ThePerfectScore
Well-Known Member
So... don't shoot me, but I've got a theory on the recent surge of Natural hair.
I think, in recent, years there has been more of an acceptance of natural black hair and a greater abundance of products and transfer of knowledge due to the fact that there are more biracial and mixed raced people.
Interracial relationships are becoming more common-place, so that means there's a lot of white mama's who don't know how to take care of the textured hair of their children. This created a wider need for knowledge about kinky and curly textures beyond the realms of the black community.
Black hair care products have been common place in black communities- from Korean owned beauty supply stores to home remedies in the kitchen, but now you can get my natural black hair care products in the aisle of a Whole Foods or Target in a white suburb near you.
There's always been natural black folks and relaxed black folks, but in recent years there seems to be more of a backlash on the creamy crack- aka relaxers and perms because of the dangerous chemicals coupled with an increase in black pride.
To be "black" has never meant just one skin tone or just one hair texture, but looking at hair care in the past it was only devoted to the care of relaxed hair. You could always find a box of relaxer at a grocery store, but were hard press to find a curling custard.
Prior to this recent surge, when I thought of Natural black hair I thought of braids, dread locs, or picked out afros. The emphasis on products to define the curls were only mocked in African American pop culture- Soul Glo, anyone? But even the Jheri curl of yesteryear was a chemical process that had more steps to it than a stair master.
Now a days, wash and go truly means--- I woke up like dis... Flawless.
I'm glad that natural hair is becoming, well, more natural to those outside of the black community. It's a reflection that the black community is no longer just the black community as races intermingle and interbreed out in the open, not just in the taboo crevices of jungle fever.
I think, in recent, years there has been more of an acceptance of natural black hair and a greater abundance of products and transfer of knowledge due to the fact that there are more biracial and mixed raced people.
Interracial relationships are becoming more common-place, so that means there's a lot of white mama's who don't know how to take care of the textured hair of their children. This created a wider need for knowledge about kinky and curly textures beyond the realms of the black community.
Black hair care products have been common place in black communities- from Korean owned beauty supply stores to home remedies in the kitchen, but now you can get my natural black hair care products in the aisle of a Whole Foods or Target in a white suburb near you.
There's always been natural black folks and relaxed black folks, but in recent years there seems to be more of a backlash on the creamy crack- aka relaxers and perms because of the dangerous chemicals coupled with an increase in black pride.
To be "black" has never meant just one skin tone or just one hair texture, but looking at hair care in the past it was only devoted to the care of relaxed hair. You could always find a box of relaxer at a grocery store, but were hard press to find a curling custard.
Prior to this recent surge, when I thought of Natural black hair I thought of braids, dread locs, or picked out afros. The emphasis on products to define the curls were only mocked in African American pop culture- Soul Glo, anyone? But even the Jheri curl of yesteryear was a chemical process that had more steps to it than a stair master.
Now a days, wash and go truly means--- I woke up like dis... Flawless.
I'm glad that natural hair is becoming, well, more natural to those outside of the black community. It's a reflection that the black community is no longer just the black community as races intermingle and interbreed out in the open, not just in the taboo crevices of jungle fever.