CNN recently wrote an article tackling this topic. Check it out;
Tamara Winfrey Harris tells a story of being in a chain restaurant with her husband when their names were called for a table.
Just as the couple rose to go, a middle-aged white woman standing nearby reached out swiftly to touch Winfrey Harrisโs hair which at the time was styled in natural twists.
โShe missed by mere seconds, she was actually going to grab my hair as I walked past her,โ recalled Winfrey Harris who runs the blog What Tami Said. โI turned around and she said, โOh, your hair is neat.โ It just floored me because who does that, just reaches out and touches strangers?โ
Itโs a common tale shared by women of color whose natural hair can attract stares, curiosity, comments and the occasional stranger who desires to reach out and touch.
The reaction to such fondling can range from amusement to outrage over the invasion of personal space.
Tamara Winfrey Harris says she had a total stranger reach for her hair in a restaurant.
The discussion surrounding it is often rooted in race relations.
Blogger Los Angelista explained her response to a womanโs incredulous โAre you serious, I canโt touch your hair?โ by writing that no she couldnโt, โBecause my black ancestors may have been your ancestorsโ property, and had to smile while they got touched in ways they didnโt want to, but I am not YOUR property and never will be so youโd best move your hand away from me.โ
โNatural hairโ for black women is, by definition, hair that is not processed and not chemically altered. Straightened hair is oftened viewed as easier to care for and more attractive.
Rather than use chemical straighteners known as relaxers (also sometimes called โcreamy crackโ for both the damage it can do to black hair as well as the inability of some women to live without it) some women wear their hair in its natural state.
Natural hair can be described as curly, kinky, wavy, or โ the sometimes dreaded and considered by some to be an offensive word โ nappy.
Black hair fuels a more than billion-dollar industry which includes products, weaves, and wigs that can enable African-American women to change up their styles at a whim. Tons of websites, blogs, books and videos about natural hair exist to educate those desiring to โgo natural.โ
The style has been embraced for reasons of fashion, politics and simply by those unwilling to spend the time and money to maintain their chemically processed hair.
So why the continuing fascination with natural hair, given that so many women of color are now rocking the style and have been for years?
Keneesha Hudson said that despite the growing number of women embracing their natural hair texture, itโs still considered unique.
Hudson is the owner/founder of Urbanbella, a company in Atlanta that specializes in helping women embrace their natural hair texture. She first went natural in 2002 when she did the โbig chopโ (cutting all of her processed hair off) so she could have the freedom to swim, she said, and today she sports a thick mane of natural curls.
โFor the longest time we black women have been wearing our hair chemically straightened to a point where most of us really donโt know what our natural hair looks like,โ Hudson said. โThereโs a generation of us who have never even seen our hair in any form but straight except for baby pictures.โ
Visitors to her salon will sometimes ask to touch her hair to establish that it is actually all hers and not a wig or a weave, she said, while still others are strangers who โsneak and touch it.โ
โWe love to go to the football games, and thereโs a group of guys that sit behind us,โ Hudson said. โOne week, towards the end of the season, one of the guys in cheering just kind of laid his hands on my head like โYeah!โ I said โThat has nothing to do with cheering for the game,โ but I just find those little moments happen a lot.โ
In 2008, Renee Martin wrote โCan I Touch Your Hair? Black Women and The Petting Zooโ for her blog Womanist Musings and said she continues to get eโmails from women thanking her for her post and relaying their personal experiences about their hair being touched.
Some white women who responded, Martin said, shared their stories of their own hair being touched in countries populated by people of color. They chalked it up to natural curiosity and accused Martin of being too sensitive, she said.
But she says she doesnโt think the crux of the issue has to do with curiosity.
โI think itโs the idea that they have the right to possess black women and they will take any excuse they can to jump over the border, whether itโs policing our behavior or policing our hair,โ Martin said. โI think itโs about ownership of black bodies more than it has to actually do with hair.โ
You can read the rest of the article here. So what are your thoughts ladies? Is the unprovoked touching of natural hair a race thing? Or is it just a matter of curiosity? And have you witnessed women of other ethnicities dealing with โunprovoked hair touchingโ also?
