Black women have some nerve. They get mad when they see brothers with white girls, but they stay trying to look like one.
Black folks are guilty of a beauty double standard. If we see white people with dread locks, the first thing we say is, “Oh they’re trying to be black.”
Really? They’re doing the same thing sisters with relaxers are doing-trying to be something they’re not.
We have to mutilate our hair to get it straight. Perm chemicals are almost toxic. If the hairdresser has to use gloves, those chemicals don’t belong on your scalp. No wonder some black women’s hair doesn’t grow.
According to Dr. Afrika, author of “Nutiricide,” those chemicals destroy the hair follicle, and have been proven to cause brain damage over time. The bottom line is straightened hair is destroyed hair.
Ever since slavery, black women have been haunted by images of white beauty. Those images were forced on them. But for generations since, black women have perpetuated this. It’s passed on from mother to daughter.
The truth is, every time you get your hair straighten you give life to this Caucasian beauty image. You are saying that the way you are naturally is not beautiful. This is assimilation at the self-image level.
It costs a lot to look like an African version of a white woman. A trip to the hairdresser can break your wallet. Factor in the price of a good weave, and it’s clear that sisters are doing too much and getting way too little out of their Europeanized hair. Natural hair is far easier to maintain, and there are a lot of beautiful styles.
Then there’s the issue of getting a man. Honestly, whether brothers prefer naturals is a personal preference. However, if men play into the current beauty standards, sisters will always play second fiddle to white and Latin women. Just turn on any music video. Stringy hair rules.
Men will only change once women change the standards. It’s up to you.
Getting natural hair is a humbling experience, and maybe that’s just what sisters need. You’d spend more time working on what keeps a man-your character. If you attract a man on looks alone, that’s all he’s coming after. If you give him something genuine, he won’t leave you for something as shallow as looks.
If you think about what black people are really supposed to look like, straight hair and weaves look ridiculous. Let’s call a spade a spade! It’s time black women started being themselves.
Sisters with relaxers, don’t get mad when you see a brother with a Latino. He’s just looking for the real thing. And YOU made her more beautiful than you!
Theo Wilson, 21, is a senior theater student from Denver. He can be reached at tejthedimond@hotmail.com.