have the long hair I always wanted. So for me, it's always been about getting long hair. I didn't consider overprocessing and how that would thwart retention...plus if my hair got to 5-6 inches, it was long to me and I was always so happy about that.

I might be reaching here but I wonder if the West African apparent "cultural baggage" may have something to do with Liberia. Freed slaves returned to Liberia so they might've brought with them the effect of "400 Years Without a Comb" (There are six parts to it) and passed that on. *shrug* I don't know, but every time I hear stories like these, they are so foreign to me.

My mom came to visit me in 2008 from Kenya and when I told her about the "good hurr" phenomenon, she was so tickled because she's never been crazy about any hair that is not like type 4 hair. I remembered how I used to hear people talking of wanting to shave babies ASAP so they can get "normal hair" because the soft "good hurr" was just not that appealing. It never used to bother me at all, but I do remember hearing adults saying that. My mom's comment when I showed her what is considered "good hurr" was something like "They like that hair? Wow!" She was like "And how we hate it back home!" Not sure who "we" was, coz I personally didn't care one way or another growing up. I've always really liked my hair so I've never really cared about other types. I do remember feeling sorry for my biracial friend though coz her hair just would not cooperate when you tried to style it. It wouldn't stay braided or hold a style like mine, but rather flopped everywhere. I remember feeling sorry for her and wondering if she's sad about having such difficult hair. But yeah, I never grew up having any qualms about natural hair or having any special love for relaxed hair. Even my mom who's had a jheri curl too did it just for a change of style and ease of care like no braiding necessary; just put on a cap and call it a night and comb out in the AM (no braids to undo). And she'd not even use activator but combed it out like an afro so it kinda just looked how afro wigs look.

So yeah, unless this "baggage" is a new trend, it's not something I grew up with or that anyone I know grew up with. In my boarding school we were more natural folks than relaxed and in my neighborhood, I'd say only 10% had any chemicals in their hair. Most of the people I knew were natural. In my family today, only my sister and some cousins are relaxed. Everyone else in the family is natural.

I am West African and I never heard about this "good hair" thing or the "rite of passage". I never had to cut my hair in boarding school either, it just had to be braided and not loose so those that could braid made off like bandits. We had a well-developed battering system - hair braiding for snacks.

My mother had natural hair and only relaxed it because her brother convinced her that was what all the modern women were doing. I relaxed my hair at 16 because I wanted to look like Janet Jackson .

Whether it be African or African- American, I get salty at discussions like this because they are not productive. The comment section has dissolved into a contest of who-has-the-least-baggage. I might get into trouble for this, but there seems to be a victim complex that runs through the natural hair community that is so off-putting.

 

[LovelyNaps26]

oh i should clarify. The author wasn't saying relaxing was a formal rite of passage. Also it only pertained to public schools. Private school students had more freedom. because girls had to keep their hair short as student being able to relax their hair was a way to finally "be free" from the rules of school. She mentioned girls would start growing their hair out senior year b/c they planned to relax upon graduation.

 

[LovelyNaps26]

I am West African and I never heard about this "good hair" thing or the "rite of passage". I never had to cut my hair in boarding school either, it just had to be braided and not loose so those that could braid made off like bandits. We had a well-developed battering system - hair braiding for snacks.

My mother had natural hair and only relaxed it because her brother convinced her that was what all the modern women were doing. I relaxed my hair at 16 because I wanted to look like Janet Jackson .

Whether it be African or African- American, I get salty at discussions like this because they are not productive. The comment section has dissolved into a contest of who-has-the-least-baggage. I might get into trouble for this, but there seems to be a victim complex that runs through the natural hair community that is so off-putting.

Black Bolded: I don't know how those comments started b/c the article was an interesting autobiographical account and the question she raised didn't seem touchy. I always wondered why some girls kept their hair short in some parts of Africa. I didn't realize it was apart of school regulations for some schools.

Red Bolded: Hmmm...I think it depends on the circle. I'd have a different view of the "natural hair community" if I was only on Nappturality v. LHCF v. youtube. I guess it depends on the naturals or "natural community" you know. But yeah, I can think of some youtube videos of women who clearly dislike their natural hair.

 

[JudithO]

I'm Nigerian.... There is just the notion that everything western is better.... People see natural hair as "local", and it's only with the "natural" craze out here that a few ladies are going natural again. Basically, the average girl will go with what they see on TV... It's sad!!

If I lived at home, it would be much harder to stay natural. I don't know about the rite of passage -- I was relaxed since I was 5.