For me (and I can only speak for myself), itโs not so much of a race issue as it is a personal space issue. I am not a display or an exhibit, so do not treat me as such.
I agree with Jess about it being a personal space issue. I disagree with Martinโs assessment that it is about ownership as I have had many different ethnicities lose their common sense and want to touch my hair before they even think about asking. It is like reaching out to touch the stomach of a pregnant womanโฆsome people just donโt think about it. I am not condoning stealth hair touching but I also donโt think it should be automatically associated with racist undertones. I have travel quite a bit and our hair type and dark skin color are exotic to most… Read more »
I agree with you about the whole ownership issue and i donโt think it has to do with race either. Any stranger in anyoneโs personal space would make anyone creep out. I donโt know what it is about our hair in its natural state that makes people want to touch it.
I agree. Itโs rude and inappropriate but I donโt believe itโs a race thing. No one cries racist when the asshole in the club smacks you across the butt o_0 People act like theyโve never been curious about another personโs hairโฆ the difference is some people have stricter boundaries and others simply never thought of it as something to be offended by. Like the article says, BLACK women have the billion-dollar hair industry, not Whites. We all know most White women donโt take as much time/pride/effort in their hair as Blacks so its probably not that serious to them! Iโm pretty… Read more »
White women have >$1 billion hair industry. In fact, most of the hair products are geared towards that demographic. They spend a lot of money on their hair, but it is viewed as less shameful because they are white/Asian and anything black women do is ripe for ridicule.
You are correct in that non-black women do spend more. The first time I ever heard of a $100 for a conditioner was from a spanish classmate. Salon products geared towards non-black women start at $30 per product, and that is considered a bargain. The reason why I think we are ridiculed is because we tend to buy cheaper products, and because of the weaves/wigs. When you buy cheap products, people sometimes tend to view you as cheap. Add to that the fact that a lot of us wear wigs/weaves, and the translation unfortunately becomes that we are cheap and fake.
when is enough, enough? omg everytime i come here itโs always an artical about drak skin,light skin or this maddness written above. how are we to move forward if weโre sitting around waiting for the next worse thing to happen?
i agree recently there haven a lot of theses anti black people posts sometimes i leave this website feeling worse about myself then better lol
Thereโs an US versus THEM thing that keeps happening on this site and it gets tiring after a while. We are not aliens. We are people with kinky curly hair. Why must we muse over our differences so much yet at the same time talk about wanting acceptance. Why care so much what others think? DO YOU. Rock your hair however you want. Own your choices and stand by them.
If you are ok with someone touching your hair then good for you. If not, tell them to back up. Itโs hair. Itโs not that deep (unless you want it to be).
To play devilโs advocate: 1. We are never going to move past colorism in our community if we donโt admit that it exists. Ask yourself this, how offended would you get if you tried to use a racist comment/deed to highlight the work that still needs to be done to rid our society of racism, and a white person went โugh, the race card.โฆ.let it go already, we have a black presidentโ. 2. The owner of the site seems to use questions submitted by visitors as topics of discussion, if you donโt see something that you like, then submit a… Read more »
Co-sign
Co-sign too! Especially with #2
I donโt think that itโs a race thing when it comes to hair. Iโve had people touch my hair, but itโs always been black people who have touched my hair and theyโve always asked first. I think a lot of black people walk around with the attitude that someone is going to do something or say something racist to them. And because they are in the mind set they are constantly attracting people to them that will do things to offend them. I donโt concern myself with other people thing or feel about me and Iโve never gotten into confrontations with… Read more »
I have had more black people pet my hair, too, but unlike in your case they donโt ever ask. Especially at church. Even when I wasnโt natural, and my mother braided/styled my hair until I was 19, other (Black) people always wanted to touch it, and by the end of the day, my hair was a fuzzy, fly-away mess. Do not pet me, no matter what color you are. I donโt know why peopleโwhite or blackโthink it is socially ok to touch anything connected to a strangerโs body. I donโt exactly love it when my husband fluffs my twist-outs (but… Read more »
Itโs a matter of rudeness, not race. These are probably the same people who would touch a pregnant womanโs belly unasked.
