What is good hair... my take.

I've seen this being discussed multiple times in reaction to the Tyra Show airing of this controversy.

As defined by India Arie...
"Good hair means curls and waves. Bad hair means you look like a slave."

First let me say, I think it's gross. In saying that, I know that I'm hypocritically going on with the topic, the argument of "good hair and bad hair" is just a recap of slave days. The theory of separating the slaves by skin color to turn them against each other so that they wont rebel against the masters. I believe that by arguing the "good hair and bad hair" theory we're continuing this separation. That if your hair is closer to white raise you're a beneficiary. A theory raised in the community of those who are of African decent.

That is what is disgusting to me. We're doing this to ourselves. Talk about some self hate. I don't think white people could care less if my hair is more like theirs because I'm still more than 5%. Only in the black community it's seen as the ability of "passing". Internalized oppression much?

Maybe it's my privilege to argue that. As someone who is biracial of African and European decent I arguably have "good hair", or so I'm told. Let me tell you of my experience with this idea. It this concept I do believe I had it better being raised by a black family. I say this because only in my home life and in my black community am I told that my hair is good. I believe I hear this because the majority of black women are experience in working with a coarse texture so with my hair being less coarse it's something "easier" to work with. In comparison, when I go to school in a majority white community I've never heard that my hair was anything close to good. Why, because it's in my opinion that white hair isn't coarse, so when dealing with coarse hair it's a struggle.

But I try to find that one piece of sensible argumentation in corrupted ideas. I will say that my hair has the ability to blend more with the white race but that is only through chemical processing (founded by a black woman... self hate?). I've been natural before, I loved my curly hair texture, so that's not why I decided to relax. I decided to relax because I'm lazy. It has nothing to do with not wanting to take pride in my heritage.

"At the turn of the century, Its time for us to redefine who we be. You can shave it off Like a South African beauty, Or get in on lock Like Bob Marley. You can rock it straight Like Oprah Winfrey. Its not what's on your head. Its what's underneath." -India Arie

And it's what's underneath that is separating us. Come on now, yes my hair is curly, yours may be a fro. But damn we're both black.

It just pisses me off that this is something that is argued. When other matters that are encouraged by society aren't. (IE:) Women feeling the need to shave. Women feeling the need to wear makeup. Women feeling the need to paint their nails.... damn society.

"Don't be offended, this is all my opinion, ain't nothing that I'm saying law. This is the true confession of a life learned lesson, I was sent here to share with y'all. So get in where you fit in, go on and shine, free your mind, now is the time." India Arie