The Rants of an "Angry" Black Girl

Natural Hair Movement

A couple days ago on my message board I posted the following...

"Okay, girls. I have been seeing these situations where supposedly white girls are trying to join the natural hair movement all over my dashboard on tumblr. In my opinion it is not appropriate, I do not approve. I mean the natural hair movement is something special to black women in particular, we are learning to love and cherish the hair that grows out of our head. The hair that has been seen as unruly, ugly, dirty, and nappy. For many years that hair has been permed, and straighten to fit beauty standards. It is our rebellion against society in my opinion, and for these white girls to try and take it and make it something of their own because they feel like they are being excluded is completely baffling. And I will not stand for these black women who are trying to justfy their wanting to be in our movement simply because 'everyone should be able to feel included' no, complete bull. Point blank period, dear white people you are not entitled to EVERYTHING! Someone also had the audacity to say black women were being racist and SHE WAS BLACK. If you think a movement that is meant to uplift black women in a world that inherently values whiteness is racist because of its exclusivity, then maybe you should rethink your definition of racism. I JUST DON'T GET IT, enough of my ranting what is your opinion on the matter" 

I would just also like to add that when things like this start to happen, things like the natural hair movement will lose it's signifigance. It's no longer our little niche, it's everyone elses. The next thing you know all of our natural hair care black owned businesses will also being taken, as if there are many to begin with. White women we understand that you wear your natural hair, but it is in no correlation to the natural hair movement. That is like you losing someone close to you, and me saying "wow, I really understand how you feeling I remember when my goldfish died and I was just devastated.' it doesn't hold the same signifigance, or comparison. I would also like to address just how stressful the process of going natural is, and how hard it is for some people to accept what grows out of their head and learn how to take care of it. I mean most of us have may have had relaxers at a young age and have never even seen the texture of our hair. Have only been taught how to take care of straight hair, because obviously natural hair is a whole other ball game. It's not just hair for us, it's so much more. I just wouldn't feel right, if every other race became involved because it's just not a place meant for them...

I'd also like to show some responses to a white women who submitted her "natural hair journey" to curlynikki.com, a natural hair blog that WAS owned by a black women but was then bought by a white company. Anyways, there was a huge uproar in the natural hair community. And these responses are from some of my favorite natural hair people...

From @My Natural Sistas on youtube: "I also said everyone should love their natural hair, but the movement was not created for them therefore they should not become a focal point in a movement where WOC need to remain visible. If we just start letting them in (features, buying out all of the companies, and etc.), we will quickly fade to the background. You'll see less kinky hair and that's already an issue, product formulas will change and will no longer work well for your hair.... back to square one. I'm all for their support though..."

From @heyfranhey on twitter: "Acknowledging that the #naturalhair movement was created to embrace Afro textured hair is not exculding white women. Please stop."

"EVERYONE love who they are, but you cannot ignore or dismiss the politics that surrond #naturalhair"

"Felling insecure about your Caucasian curly hair, is not the same being told that your #naturalhair is dirty, unprofessional, and distracting."

She continued on saying she has lost jobs for her hair, and people asking her if she washed her hair just because it was in her natural state. 

From a post I saw on tumblr:  "Black women are always told to give. If only we allow people to take what we create and “enjoy” it with us is when we’ll have true equality. That is incorrect. First of all, its not up to the oppressed to educate and soothe the oppressor. That argument totally strips the oppressor of responsibility and shackles all the wrong goings and grievances of crime on the oppressed. Its a common tactic to “pass the buck” in the racist talk wars. “Instead of yelling and being angry you should be educating!”

"We allowed them into our spaces before, and what happened? They took over. Rock and roll, blues, hip hop, are a few in the music dept. For some odd reason when we start celebrating ourselves, they feel threaten. One reason for that is because they can’t stand being on the opposite of privilege. We are the exact opposite of them from hair to skin tone to most bodily attributes. If we’re in, they believe with their whole hearts, they are out. Why else would they cry wolf when they don’t see themselves reflected in everything?"

Point being, there are certain things for certain people. It's just a fact. The natural hair movement is for black women, and if we let others in it what will become of it. If everybody else has there hands in it, it will eventually become nothing...