exactly!
yeah iโm kinda surprised at how .โฆangryโฆ some of the people are. Iโm not American so I donโt immediately equate someone touching my hair with racial/historical bias or white people owning black people etc etc. That said, I would think it a bit weird for a stranger to touch my hair without asking and that rarely happens to me. Some of my white friends (and tons of black people who never see natural hair too PLUS even my natural black friends (a fair amount here in Europe)) cannot resist surreptitiously touching my hair. I donโt think it weird, I also sometimes… Read more »
I blame curiousity. Yesterday at church somebody grabbed a fist full of my hair and yes she was black. I work at an all black elementary school and if I kneel down or am seated some child will be touching my hair. I have had my hair touched my random caucasian strangers but also random black strangers. have you ever let your curiousity get the best of you? I know I have so I donโt even totally blame rudeness.
I agree. People are just curious. I have had one white person ask if she could touch my hairโฆdidnโt bother me in the least. I look at it as an opportunity to educate. I have also been asked by black people if they can touch my hair.
I, too, am guilty of wanting to touch other peopleโs natural hair!! There was this one girl I saw in my work buildingโs cafe and her hair was BEAUTIFUL and I HAD to touch it. So, I asked (I always ask!!!) and she said, โSure.โ
I counter with โOnly if I can touch your breasts.โ
They tend to walk around after that.
Ha!
Come on we can not blame everything on race. Itโs curiousity plain and simple, plus its rude.
I just think some folks are naturally curious. Thereโs a lot of misguidance and lack of information about our hair. Questions come from not only ignorance, but from many things that have been said in general (even by us) that lead to confusion. For example, a white woman once asked me if I had a โpermโ since my hair was curly. Well, black women use perm and relaxer interchangeably, so I understood her confusion. Now, the straight up invasion of personal space will get you slapped, black or white, curious or otherwise. At the very least, ASK. The worst thing… Read more »
This was really good. Anytime I come to work with a twist/braid out or even a blow out, I can literally sense the excitement and curiosity of white & non-black coworkers as soon as I walk in. Whether its wanting to ask a million questions (which for the most part, I donโt mind answering since they arenโt the asinine โdo you wash it?โ type) or wanting to touch and feel. I remember one specific time where a coworker began walking over, smiling and saying โoOooOooOh! (clearly with the intent to touch). As SOON as she got in front of me,… Read more »
reaching out touching anyone without asking is just disrespectful and rude! just last week the VICE PRESIDENT (who is a YT male in his 50โs) of the company I work for walks into my cubicle touches my hair and says โwow its like soft astro turf) it literally took the hand of Jesus to keep me from slapping the ish out of him. I mean who does that? Plus he and another co-worker had the audacity to think it was funny until they saw the look on my face.
LOL to โit literally to the hand of Jesusโ, his actions were outrageous. You should have told him to prepare for a ball cup. (Not that you would actually do that. Shudder)
I actually love when people touch my hair (always been this way since a childโitโs relaxing. I use to undo my ponytails right after my mom did them just so she can continue to touch my hair). I am only offended when the person is touching my hair AND making rude/slick comments.
I donโt see it as a race thing either
I think that some people are just rude..not naturally curious. I can understand a child touching your hair, but a fully grown adult simply knows or SHOULD know better.
This article coming from the same CNN that made Black in America (rolls eyes). I have never heard a black women having this kind of problem because of their hair touched. That is an extreme but that is all CNN understands about black people โ extremes. Honestly though, if some random person just touched my hair without even asking me or even asking a general question about my hair, but just touched it like that, I would be mad too. Thatโs just plain rudeness. If some chick just grabbed my shirt and said this looks nice. I would be offended… Read more »
Oh I totally agree about CNN and Black in America! Thanks for trying but no thanks, CNN. It just forges less understanding about us I think.
Personally, I donโt mind if itโs my friends. I think weโre a group on the touchy-feely side anyways so we like to hug and stroke each othersโ hair. Itโs comforting. Now coming from a complete stranger who doesnโt ask first, just wrong on so many levels. Itโs a space thing, not a race thing.