 

[alive]

my perception is that most west-african women are typically pre-occupied with so many basic details of life (i'll spare you the gory details) that they rarely sit down to figure out the whys or hows of hair care. As judy4all mentioned, it's normal to get a relaxer at the age of 5 and to just keep doing it because that's what's normal.

with regard to the "rite of passage", i don't think it's a formal process in the strict sense of the phrase. it's more of an informal thing. i have friends that always felt that they were somehow less attractive than other girls because they had natural hair while we were in high school. for many of them, their high school graduation present was a box of no-lye relaxer from America. it was a sign of emancipation from controlling parents

but to answer your question, i think west African women relax their hair for the same reasons that they wear so many braids and weaves--.1. that's how it's been done for generations. In fact, some women refer to relaxed hair as their "natural hair" and it cracks me up! 2. it makes hair appear longer (a prized but rare feature in many parts of west-Africa).

All in all, the majority of women here simply view relaxers as a styling aid--as opposed to the imposition of an European ideal of beauty (whether this is right or wrong is an entirely different story) hope that helped.

I'm in W-Africa at the moment by the way so if you want me to go do some case studies for y'all just let me know

 

[MyInvisibleChyrsalis]

like judy4all, it wasn't a rite of passage for me. I was relaxed before I hit elementary school I believe. My reluctance to give up relaxers was fear of the unknown. Growing up, I never saw natural hair around me at all. Not unless it was a looser texture. If you came to school needing a touch up, you were crucified basically.

 

[candy626]

Africa is such a large continent with so many different cultures. So it may be a rite of passage in one area but certainly not in others.

I have some Cape Verdean (West African) influences in my family, so I am familiar with that particular culture. Cape Verdeans look down on relaxers and try to avoid them as much as possible but for the wrong reasons...they don't want to relax their hair so that are not labeled as having "bad hair." I know, eek erplexed. They are racially mixed (black and Portuguese, but definitely still black) so there is a lot of variations with hair textures, similar to Dominicans I guess. Certain textures are definitely more embraced then others. That's one African nation, i'd say definitely has some "baggage" when it comes to hair, skin color, etc.

I haven't gotten that impression from other people I've met from West African nations. I think hair standards of beauty vary drastically based on culture/ethnicity/region...

 

[jerseygurl]

my perception is that most west-african women are typically pre-occupied with so many basic details of life (i'll spare you the gory details) that they rarely sit down to figure out the whys or hows of hair care. As @judy4all mentioned, it's normal to get a relaxer at the age of 5 and to just keep doing it because that's what's normal.

with regard to the "rite of passage", i don't think it's a formal process in the strict sense of the phrase. it's more of an informal thing. i have friends that always felt that they were somehow less attractive than other girls because they had natural hair while we were in high school. for many of them, their high school graduation present was a box of no-lye relaxer from America. it was a sign of emancipation from controlling parents

ITA. That is so true .

 

[Guitarhero]

I'm sorry but hair baggage is ancient in Africa, even if those born and raised there never truly witnessed it. It's as old as dirt and falls along the lines of softer, wavier to straight against harder and kinkier. Same with skin. Europeans didn't truly have that much to do with it. Of course, things went south like crack when they came on the scene...but they didn't invent it in the continent. As much as we'd like to blame the white man, he didn't have the initial thought of who's or what's "better." Messed up, innit?

 

[dancinstallion]

I am so glad they are changing the cutting hair bald in the boarding schools for girls. I cringe everytime I see the school girls with bald cuts because of the school. I wanted to send dd to a boarding school and I kept saying she can't go if they want to cut her hair.

I am glad they are allowing braids and have braiders at the school.

 

[DearJohn]

I don't know about a rite of passage but in my country (will get back to this) relaxers are the shizznits. I got my first relaxer at 4 and everyone wanted 1. despite ending up in the hospital after the first one I was in and out of relaxer until the age of 6 at my aunts my hair was kept natural until right before I moved to this country I was almost 10.

When I think about it all but one of my cousins at home had relaxed hair. My aunt not so much except for the one I lived with. Most little girls at school were natural but the hair was also kept short.

going back to relaxers craze in the country depends on which part of the country you were in. I was born and partially raised in the most most modern city in the country and there relaxers are much more common. In more rural or lesser modern cities natural hair regardless of length are more common and they are always in some cornrows or smaller french braids.

I am pretty sure this is the same in other african countries. Modern areas which is where most of these researchers will go have more relaxed heads so it skews the result. They need to head to smaller places too.

 

[greenandchic]

Why is it that African women (in Africa, not living in the states) seed to have just as much 'cultural baggage' around hair when they are the majority (in terms of race)?


I have been following the comments on CurlyNikki and also on hairscapades.com where it was also posted and I wonder why shouldn't Africans have this so-called "cultural baggage". Though our experiences are very different, it wasn't exactly roses in the Motherland either over the past several centuries.

