“I am not afrocentric, I am just natural. But in this country, black women who don’t straighten their hair with chemical processing are stereotyped and labeled. Not all Black women with striaght hair need chemical processing, but I would have to to achieve that look. Just because we don’t straighten our hair doesn’t mean we’re trying to be anything else- we’re being ourselves. If anything hurts me about that, it’s that I wasn’t allowed the luxury of being myself like the other girls were. Nobody asks Cassie, Ann, or Amanda to be “less white.” I am used to having to defend my very being. That makes me a little sensitive.
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Yaya DaCosta Thompson from Americas Next Top Model, from the book, Pimps Up Ho’s Down by T. Sharpley Whiting
What is material to me about this both the idea of? “having the luxury to be oneself” and having to defend “her very being.” It gives the notion of can I live a whole new meaning.
Can White women go “natural?”
What does it mean that they can’t?
What does it mean to simply be able to be a Black woman and BE?
This is a very good quote from Yaya and it speaks volumes of Black women not assimilating to our dominant cultures beauty standards being someone insane for doing so. I think people do not say anything about a Black woman’s well being if she fits the description of the tired stereptypical look and behavior. Anything outside of that is a desperation from people to box in, question and have others try to have Black women defend themselves like Yaya.
That is a great question, sis. The idea of “natural” is interesting. I’m not sure I can answer this. If going “natural” is about a rejection of what we accepted as truth was really a dominant culturally held belief of (fill in the blank)_____ (i.e. beauty). Going natural is an act to accept yourself as you are. THen yes, white women can. I guess I refer to natural as not putting any chemicals or heat to change the natural state of one’s hair.
I read Sharpley-Whitings book. And what I thought of Yaya’s quote was powerful. Her comment showed to me that hair is more complex than we make it out to be. If I rock an ‘fro does not mean that I share the same ideological views as you. I can relate to her. Folks just assume that I’m one of Asante’s cronies. Haha! which is not the case. However, if I relax my hair does this mean that my consciousness is in some way impaired (due to the lye)? I just cant make assumptions that one’s hair defines their political agenda. Trust me I used to. Which is wrong to 1-essentialize blackness and 2-make assumptions.
Whaddup!
From time to time I hear similar crap just because I’m letting my grow and now getting a smooth-fresh low-cut Ceasar.
Here’s a quick run down of what I hear:
– Let go of the 70’s.
– You need to be professional.
– Questioning my maturity.
– And of course, determining what political statement I’m trying to make.
“not every brother with dreads is for the cause” – Outkast
Unfortunately we are not allowed to be. Simply be. Just be.
I think I’ll pick up that book.