UNDERREPRESENTATION of Natural Textures!!

[LoveisYou]

The good hair bad hair phenomenon is embedded in our community...no surprise

 

[Deja9]

I'm pleased to know that I'm not the only one who noticed and that others are making it happen to turn things around It starts with each of us-it's a new day.

I posted this reply on CurlyNikki's site in response to her blog post about depiction of AA naturals in ads.


I've noticed the trend in ads/mainstream media for a while and am not surprised by it. What did surprise and hurt me was when I started researching hair care back in March/April and started coming across various popular natural hair care blogs. I had never played into the whole "good hair/bad hair" thing but after reading these blogs from start to finish I was thisclose to having a complex! To me it seemed as though there was unabashed reverence for all things type 3 and maybe 4a. I got so sick of seeing 3s, some of whom were formerly relaxed, that when I would read them saying "I learned to accept my hair bc God does not make mistakes/I'm proud to wear the crown of my African Ancestors", I would think "GTFOOHWBS"! After a couple of days I calmed down bc I realized just bc someone is a 3, doesn't mean that they never received pressure to relax (this was a revelation to me).

However, even after I realized this I was still unsettled by the fact that 4s were so under-represented on these blogs. I even left a comment on one of my fave blogs telling her this. I think it's important to remember that many of the blogs are simply a reflection of our society. For example, if they feature AA models and most of AA models have 3/4a hair, then it is what it is - the blog author has to make a conscious decision to compensate for the disparity of the industry or else that disparity will be reflected, even exacerbated, on the pages of their blog. If they depend on reader submissions and most 4b/z's have been conditioned to think that people won't fawn over their hair or don't want to see it, than they'll be reluctant to submit. Commenters on Curly Nikki bought up the disparity you noticed and that's why she became proactive and posted several announcements asking for more 4 types to make submissions.

As far as LHCF is concerned, there might be a little more love for your run-of-the-mill 3 type but I've seen no shortage of love for 4 a/b/q/x/y/z who have thick, lush heads of hair.

ETA: Glamazini is a very inspirational blog for afro-textured/type 4s. Hers is the type of blog I expected to be greeted with when I started researching natural black hair. I really had this conception of a plethora of popular black natural hair care blogs that revered 4b/z hair. Unfortunately, this isn't the case but we have to try to seek them out and support them if we want change.

 

[mscocoface]

I have seen the difference in responses also, so what can we do the ladies and men who are 4's on this site to help it making our hair even more mainstream than what it is now.

What could we do to help educate and get more acceptance for our hair type?

I know I am working with family and others who want to know and are willing to go natural but if there is more I can do to help I will.

 

[Stormy]

Wow! I must live in a different world or something because I'm 4B, D, E... something I don't know, but it's VERY cottony and tightly coiled and I get lots of compliments. When I did my BC and started wearing my TWA I got nothing but love from black and white people and black men often come up to me complimenting my hair.

 

[Vonnieluvs08]

I was just having this convo with my grandmom today. We were watching TV and a Mc Donald commercial came on with a darker skinned black woman with NL natural hair in twists looked to be type 4. The new church I go to has close to 75% if not more naturals and the majority of them are 4s and rock their BAAs with pride. I was sitting there trying not to covet their hair during the sermon (it was gorgeous).

I wish all skin tones, hair types, body types were portrayed in the media. I am happy to see more Blacks in major commercial ads. Just as it took time for that to happen it will take time and pressure from the Black community to get the type 4s as well as darker skinned women on TV.

 

[Mook's hair]

I was just having this convo with my grandmom today. We were watching TV and a Mc Donald commercial came on with a darker skinned black woman with NL natural hair in twists looked to be type 4. The new church I go to has close to 75% if not more naturals and the majority of them are 4s and rock their BAAs with pride. I was sitting there trying not to covet their hair during the sermon (it was gorgeous).
.

I payed attention to that commercial too. First I was giving Mickey-Dee's big ups for their choice of actress... Then I had second thoughts because my conspiracy theory-self kicked into high gear.

Why the natural black woman gotta be feeding her kids crappy McDonald food, and also notice that she was late too.

Huh? Think about it ya'll.

