Real World - Shavonda

[Sridevi]

It's not a "stereotype" that bi-racial black people tend to have lighter skin and curly hair. I think the fact that Shavonda is very light-skinned with that hair texture gives her the look that is typical of a lot of bi-racial people. Honestly, who didn't take one look at Alicia Keys when she came out and not know she was bi-racial?

Also, it goes without saying that blacks who are lighter tend to have more European ancestry.Whether or not they are aware of that ancestry or choose to acknowledge it is another story. American blacks overall tend to be lighter than Africans precisely for that reason.

 

[Tracy]

It most certainly is a stereotype. As I said, this board it proof positive of that fact. Blacks who are lighter don't necessarily have "European Ancestry". Their ancestry could also be asian, east indian or american indian. American blacks are not "lighter than Aficans" either. Take a trip to the Ivory Coast and Ethopia. Lighter skin and curly hair of the likes you've never seen.

Anyway, hairlove, good luck with figuring out a method. If you could master a blowdryer and round brush I think you could get beautiful results with some practice.

 

[Sridevi]

[ QUOTE ]
It most certainly is a stereotype. As I said, this board it proof positive of that fact. Blacks who are lighter don't necessarily have "European Ancestry". Their ancestry could also be asian, east indian or american indian. American blacks are not "lighter than Aficans" either. Take a trip to the Ivory Coast and Ethopia. Lighter skin and curly hair of the likes you've never seen.


[/ QUOTE ]

AMERICAN blacks most certainly are likely to have more European ancestry than anything- it's pure logistics since Europeans were (and still are) the largest population group and enslaved blacks for hundreds of years. Asians, Native AMericans and West Indians are not a large enough percentage of the population to account for ethnic mixing with the black population.

A stereotype to me is something negative that has no basis in fact. It is fairly obvious that bi-racial blacks tend to be lighter and have a curlier hair texture than blacks who do not have one parent of a differnt race. When people see someone who possesses these characteristics they tend to assume they may be bi-racial and I see nothing wrong with that. Why are people up and arms about this observation? Of course there are exceptions. To acknowledge that bi-racial blacks tend to possess certain characteristics does not in any way insult blacks who are not bi-racial.

 

[iCandey]

I agree that it is a stereotype. Most all of the lightskin people I know are not biracial. Therefore,I did not assume that Shavonda was biracial bc of her skin or hair. However, it is a possibility.

 

[FlowerHair]

Imagine how many biracial people we walk past everyday, without even knowing that they are just that. Because some look "white" and some look "black". And others who we assume to be biracial are in fact not biracial. It's just a fact that there is no specific biracial look.
With that said, I agree with Sridevi that most American blacks who are lighter in skin most likely have a fair amount of European dna. Just as it is proved that many "white" people in the American south have black dna. Because most people in West Africa are not light skinned by nature, and as far as I know black Americans have their roots in West Africa.

And about her hair, I haven't seen the show but it's totally possible to have very curly hair one day and stick straight the next. I use a flat iron for that purpose. In fact, my flat ironed hair was straighter than my hair ever was when it was relaxed. Even though it might not look straigther, my relaxed hair was stiff and hard to the touch, but when I flat iron my hair feels as soft as it does when it's curly. The first day, it looks as if I was born with straight hair. It never looked that way when I had relaxed hair. And I do it myself.

 

[Jenai]

Bumping. Okay during the last two episodes you can really see her edges when she has her hair curly and pulled up. She might have a texturizer because the edges look fuzzier than they did at the begining of the season -- new growth?

 

[DangerouslyShy]

I was thinking that she had her hair chemically altered somehow....

I dont understand how people get their hair to curl up when they have a relaxer!?

Also if its a texturizer do you think she just doesnt leave it in her hair that long?!

my hair dresser told me that my hair could not be texturized to a curl...and my hair is a 3cS and a 4aO so im not understanding this texturizing thing!! at alll

 

[PretteePlease]

here is my 8cents
i thought she was black (which in my mind just means mostly african heritage since we are all mixed to some degree) but when she talked to her step mom to say her dad wasnt supporting her with $$$ her step mom "sounded white" to me which means nothing because everyone says I "sound white" and so do most of my friends, which lead me to think her dad liked white women so her mom was probably white.
then again I have 2 friends one with a halle cut and another with shoulder length hair who are relaxed and their hair is so resistant once water hits it it curls up.
***I think the key which ever happens to be her case is that she probably uses very light styling products which makes her hair swing o matic(I think she blowdries & keeps it movin)

/images/graemlins/naughty.gif what does she mean sound white /images/graemlins/spank.gif /images/graemlins/arguing.gif

 

[honey_jammz82]

[ QUOTE ]
I was thinking that she had her hair chemically altered somehow....

I dont understand how people get their hair to curl up when they have a relaxer!?

Also if its a texturizer do you think she just doesnt leave it in her hair that long?!

my hair dresser told me that my hair could not be texturized to a curl...and my hair is a 3cS and a 4aO so im not understanding this texturizing thing!! at alll

[/ QUOTE ]

When I was relaxed my hair still curled up significantly. I remember wearing big curly puffs to school and noone believed that I was relaxed. Everyone's hair is different, I truly believe that, no matter what type of hair we have, it is not necessarily going to act the same way as someone else's, who classifies themselves as having the same hair type.

 

[DangerouslyShy]

is your hair relaxed in your pictures

 

[Lorraine]

I'm hapy this thread popped up again. I got my hair just like Shavonda on Saturday. I am two weeks post relaxer, BTW. I let it dry on it's own, didn't apply any oil or leave in conditioner as I nornally do. Once it was near dry I pulled it up and into a ponytail and I looked up and noticed it had the same curl pattern and movement as her. I didn't think my hair was long enough to do it and it did. So I'm not sure what she does but I was able to copy the same look with relaxed hair.

 

[Dreamn]

i have relaxed hair also that curls up. i dont leave my relaxer on long, so it just loosens whatever curls i have, instead of leaving it on for 30 mins and having bone straight hair.

i noticed her hair the other day too and i was thinking to myself...hmmm, her edges look a little 4-ish. so she probably does have some chemicals in her hair. her curls are also watery and her roots look kinky, so she probably does have a relaxer/texturizer

 

[TigerLily]

I know some girls who are natural and their hair looks exactly like Shavonda's, so I don't have a clue. Could be either way; texturized or natural. /images/graemlins/confused.gif