Well you know its that time of year when CNN rolls out the Black people series.
Not race, just curious, and rude.
I think itโs becoming more of a curiosity now that more and more women are going natural. But what she said here,
โBecause my black ancestors may have been your ancestorsโ property, and had to smile while they got touched in ways they didnโt want to, but I am not YOUR property and never will be so youโd best move your hand away from me.โ was pretty deep.
I really donโt see it as a race thing. I lived in Peru for six months and had my hair in braided extensions for the duration. Every five minutes someone was touching my hair โ in a shared taxi, on the bus.โฆwhether I knew them or not. I was called โrastaโ all the time even though I had braids and not locks. The people didnโt know any better. So yes, I find it a little irritating when people put their hands in my hair because they are invading my personal space, but my first thought is not that they are… Read more »
I am in the same boat with you. I get call rasta all the times, so I just stopped explaining to people that itโs not locks but long twist brading. But I do think people are over reacting and some people are just curious. I had black men trying to touch my hair, and I just say no donโt touch. You can look, and compliment but you cannot touch. What I have a notice is that the word racism is very sensitive, even if something is not racist but you only need one person to say itโs racist and everyone… Read more »
I never really understood the touching thing from strangers. I know people are curious but hell Iโ am curious about scars, tattoos, dimples and other features on other people but I donโt go up and touch it especially without permission or even ask if I donโt know the person like that. It is very rude and like mention invades personal space. But it has nothing to do with race that is a non-issue
I like my friends randomly touching my hair. Iโm fine with that, I know them and personal space is different with people I know. But with strangers, it kind of irks me a little. I donโt know them and what they want so I get wary about people invading my bubble especially without asking.
Though I was told, since I plan on going to China/Taiwan that I should just be prepared for people to just touch without asking. The concept of personal space and strangers is a little different in China.
lol yeah in china get ready for ppl pulling ur hair and rubbing ur skin and carrying on rapid fire convos with each other trying to make sense of you while u stand there utterly dumbfounded by what is happening. lol. they also sneak up behind u to take pics with u while ur minding ur business like ur a statue or something lol. that aside, its a wonderful place. have fun!
This was a foolish article with an agendaโฆ make us look crazy, as per usual. They go and look for the angriest and most ridiculous of black women to interview always. Slavery was years ago let it go! I wish they wouldโve done some research or asked more natural women, not these three or four women CLEARLY stuck in the past.
I agree with others in that itโs more an issue of lack of boundaries rather than a racial matter. Personally, I have never liked people, other than my mother, randomly touching my hair (I donโt know where you hands have been and you donโt know me). Right after I big chopped in Jan โ11, there was one co-worker, a white female, who, because my hair was โSo cuteโ, felt compelled to touch it. Because I typically sit with my back to my cubicle entrance and have headphones in, it would catch me by surprise when one minute Iโm typing an… Read more »
OMG, my Granny use to say the same thing. And Iโm also from the SS of Chicago.
The whole race and ownership thing? *side eye* However, I do think the touching thing is just plain rude. I am transitioning and I swear people are confusing my going natural with opening a petting zoo. If I had a quarter for everytime someone pet meโฆ
I have never had anyone ask to โtouch my hairโ, I really do not know what I would say if someone did, probably โnoโ if a stranger, thatโs just odd. I wouldnโt ask or just assume it was OK to touch anything on a person at allโฆwho does that? Hair in general is very personal no matter what race, I really do not even touch my BFFโs hair, nor does she touch mine, itโs very intimate if you really think of it. I have had a few people touch my hair that was not family and yet I did not mind because… Read more »
so the black folks straight DIGGING in my hair searching for tracks are tryna own me too?! lol i canโt with this article. to me it is rarely about race and more about curiosity and experiencing otherness, something that ALL humans do. the issue at hand is not slavery and its implications but personal space and rudeness. lol. as much as we like to think the world revolves around us, we arenโt the only folk ppl tryna touch and white folk aint the only ppl doing the touching. i have ppl trying to touch my hair all the time and… Read more »
As others have said, itโs more of a disrespecting of personal space issue. Unsolicited touching of anyone just to satisfy curiosity or fascination is just plain rude. Would people just walk up and grab other womenโs breasts to see if theyโre real or fake, and not expect an epic bytch slap? No. Same applies to a strangerโs hair.
