It's Just a New Do
The program's host shares her thoughts about the politics of black women's hair. She says people should cut the drama when a black woman sports a new style.
MICHEL MARTIN, host:
So I cut my hair last week, cut off my twists and went back to my legacy 'do, my beloved short crop. Let me assure you, there was no big political decision involved, no personal crisis, no spiritual journey. I just decided I wanted to spend more time in the pool for the rest of the summer and I was tired of timing my workouts to my hair appointments. And by the way, if you're not sure what two strand twists are, you can check out the picture on my blog.
Anyway, I am amazed at the reaction. The minute I went to get my car after leaving the salon, the two guys at the garage practically started crying. What have you done? What happened? What do you think happened? I cut my hair. Now my husband is a particularly smart man and we've been married a while so he knew better than to offer any opinion, so we'll skip him. But that did not stop all kinds of other people from wanting to discuss this. What's going on? What's up? What does this mean?
Can I just tell you, there is entirely too much meaning attached to black women's hair. All women's hair, it has to be said. I have too many girlfriends of varying ethnicities, so I know how it is. The angst, the whole blonde versus brunette, long versus short, frizzy-curly versus straight thing. I mean, just remember what happened to Hillary when she started having fun with her hair when she was First Lady. But having said that, black women's hair, in particular, incites far too much commentary and discussion on the part of individuals other than the wearers.
Of course, I'm talking about this because of that now infamous New Yorker magazine cover that purported to satirize the racist reaction to the Obamas by some yahoos, by portraying him in traditional Middle Eastern garb and her in a big afro with fatigues and an AK47 to go with. I confess, my personal reaction had less to do with the New Yorker than to the fact that any hairstyle still carries so much totemic value.
What other ethnic group has to have so much conversation about wearing their hair in the manner in which it naturally appears? What other group has had to litigate over wearing hairstyles like braids or cornrows, if you will, that are not only elegant but an ancient art form and suited to the natural texture of the hair? Can you imagine if white women had to go to court to wear a ponytail to work that say, T.G.I. Friday's?
And here is another newsflash. Black folks are tired of talking about stuff like this. They, too, have more important things to talk about like whether the Mets or the Yankees have a better shot at the playoffs. Now I am aware that some people think that minorities, blacks in particular, have nothing better to do than pick at the sore of racial grievance, as if people of color all go home at night and count up their sorrows like other people check their 401(k)s. Now I can't speak for all the tens of millions of minorities in this country, but of the people I know, I can only think of one person who comes even close to that description and she has issues, so what can you do?
Now most of the people I know just want to do the same stuff everybody else wants to do. They want to go to work, give their best effort, be treated fairly for doing so and go home. They want to go to a store and receive decent service, they want to send their kids to school in the expectation that they will be educated well and evaluated fairly while there. They want to live in a safe, decent neighborhood. They want a doctor who treats them like a human being. They want a government that treats them like a citizen should be served instead of a problem to be managed. And on the weekends they want to kick back, maybe get in a workout or two, maybe get their hair done, and when they show up on Monday, all they want to hear is: new 'do, it's cute.
And that's our program for today. I'm Michel Martin and this is Tell Me More from NPR News. Let's talk more tomorrow.
(Soundbite of song "It's Your Thing")
THE ISLEY BROTHERS: (Singing) It's your thing. Do what you want to do. I can't tell you who to sock it to. It's your thing.
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