No on the real though. I've noticed the difference in comments many times. OP, if you're looking for a lot of type 4 enthusiasm.
try these...
http://nappyme.wordpress.com/cnapy-albums/
http://cnappymenow.com/

 

[MrsHdrLe]

I just posted about my first roller set and eventhough I'm lightly texlaxed (my hair is not noticably shinier, silkier, curlier or other) No one noticed any difference when I did it and I'm happy for that. That being said, doing a roller set was a huge accomplishment for me as a 4 something (don't know/dont' really care) because I see that I can rock versitile hair w/o heat. I can do afro/afro puffs, I can wear it stretched (not straight), and I really can't stop touching my new growth. I'm really happy that my roller set came out the way it did mostly b/c there is still a lot of texture to it (as well as about 3-4 inches of shrinkage) and I'm not disappointed in the least bit that it didn't come out looking like a press/flat iron. This was a big day for me b/c I feel that I have really come along way in accepting and loving my (nearly) natural hair.

 

[BklynHeart]

I remember when someone posted Sera76's (I think) Youtube on how she detangles her hair. she's 4B and about waistlength. The comments were 'wow, that's too much hair!', 'I wouldn't know what to do with that!'. I was shocked because if she was in the 3 catagory you definitely would have heard 'oooh, I can't wait until my hair gets to be your length!'

 

[andromeda]

Wow! I must live in a different world or something because I'm 4B, D, E... something I don't know, but it's VERY cottony and tightly coiled and I get lots of compliments. When I did my BC and started wearing my TWA I got nothing but love from black and white people and black men often come up to me complimenting my hair.

I'm right with you! I live in Brooklyn and natural hair, whether it be dreads, TWAs, etc. is nothing new here and as long as the hair looks healthy and not unkempt, a 4b/x/y/z will be showered with compliments (there are some neighborhoods that are exceptions, though). Everyone in my family has no issue with 4 b/x/y/z natchal hair and my mom and aunts have all had a variety of natural styles over the years, including dreadlocks, afros, TWAs, braids, wash-n-gos. No one batted an eye at the idea me going natural and the only ones who *might* have are no longer here - my grandmothers (one was a life-long press-n-curler and the other was a natural 1/2a type) and they're of another generation, so I wouldn't be surprised. Actually, I don't think they would've had much a problem with it either.

That's why I was so very shocked and saddened at the dynamics of the natural black hair blogosphere. But things are improving, so all is not lost.

 

[BklynHeart]

I'm right with you! I live in Brooklyn and natural hair, whether it be dreads, TWAs, etc. is nothing new here and as long as the hair looks healthy and not unkempt, a 4b/x/y/z will be showered with compliments (there are some neighborhoods that are exceptions, though). Everyone in my family has no issue with 4 b/x/y/z natchal hair and my mom and aunts have all had a variety of natural styles over the years, including dreadlocks, afros, TWAs, braids, wash-n-gos. No one batted an eye at the idea me going natural and the only ones who *might* have are no longer here - my grandmothers (one was a life-long press-n-curler and the other was a natural 1/2a type) and they're of another generation, so I wouldn't be surprised. Actually, I don't think they would've had much a problem with it either.

That's why I was so very shocked and saddened at the dynamics of the natural black hair blogosphere. But things are improving, so all is not lost.

Brooklyn is a whole 'nother animal! When I'm in Target, at least every other woman is natural. But there are some cities and states where there's not a lot of 'us' and to see natural hair is not the norm, or they hold on to the notion that it needs to be 'fried, dyed, laid to the side'.

 

[locabouthair]

I dont mean to be the debbie downer but I just dont see it changing. It's 2009 and people STILL have the good hair/ bad hair mentality.

And yes there are some people on here who have said that 4z hair isn't cute and it they were 4b they wouldnt go natural. Comments like that are hurtful.
I really hate that people think like this.

This reminds me of college. Me and my friend were both natural. We'd both be in the room with other people, everyone would complement her hair because and tell her she has such a nice texture of hair because she's half PR but they'd look at my hair and give me the erplexed looks. I was told I looked like a slave and I have that n**** hair.

And for this reason I dont talk to people about hair if they arent on the hair board. And type 4's are underrepresented.

 

[KinkyHazeleyes]

i remember when i first did the BC. I was not as prepared as i thought i was. I had stalked some fotkis early last year but never gave it any real thought. after cutting all the relaxed hair off, i was left with a twa and my twa didnt look like any of the twas i had admired. . then i joined and started hearing the phrases 3c, 4b, cnapp and i was even more confused. trying to type my hair and then search for that long lost "hair twin". it really made my head hurt and want to just relax it and be done with everything. but i am still hanging in there. i prefer not to type my hair because to me, it is kinda pointless, my hair might be similar to someone else's hair, but it is still different. people do drool over looser curl patterns but i also see love given to other naturals. i am trying to reidentify what i consider beautiful so that mu daughter will have a better chance.