Making it into a racial issue, though? Oh boy. Itโs like folks linking planking to slavery โ it was already a โwtF?!โ past-time without bringing slavery into the argument.
[โฆ] here, here and here to read other blogs that I love (read: stalk on a daily basis) take on the [โฆ]
I donโt think touching the hair is a race thing at all! Or, at least, it hasnโt been in my experience. Most of my friends, Black and White, were astonished at my BC and loved touching it because neither had ever seen hair like mine in person. I think itโs curiosity that draws them to touch it. Personally, I love when people touch my hair! I think itโs flattering and I enjoy the feeling of fingers in my hair (I admit to severe hand in hair syndrome :p).
I canโt stand that whenever a black person tries to think critically about how race may play a role in certain things (and race does play a role in A LOT of things), some people will immediately strike him/her down and tell them โslavery endedโ or โyou need to stop living in the pastโ. Way to stifle discussion.
Yeah, it is annoying. But I donโt waste my time talking to dimissive people. Most of the people who want to touch my hair are white men. I think they feel entitled to touch me because I am black and a woman. Some will argue with me about why they should be able to touch it. Most say โIโve never felt it before.โ You may have never felt snow, but Iโll tell you itโs wet and cold. These are the same people who say dumb stuff like โIโve never slept with a Black/Asian/Hispanic woman beforeโ. Iโm not exotic, Iโm not… Read more »
Maybe Iโm just not that big on personal space as others (granted I lived overseas as a kid and personal space is a lot different there). Bottom line, I donโt really mind when people ask to touch my hair if they ask first(as long as they donโt look like Pig-Pen from Charlie Brown show lol). I take it as a compliment . Just a few weeks ago a stewardess on the plane asked if she could touch it because โitโs so pretty and differentโ. Itโs all about respect for personal space. Now that whole slavery/ownership thing? GUURRRRLLL BYE! lol I… Read more »
Its not race itโs just curiosity that has turned rude. I have not personally had someone just reach out and touch my hair, if they did it would cause a problem. I canโt stand it when people stand to close to me in a line, as you can see i have personal space issues. I have had people ask first and I let them if I feel ok with it. many of the ladies made a good example if it was my shirt, pants, face,pregnant belly,or butt itโs mine, itโs on me so donโt touch.
I have NEVER had my hair touched without permission. People have always asked or Iโve ask them to do so (depends on the situation). My friends donโt ask me to touch it, sometimes they apologize, but I donโt care. I like the feeling of having my hair touched. Its soothing when done with good intentions and its mutual. But Iโve never had a stranger come up and grab a loc or fluff my fro. I get compliments, questions, but not ruffled up. Is CT devoid of such things? Because I so donโt get any of that here. I only got people… Read more »
*wouldnโt let it.
lol typo
Iโm getting tired of people always linking something to race. I donโt care what color you are โ I donโt want any random personโs bootydiggin fingers in my head.
People who ask to touch my hair are normally just curious as to how it feels and how I get it styled that way. If they ask first, I donโt really mind if they touchโฆnot something I would ever do, though.
Ewww..now that you put it that way..I definitely do not want a stranger touching my hair. lol
Normally when people ask to touch my hair I donโt mind. I have never thought of it as racist I just thought people were curious. Usually the people who ask to touch my hair are black. White people usually make a comment about how they love it, [a lady told me my twist out reminded her of corkscrews.] =D and move on. I like it, it makes me feel good that someone appreciates my hair. Especially when it comes from black women, usually I get a side eye, or a snicker, but I find it refreshing when they give me… Read more »
In some African tribes youโre only suppose to designate one special person, a relative or close friend to handle your hair.โฆ.and if you let anyone else touch your hair it can cause harm to you.
