Hair Esteem

Ok….. I am kind of ashamed because I am watching Tyra Banks (shhh Big D will laugh at me), and to top it off I am almost in tears. Today she did a show (might be a repeat) about Black women’s hair and how it effects their self esteem. I think I am sad because I am remembering my childhood and what it was like to grow up in a predominately white community and wishing that I could have ‘good hair’. As a little girl while sitting under a dryer, after getting yet another gerry curl, I said to myself I would marry a Latin guy, like in Menudo, so that my daughter won’t have to suffer like this. ‘Funny’ enough there was a grown black woman on this show who refused to date black men because she did not want a nappy headed child. Yes she said it herself!!!!So sad, what self hate she must feel.

During this episode I’ve realized that even though I thought that I was at some disadvantage growing up where I did, I see now that hair ‘issues’ can be the same or even worse for people growing up in black communities. Women seeing nappy hair as low class, something to be ashamed of is awful and then passing that along to their daughters is disgusting. The thought of relaxing a 3 year old hair bc it is too nappy makes me sick. And this mother on the show really isn’t getting the point that what she's doing is WRONG. I love all black women whether relaxed, dreaded or wearing a fro but I can not bring myself to accept relaxing a toddlers hair and allowing her to be ashamed of her hair’s natural state.

Despite this episode of Tyra, I feel as though the love of hair in any state whether curly, kinky straight or silky is growing more and more in the black community. Am I suffering from wishful thinking?
What do you think?