We must not forget the media influence that present in that part of the world. Beyonce, Rihanna and other popular Black female entertainers are well known in just about every country on Earth. They all wear their hair in straight weaves (not to mentioned they have lighter skin, though I wont go into that right now). It would take a miracle for young girls not to be influenced by this. Straight hair (and fair skin) = beauty, fame, wealth, love etc.

(Now this Californian born and bred American girl will step out of this here thread..)

 

[My Friend]

I see no problem with the topic or any of the opinions of the posters This is a HAIR BOARD. Any and every topic about hair should be welcomed

If you feel like a victim or you are carrying designer hair luggage, so be it. Let's talk about it and get opinions from all over the globe.

Carry on.

 

[ezina]

In my experience (I'm Nigerian), I find fellow African relatives to be more blunt about certain insecurities about hair and will tell you straight up what they deem to be good or bad without flinching. Whereas with my fellow African-Americans (which I am one by naturalization), the issue is rather hush-hush or is at least clouded in more sensitivity - if that makes sense. Maybe it has something to do with the different personalities of the two nationalities. Having experienced both worlds, I think Nigerians and African Americans have the same or similar issues regarding hair and the relaxer experience but express it very differently. The same can be said about issues regarding skin-tone.

I made some pretty rough generalizations, but this is purely from my experience.

 

[aquajoyice]

Thank-you OP! I had an experience just yesterday dealing with this. I went to a get together of a close friend that is from Ghana. All the elders invited came from Ghana while the children were born in the states. So i'm wearing my hair as big as I can possibly wear it and excited because I haven't seen my friend in quite some time especially with my big hair. So I get there and every woman has a relaxer. EVERY woman! There I was the only one in there rocking a natural style and I was thrown off for a minute. But there were two little girls that had braids. I was kind of upset because I thought there would have been others with natural hair. But i've had debates with this very friend that believes Black people don't have a history. That we are "lost ones". But yet she wont even walk around with natural hair.

 

[PersuasiveBeauty]

This isn't very complex at all. I think that people fail to remember that white people went to Africa and colonized those in Africa. They stayed there FOR A WHILE. Granted they are no longer surrounded by white people like black people in America are, they were still taught to hate their color and their hair texture by the British, French, Italian, German. They were also taught not to speak their language and to only speak English. Many African languages died off IN Africa as well. I had an African professor in college and he told stories of how whites treated them, regulated them, etc. Whites dominated those in Africa, and mentally oppressed them as well.

 

[PersuasiveBeauty]

Another thing that many people fail to realize is that those in Africa often try to emulate black people in America. The media is a very powerful machine. Globalization doesn't always come with a positive impact. These people are force fed BET and VH1 just like we are. A lot of the times they are more up to date with what Beyonce, Rihanna, etc. are doing than they are with their own local celebrities. So yes, these women are surrounded by black people, but still they are not protected by the ideas that the media projects. I think it's important that we don't look down on them, because all that it takes is for one to be enlightened. I remember a time too when I thought nappy hair was ugly, or I thought you had to have "Indian" in you to grow hair, and I'm sure many women can relate to this.... When white people control the media, they control the minds of people all over the world. I think it's important to remember that we as African Americans are the RICHEST black people on the face of the earth. Just take a moment to let that sink in. With wealth you get the power to influence. You get the power to say what is right, what is wrong, what is beautiful, what is ugly. Other blacks across the globe are looking at our standards for beauty in order to scale their own. Why? Because we have the most power out of all blacks. We are projected into their homes everyday. THEY are not projected into our own. They are watching Basketball Wives, The Grammys, etc. right along side with you. Don't believe it? Ever been on twitter and checked out the trending topics in other countries? It's really an eye opener.

 

[PersuasiveBeauty]

Why is it that African women (in Africa, not living in the states) seed to have just as much 'cultural baggage' around hair when they are the majority (in terms of race)?


I have been following the comments on CurlyNikki and also on hairscapades.com where it was also posted and I wonder why shouldn't Africans have this so-called "cultural baggage". Though our experiences are very different, it wasn't exactly roses in the Motherland either over the past several centuries.

We must not forget the media influence that present in that part of the world. Beyonce, Rihanna and other popular Black female entertainers are well known in just about every country on Earth. They all wear their hair in straight weaves (not to mentioned they have lighter skin, though I wont go into that right now). It would take a miracle for young girls not to be influenced by this. Straight hair (and fair skin) = beauty, fame, wealth, love etc.