I think it is mostly natural curiosity, not racially motivated. Come on, now, not everything is racial. Some people need to get a grip! Although, I think it is impolite and very rude to put oneโs hands into another personโs hair. I wouldnโt appreciate it in the least bit, if someone grabbed my hair, without my permission. I know a white lady with blonde hair. She told me that every time she visits Brazil, the locals would touch her hair because they find her blonde hair fascinating. She finds this behavior kind of creepy, but she realizes that they are… Read more »
I have black women who touches my hair so its definitely not a โraceโ thing. And I hate it when they touch my hair. It irks me so.
Iโm young and reckless people have almost come back paw-less for touching my hair. I have noticed that white people are more curious with their personal space violations. All the minorities I know touch and make ignorant jokes to make themselves feel better. Whereas my melanin challenged friends have valid questions
White People :
โ How do you comb.โฆ.?โ โI donโt I prefer a paddle brush or a wide toothed comb IN THE SHOWERโ.
Black/Latino People
โ Why do you want to look like a slave ?โ โ I donโt.. Why are you so f%#%ing ignorantโ.
Just my experience
I donโt think of it as a race thing, but as an entitlement issue here in the US with black and white people. Like, you feel that you are entitled to just randomly touch people without asking permission first. And black people who do it think that black people can touch other black peopleโs hair without asking first. I can understand children. I can even understand the curiosity in other countries or the lack of personal space issues there, but here, YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER! There are STILL race issues out here and that alone should make a white stranger… Read more »
Unprovoked touching of natural hair could be a race thing, but it depends on the aggressor (for lack of a better term). People ask to touch my hair all the time and they are not always someone of another race. Iโve been asked by Black men, Black women (both natural and relaxed), as well as White, Asian, and other folks. Although Iโm big on personal space, I donโt really mind someone touching my hair as long as they ask first. It also depends on the spirit in which the request was made โ sometimes it is a matter of curiosity, sometimes… Read more »
I dont like my hair to be touched because itโs to thick and coarse. I donโt mind being asked to touch my hair, since I will say no thank you as a response anyway lol.โฆ But I have often at times found myself wanting to touch another persons hair, but wonโt do it because you never know what type of mood that person is in that day.
Also check these cute little girls rocking their natural hair and posing to cute.. Found this at blkgirlsrock
[img]http://bglhonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/tumblr_loukky4RLk1qed1eao1_500[1].jpg[/img]
LMAO @ all the people in here who think the fact that random strangers think they are entitled to touch you has nothing to do with racism/colorism/misogyny. It is just a coincidence that these things are more likely to happen to black women. RIGHT
I donโt think it is at all more likely to happen to black women. I do believe that people want to touch a black natural womanโs hair more than a black woman with a relaxer. THAT i do believe.
But I grew up with white people and white girls play in each otherโs hair all of the time. I work with white women and WE (all of us) are in each otherโs hair a lot.
MEN love a womanโs hair as well. So thatโs not exactly misogyny, a hatred or dislike for women.
You know how that is. Any discussion of race and people chime in with โit happened to me so it canโt be racist!!!!โ
Misogyny? Please explain. Everyone has different experiences. Thatโs what makes us individual. All this scoffing, scolding and sniffing is a real poor show.
Iโve never had anyone walk up and ask to touch my hair. They ask how I got it this way or how long it took, etc, etc but never touch. I guess it could be viewed as racist by some. To me, I would view it as ignorant curiousity on behalf of the (white) person requesting to touch the hair. However, we (Black women) must admit, we have been forced to hide our very unique beauty from the world. Excluding the 70โs when the fro and cornrolls was a fleeting trend, this, I believe, is the first time in American… Read more »
some black women donโt like her weave being touch.. so I donโt relly understand the difference between a natural hair. Letโs not make into a racist thing because itโs really not.
