• ⏰ Welcome, Guest! You are viewing only 2 out of 27 total forums. Register today to view more, then Subscribe to view all forums, submit posts, reply to posts, create new threads, view photos, access private messages, change your avatar, create a photo album, customize your profile, and possibly be selected as our next Feature of the Month.

Hair Talk on Gymnastics Board

⏳ Limited Access:

Register today to view all forum posts.

Yep, it true as some have hinted at... kinky hair is generally "more offensive" than other hair types, even among black people who may be natural themselves. I never did get that.

 
I personally give her a pass as well...no one relaxed or natural is going to look their absolute best at all times, especially at an athletic practice.

But I also think you can't really fault people for seeing you an an off day and thinking that you look...Off. We wouldn't have known she was at a practice if the op had not told us.

Do gymnasts usually practice in a full face of make-up? It looks like she is wearing false eye-lashes as well...I'm saying this because, if she took the time to do all of that yet her hair wasn't important then I take back my pass.:lol:

I dont' think the comment the OP disagrees with is talking about an "off" day. They are saying she NEEDS it straightened in any way possible and that straigtened hair is the way to look presentable, or else they wouldn't have been so specific. She could have worn it out and had it well moisturized but even without some high gloss curl definition I'm sure they would still make that comment. Without a chemical, her hair is "off" everyday to that person.

And yeah, she is in practice people. She probably just pulled her hair back from a WnG. Her goal is the Gold, not Tyrone's phone number watching from the sidelines. A person with straight hair working out hard all day isn't gonna have cute hair either. I see a lot of non-black gymnasts with broken off, stringy hair because they pull it in a ponytail and be done with it. And when it gets wild or untamed with short hairs popping out everywhere we're generally okay with it because it still looks okay. (Is it not obvious why?)

Yes, they are at podium training but training is training.
Also, Betty's hair was never that short.

I do not see a difference between Chelsea's or Bridget's fly-aways and her's. Their hair is simply not as thick or kinky. When you are that active, you will have fly-aways.
ex2_8.jpg

ex5_2.jpg


I don't see anyone saying they are not presentable. If kinky hair was sticking out like Bridget's (2nd picture), people would crucify the gymnast.

:amen:Thank you for this! Gymnasts look like this all the time and no one says its a problem. I agree with the OP, black ppl seriously need to stop. How is that more whites have been able to see this (or at least have the decency to not say aloud the ignorance they are thinking) but we don't? But I guess many nonwhites expect our hair to look that way anyway so they don't see a problem with it in its natural state even when its disheveled.
 
Last edited:
Response from person who made the texturizer, hotcomb, relaxer comment. She received some backlash from other posters.

"Fyi for people that don't know, a texturizer enhances natural curl pattern and doesn't really straighten your hair. I loved Mattie's curls, too... Especially since she actually took time to put all of it in a ponytail (which was why I even commented about ol girls hair-- it was all over her head). Also, I relax my hair because it's easier to manage and never once because I wanted to be white or "accepted"! A___ & H___'s responses are the only ones worth reading since my comment... So how 'bout this thread not be about my lil opinion of somebody's hair when the ****ing WORLDS are going on? I'll keep my comment to myself, next time!"

My response:
"Honestly, it was offensive.
I don't even want to comment about your statements above.
Now back to Worlds!"

The backlash:

"^ ^ ^ ITA. I miss the pooftail. I don't want to see the same damn clone-ponytail on every single girl. I want to be able to tell people apart from the back."

"Danusia is fantastic. You don't have to make your hair "whiter" for it to be gorgeous. I'd rather see some wispy curls than some dried out flat ironed mess with flyaways. Lets not add to the stigma that all black girls have to emulate Beyonce and her obsession with the Wig Emporium in order to be beautiful."

"Tell it sista! Her hair is hot! And I love the wildness of it! Danusia is a diva! And have you seen Beyonce's roots lately? Even she is trying to go natural."
 
Last edited:
That commenter has problems. She didn't even say a brush and some gel, ole girl defaulted to a relaxer or a hot comb. A texturizer still relaxes the curl does it not? The wisps didn't offend her the kinks did. Smh.
 
Whatever.

I once went running with a friend of mine who's white. I had a slicked back puff, she had a slicked back ponytail. We both looked terrible afterwards, but I had a lot more flyaways and looked a lot more disheveled.

That comment about her needing a relaxer or hot comb was ignorant.
 
For the record...

Danusia Francis is ranked 2nd or 3rd on the British team depending on which rankings you consult. The top gymnast on the British team, who was also a 2008 Olympian, is Rebecca Downie--she is also black.

And, while we're dicussing the Commenwealth...

The South African women's world team has two!!! black athletes: Jennifer Khwela and Ashleigh Heldsinger--their top two athletes. Khwela won vault and medaled on beam at a recent World Cup competition and she won the silver on vault at the Commonwealth Games.

Also, South Africa's top rhythmic gymnast is black.
 
I agree. I'm sure back in the day, Dominique Dawes showed up at the gym slicked down and walked out w/ hair all over. She was bringing home the golds, forget everything else! :lol:

I hate to say this, but um...Dominique's hair was always tiiiight. And, I will say again--she's on Team Natural Now! Woo hoo!
 
Last edited:
The ignorance is just making me itch. This is the very reason why a lot of black women are overweight and unhealthy. They are concerned more about their hair than their health. And that poster? Protesting and defending like a racist white woman who says she has black friends and isn't racist. She should have just been honest. The gymnast's natural hair set her off because it didn't look like the white folk's hair that she idolizes.
 
She's beautiful and so is her hair. My only issues that it looks dry. DC, moisturize and seal and it will be even more gorgeous. I like the wild look.
 
Back
Top