The "Obama Effect" On Black Women's Hair Issues

[Mena]

News & Notes , March 2, 2009 · Whether a press and curl, relaxer, Afro or weave, the relationship between African-American women and their hair has always been a complicated one.
As the first African-American First Lady, Michelle Obama has encountered her own share of scrutiny over the decisions she makes with her hair.
NPR's Allison Samuels and celebrity stylist Marcia Hamilton explore the issues of African-American women, hair care, and Michelle Obama's sartorial

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101341774&sc=nl&cc=nn-20090302


What do you ladies think?

 

[Hairsofab]

To be honest, I cringe when white people start "exploring" the issues of african-american hair.erplexed

 

[Mena]

To be honest, I cringe when white people start "exploring" the issues of african-american hair.erplexed

Well....news and notes is a black show on npr i believe

 

[naturalgurl]

Well, let's just get ready to have our uniqueness put under a microscope. We are fascinating creatures and people have always wanted to know more, now they have "reason" to look us over more closely. The whole black hair and black skin phenomenon continues...

ETA~ The subject being on a black forum doesn't sway me from thinking someone of another race wants to know more. Who owns the forum and why would black people delve into the whole issue when we supposedly know ourselves? I'm not cringing, but it's like beating a dead horse...

 

[mscocoface]

I am sure she is having an effect, I hope it is more of a positive one than the opposite.

 

[naturalgurl]

I am sure she is having an effect, I hope it is more of a positive one than the opposite.

Now this, yes. Let her represent, she's the first lady! Like other first ladies, style of dress and what not are always scrutinized, but why dig deeper because she's black....just my slant on it.

 

[ART11]

Well it won't be long now...I'm sure someone will put Soledad O'Brien on it and all will be right with the world. :-/

 

[ajoyfuljoy]

Well it won't be long now...I'm sure someone will put Soledad O'Brien on it and all will be right with the world. :-/

You a hot mess! I know so many people that were heated about her Black in America special. The thing I didn't like about it was that they treated her take on it as THE truth. She is just one woman walking in her own shoes. How can she speak for a whole race of people?

 

[shermeezy]

I felt their excessive talk about weave was disingenuous. The stylist insisted that basically every AA women should wear a weave or keep tracks handy in her car. I also thought her unsolicited advice that Michelle Obama needs tracks was silly. Her use of key words like polished & mature when discussing straight hair really rubbed me the wrong way. I listened to this entire interview and was pretty disappointed in the lack of depth shown in the discussion.

 

[Allandra]

To be honest, I cringe when white people start "exploring" the issues of african-american hair.erplexed

That is a pretty scary thing.

 

[mscocoface]

I every AA women should wear a weave or keep tracks handy in her car.

Had to laugh at that I see your point though.

I have thought of the different ways she could or probably will soon do an interview and it is going to make some happy and some mad.

We women of color have had a powder keg of emotions with our hair and FLOTUS will bring it up close and personal just because of who she is and being scrutinized so heavily.

 

[BroadstreetBully]

What the...I'm confused. What's the issue? I could see if Michelle Obama was wearing a natural and had to tackle the publics' scrutiny of it. But she's wearing her hair like any other FLOTUS and most black women.

 

[MeowMix]

I felt their excessive talk about weave was disingenuous. The stylist insisted that basically every AA women should wear a weave or keep tracks handy in her car. I also thought her unsolicited advice that Michelle Obama needs tracks was silly. Her use of key words like polished & mature when discussing straight hair really rubbed me the wrong way. I listened to this entire interview and was pretty disappointed in the lack of depth shown in the discussion.

ITA. Also, I would say the stylist is definitely a weave fan. Here is a snap I found on Google.

Marcia Hamilton

 

[weaveadiva]

^^^
well at least she practices what she preaches!

 

[Magus484]

ITA. Also, I would say the stylist is definitely a weave fan. Here is a snap I found on Google.

Marcia Hamilton

Homegirl looks busted

 

[Raspberry]

ITA. Also, I would say the stylist is definitely a weave fan. Here is a snap I found on Google.

Marcia Hamilton

People should feel free to write letters, NPR pays more attention to them especially if it's black folks doing the writing on a show like this.

 

[yuriko]

Michelle Obama has encountered her own share of scrutiny over the decisions she makes with her hair.

The key words here are quoted above. Public scrutiny for her choice of hair style. I am sure she has been wearing her hair like this for a long time, finds it comfortable; why should it be any body's business besides hers.

 

[Renewed1]

I totally agree with you all! WHO CARES HOW SHE WEARS HER HAIR!!! I've had discussions with my white friends regarding black hair. They (whites) love our hair! The flexibility of styles we can do, our boldness to do off the wall styles, how we can go short one day to long the next. ESPECIALLY the curly texture of our hair!

One of my white friends wished she had our hair! But then again she wished she had my medium brown complexion and mellon(?) LOL!!!

 

[GV-NA-GI-TLV-GE-I]

I thought the interviewer and interviewee both sounded black??? I wonder about that comment the guest made that M. Obama might consider braids or a natural style as a statement for those who are wanting a role model. What about what M. Obama wants to wear? I would kill myself if I EVER wore twists or dreads, locs and such things. I do not find them attractive for my needs...they are okay for OTHER people. And recommending a weave for fullness. Hmmm, her hair style has nothing to do with her role as First Lady IMHO.

 

[turnergirl]

There is a complete field of academic discourse about the "politics" of black hair out there. Why would they have a hair stylist discuss a subject that sociologists have spent years doing research. She should could not contextualize a single thing within the constructs of racism, as she should have IMHO.

She even said something about the hair complex starting in coporate America......ok. I think the hair complex goes hand in hand with colorism which has been around for much longer than the coporate world.

I will just leave the whole weave discussion alone......that was too much for me.

 

[turnergirl]

Edited to Add---Every six weeks you get a touchup. Holy Scalp burn!!!!!!

 

[Hair Iam]

Just like everything else with the public.. "this too will pass"...someone or something will soon come along and draw the attention elsewhere..everything has a season.