I hate to talk about it because it makes me upset. But I had to physically removed some elderly white womanโs hand from my childโs hair in the Chicago airport one time. I was so appalled and I all I could think of was how am I going to relay the message to her quickly without being hauled off to jail. I get a lot of curiosity living in Arizona and I had a boss ask me more than once if he could touch my hair. I politely continued to tell him no. The only upsetting part is my six… Read more »
In my personal life itโs a race/curiosity/cultural thing because all my โhair boundaryโ issues that actually happened are from non-Black people. Iโm not at all touchy feely with non-family members so I may also be extra sensitive.
The problem is that white women and black women come from opposite ends of the spectrum on this, so they donโt quite get why we get upset over this issue. Their intent may be innocent with no racial overtones or not, but regardless, what they need to respect and understand is OUR history and the repercussions that color our present reality.โฆand yes, our hair issues are THAT complex. I did my share of educating people on black hair. In college, I lived on an international floor with people from all over the world and every time I washed my hair it… Read more »
I think it is sometimes a race/culture thing I say 10% and a lot times it has to do with curiosty. I have had yellow, black, and white individuals ask about my hair and touch it but luckily all have ask. I take it for no more than that. Plus, I someone did touch my hair without asking I wouldnโt be able to keep my cool, I am serious about my personal space.
smh, always a race thing.โฆ.so whatโs it called when another black woman(or man) touch my hair without permission? seriously.โฆ.
It IS a race issue, but not necessarily always in a negative way. Think about it.โฆ I mean REALLY think about it. We are the only ones on the planet with our hair type. There are people with dark skin (East Indians, aboriginal Australians) and some Arabs that are darker than than even some of African origin. Round behinds? they have them in Latin America, full bodied, youโd find them even among the Arabs, Latin American and yes, even Polynesians. Facial features? Well.โฆthe lsit goes on but hair. HAIR. HAIR.โฆ.no one, I repeat NO ONE with hair like ours. Heck,… Read more »
Iโve been doing research on historic and contemporary representations the black female body, beauty, and identity for my thesis, and I can definately see how this can be seen as a racial and gender issue. In the past there has been this attitude of ownership about the black female body as a whole ( and yes this includes our hair), from both sides of the fense, black and white. The fact poeple think they have to right to touch any part of our person is a testiment to that attitude, weather it be conscious or subconscious. I mean just look… Read more »
I couldnโt read all through these commentsโฆbut I read through most. I am not sure If I am the only one that feels this way. BUT I donโt mind people touching my hair Black, White, Asian, Indian, female, male etc. I have been natural for 7 years now and my hair is gorgeous. I would want to touch my hair if I saw it! I take it as a compliment it has nothing to do with racism and I feel sorry for the people who believe it does.
yes, but most people have an issue with touching without asking, like I do. Whether people mean well or not, whether from admiration or not, your hair is still a part of your body and people are at different levels with strangers, complete strangers, touching their personal body without permission. Even if they ask permission, I still have a problem if I dont know the person. I have no ideas where your hands have been. Furthermore, one time when I granted a complete stranger permission to touch my hair, he roughed it up so badly I was quite upset. So,… Read more »
Iโm just now viewing this post, but AusetAbena you are certainly right. What you said explains it best for me.
I agree with kathy. I donโt think it has anything to do with race I think it should be a compliment that people find your hair that pretty enough to want to reach out and touch it. of course I donโt agree with someone not minding personal space (yes, Iโm the type that likes my little bubble and donโt like people popping it uninvited lol) however, i donโt feel that someoneโs lapse in personal space judgement means they are violating your personal space because of a racial issue. itโs like a child seeing something shineyโฆthey automatically reach out to touch… Read more »
I am caucasian, and I have relatively long, wavy hair. It is not processed with dyes or other chemicals, and I also have had people touch in the past without asking (weird! creepy!) as well as strangers ask if they could touch (slightly more considerate, but still odd). I donโt really think the look or texture of my hair is that fascinatingโฆit is pretty average. I can relate to the shock of having this happen; it DOES feel like being violated. It is never acceptable to invade someoneโs personal space! When I got to the end of the post I… Read more »
I agree with Jenn. I came across this post while searching on ways to style and care for natural hair. I am floored that people still think that everything is about race. It never occurred to me that someone reaching out to touch my hair meant that they secretly wanted to own me. Really??? Idle curiosity is the only thing that comes to my mind when someone reaches for my hair. I donโt mind too much. Itโs surprising to see full grown adults so mesmerized by hair but itโs not a huge deal. It is a compliment. Just as long… Read more »
lol, i love this
Agreed!
