Obsessed

[CurleeDST]

Why Are Black Women Obsessed With Their Hair?
Compiled by the DiversityInc staff

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December 22, 2005



For their new book Queens, photographer Michael Cunningham and author George Alexander interviewed more than 100 black women to explore the obsession with hair and found there are multifaceted meanings in the way women wear their hair.



"Hair is about identity, beauty, racial pride, race politics, self-acceptance, self-_expression, self-realization, class, status, fun, glamour, romance, fantasy, art, passion, joy, pain, freedom, enslavement, power," says Alexander. "Hair can be all those things and more."



Cunningham and Alexander, however, are not the only ones delving into the hair question. Two recent feature films, "Hair Show" and this year's "Beauty Shop," dealt with the goings-on in the black beauty salon, The Boston Globe reports.



The interviews for Queens show some startling divides that go far beyond personal preference in hair styles. Thoundia Bickham, who keeps her hair in a curly "'fro," says, "When there are chemicals in my hair to make it straight, I feel weaker. I feel like I'm trying to be somewhat white, but I'm really just trying to control my hair."



Kathryn Flowers, a real-estate agent, on the other hand, says wearing straight hair is more about personal taste than politics: "I prefer the relaxed look; it's more convenient and gives you the freedom to switch up and do different things."

 

[CinnaMocha]

Interesting excerpt...

I don't think it's just black women who are "obsessed" with their hair, it's about making a statment to the world, whatever you chose to do with the strands you have been blessed with.

For example, in my teeny bopper days I wanted to go with the flow and rock any current style (regardless of how it affected the health and growth of my hair--something which I have regrets about). Now, I choose to make my statement by trying to reach lengths I never dreamed of and hope to acheive (along with what TRULY works for my hair). If that means I have to stay out of a salon shop and work my own hair magic, so be it (this is something I actually like to do).

Just a thought on my part.

Thanks for the good read...

 

[DragonPearl]

Is this the right forum for this thread?

Anyway, I am not convinced that black women are more obsessed about hair than other groups of women. It's relatively easier for other groups of women to fit into society's idea of beautiful hair, so they can afford to act more nonchalant about hair.

 

[napgurl]

Why Are Black Women Obsessed With Their Hair? Here is the very simple answer . . . because we are women! Wow they needed a whole taskforce to answer this question. Don't they have more important questions to figure out rather than worrying about why I care about my hair? Dumb de dumb dumb.

 

[SignatureBeauty]

That is just off! I mean Black women are not the only race of people who are "Obsessed" about their hair, why are they just focusing on us? I know alot of others races who have problems with their hair and they too want to grow it, it is not a Black Thang! It is a WOMAN thang! I have my hair natural at the moment and I did it because I wanted to see what my natural hair is like, who knows I might go back to relaxing because it is my choice and by me having a Relaxer will not make me any less black than the one who is natural, I will still go through the same struggles whether I relax my hair or stay natural. I think people focus too much on the wrong ish!


we have too many other problems in this world than to worry about why someone wants to use "Creamy Crack" or Grow Waist Length Hair. My hair don't make me I make my hair! It just makes me sick to see that we as black women can be divided by what we choose to do to our hair or what goals we have set to grow our hair. Shouldn't we focus on getting more of our people to vote? Getting more black businesses? Hospitals of our own? Because who we gone run to when something goes wrong? "The White Man"! Hell we need more black owned companies, And I am not talking about the Damn superstars who market they ish so high that the kids who love them the most and spend they hard earned money to buy their CD can't afford it.

As of now I am working to be one of those black owned businesses in the near future!! I am sorry if I offended anyone but this is just my opinon. Some things are just crazy and uncalled for. And half the time I don't believe those Statistics that they come out with too, who is making those calls "The White Man"!

 

[matuncks]

I agree with you guys, we are no more obssessed with our hair than any other woman. Correct me if I am wrong, but we see tons of TV and magazine advertisements for hair products for white women more than any other race. So why wasn't this question posed to them?

 

[CurleeDST]

Good question, I thought it was but maybe not. How do I move it?

Is this the right forum for this thread?

Anyway, I am not convinced that black women are more obsessed about hair than other groups of women. It's relatively easier for other groups of women to fit into society's idea of beautiful hair, so they can afford to act more nonchalant about hair.

 

[DragonPearl]

Only the mods can move a thread, I think.

 

[Porsche19]

All women are obsessed with thier hair - that's true.

Although I think that black women (and in many cases other women of color) are obsessed with their hair. For blacks especially, it's hard to attain great lengths. For neraly every race the "ideal" is long straight hair.

I personally know an Indian woman with BEAUTIFUL black, curly hair, but she has her own "bad hair" complex. I'm aware that there is long hair envy in other races (black women aren't the only one's to get catty remarks about their hair )

So yes, everyone has these things about their hair. BUT it is my belief that it is more prevalent in the black community. Simply because of our hair type which is harder to care for and more fragile... and also because of the "whiter is better" type issues that we as a group struggle with.

 

[Isis]

I agree. It certainly isn't just black women being obsessed with their hair, it's all women. Just look at other hair care boards on the Internet such as www.longhaircommunity.com.