(Now this Californian born and bred American girl will step out of this here thread..)

greenandchic Womp. I JUST saw your post. If I had seen it earlier I could have saved myself some time. Anyway, kudos to you and your intelligence. You're a very brilliant woman and I commend your ability to see the bigger picture. And I agree with the bolded just as well... I think I will follow you on out

 

[Nonie]

I see no problem with the topic or any of the opinions of the posters This is a HAIR BOARD. Any and every topic about hair should be welcomed

If you feel like a victim or you are carrying designer hair luggage, so be it. Let's talk about it and get opinions from all over the globe.

Carry on.

I actually find the topic interesting and it's been very enlightening to me to learn that there are Africans living in Africa who got their hair relaxed at the tender age of 4 or 5 (unless I made the wrong assumption and y'all were living in the US when this happened). I've always thought that the apparent "need to escape from natural" was due to slavery in the US and our people always having unkempt hair that had to be hidden because it could not be groomed. I didn't know this was going on in Africa. Those of you who got relaxed as young kids, were your grandmothers and great grandmothers also relaxed and was this done at a young age too, or is this a new trend that is only at most half a century old?

Guitarhero, have you read the book "Hair Story"? I don't think hair baggage is something our ancestors before colonial times used to live with. It seems they were proud of their hair and wore it in elaborate ways to represent their village and their status in the village. Wearing groomed hair was our pride and joy which is why 400 years without a comb was very traumatic to us and part of why natural hair is foreign to many.

 

[greenandchic]

Another thing that many people fail to realize is that those in Africa often try to emulate black people in America. The media is a very powerful machine. Globalization doesn't always come with a positive impact. These people are force fed BET and VH1 just like we are. A lot of the times they are more up to date with what Beyonce, Rihanna, etc. are doing than they are with their own local celebrities. So yes, these women are surrounded by black people, but still they are not protected by the ideas that the media projects. I think it's important that we don't look down on them, because all that it takes is for one to be enlightened. I remember a time too when I thought nappy hair was ugly, or I thought you had to have "Indian" in you to grow hair, and I'm sure many women can relate to this.... When white people control the media, they control the minds of people all over the world. I think it's important to remember that we as African Americans are the RICHEST black people on the face of the earth. Just take a moment to let that sink in. With wealth you get the power to influence. You get the power to say what is right, what is wrong, what is beautiful, what is ugly. Other blacks across the globe are looking at our standards for beauty in order to scale their own. Why? Because we have the most power out of all blacks. We are projected into their homes everyday. THEY are not projected into our own. They are watching Basketball Wives, The Grammys, etc. right along side with you. Don't believe it? Ever been on twitter and checked out the trending topics in other countries? It's really an eye opener.

Pink quote: Great points about African Americans and wealth. I did think about it for a minute and I think you're right. This is and isn't a hypothetical question, but where else besides the USA do you have people like Oprah Winfrey with her wealth and power, all the pro sports stars including Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods - who are on the list of being one of the wealthiest athletes, Combs, Simmons, Knowles Jay-Z, Pres. Obama (isn't wealthy but is the leader of the free world), and so on.

When you have wealth and/or power, you have the means to influence for the positive and negative.

greenandchic Womp. I JUST saw your post. If I had seen it earlier I could have saved myself some time. Anyway, kudos to you and your intelligence. You're a very brilliant woman and I commend your ability to see the bigger picture. And I agree with the bolded just as well... I think I will follow you on out

Noooo, you made a lot great points I didn't even think of! Thank you for the complement!

 

[Begoody]

Every thing isn't always as a result of The White Man and his indoctrination. zzZZZZZ. It's not always that deep.What I know is that Nigerian women follow whatever trend is going, period. I am constantly amazed by how often women here change their hair, they are obsessed...from weaves, to braids, I even see Afro wigs lol!! On a serious note,the female hair health situation in Lagos is pretty dire, relaxed or not. Everyones hairline is missing.I can't speak for the rest of this vast country, just Lagos.

 

[Bluetopia]

interesting conversation....

altho my first reaction was "why are they referring to 'Africa' as if it's one homogeneous entity? the whole continent doesn't do everything the same. different countries do things their own way."

but i digress. since you know....to some Africa is a country and all

and then my second thought was - "um...media is everywhere. just cause it's the "motherland" doesn't mean they don't have tv, newspapers, and coverage of the Kardashians to contend with like the rest of us."

in fact Kim Kardashian has been sent to parts of Africa a few times in the last couple years to do promo work. Maybe it's because I tend to think like a "global citizen" but I don't really feel like my sisters in other countries are fundamentally all that different from me.....and therefore am not surprised when i find out they have similar "baggage".

if you watch some Nigerian soap operas/movie half of those women look like they are auditioning for an Atlanta hair show (i.e., racks on racks of weaves & lace fronts)