Ahh, I totally love what you wrote! Iโve got to say, I was somewhat offended that this article made touching peopleโs hair out to be a race thing. Iโm white, and natural African American hair is so beautiful to me partly because no matter what I do, I could never get mine to look like that. I mean, donโt get me wrong, I love my hair!! Smooth and straight and shiny and wonderful! But thick, curly, dark hair is amazingly beautiful too, and can anyone blame me for being fascinated by it? Now, as for reaching out and touching someoneโs hair.. even… Read more »
Iโve never had a problem with it. I did atleast know the names of the people (of other races) that touched my hair without asking. Iโve never had a complete stranger just swipe for my hair like that. I could imagine that it would be kind of creepy if some random person just reached out at you as if you were Jesus or something. I think any race would dislike that, not just black women. With that said, some of the girls that I was friends with would duck when I would say โ oh your hair look so pretty… Read more »
I think they feel its offensive as well or they would openly ask you. whem someone comes up and asks me to touch my hair out of curiosity its not a big deal to me i like to teach people. it when you try to sneak that i find it insulting. Its just rude to go up to someone you dont know and enter there pesonal space.
I dont like people, and especially strangers, touching me for no reason and out of the blue.(What the hell??) My mum raised me with lots of superstition and one of the things is the โevil eyeโ . You canโt tell if someone is jealous of you or not so (preferrably) no touching whatsoever. Not my hair, my skin or anything. Besides im no monkey.
Yep, I am one of those who has never seen my naturally textured hair. I itch to do the BC every single day and Iโve been transitioning for almost 8 months. Seeing the texture of my new growth and how thick and voluminous it is compared to my limp relaxed ends makes me wanna just get it over with already.
Same here with the wanting to chop the limp ugly ends. the thing is that I got used to having long hair. Though it was MUCH longer before I got relaxers(I should never have listened to those ignorant bitches in my class)>_>. The thing is that I donโt want to have short hair for any length of time, so I just hide the ugly by twisting my hair up.
It is not an ownership or possessing problem, although it is very rude. I am a white female with very long, semithick and blond hair. Most women ask if itโs โall my ownโ. But I have had a white woman, who was with her teen daughter, compliment my hair then quickly grab my hair from in front of me (in other words, my hair was laying on my chest!) and lightly pulled on it and say โit almost looks fakeโ! So, I can completely understand the shock. I actually felt violated. I kept thinking about how embarrassing it would have… Read more »
Iโve had strangers ask to touch my hair, and it doesnโt offend me if they are polite or curious about it. On the other hand, Iโve had people (always White) grab or touch my hair without permission. It infuriates me. A few years back when I worked in retail, I finished ringing up a customer and reached under the table to grab a bag, and this old white woman just *grabbed* a chunk of my hair and said โOh, I thought something would happen when I touched it!โ. I didnโt say anything because I was so upset. Where did her… Read more »
Hmmโฆthis is really interesting. Although I think the question of โowningโ and race are valid, I do think the author is being hypersensitive for 3 reasons: 1. As a natural, black people including black women ask to touch my hair! 2. I do think itโs partly just curiosity. Non-white people (Asian, Latino etc.) regularly express interest in my afro-textured hair. 3. As I was reading this article, I realized that I do this too! To other black women and non-black women. And itโs not like โoh your white hair is so straight and silky, lemme touch itโ. Itโs always something unique… Read more »
Thatโs a very good point, I completely agree with that.
I agree with you also. I have never taken it as a racial or ownership thing. The fact is that Caucasians are much more receiving of my hair than my own kind. Sorry, but itโs a fact in my world. I have all races wanting to touch my hair. The only thing I find RUDE is when you are 1) touching without asking, and 2) digging in my roots or pulling my hair looking for tracks. I think itโs just plain RUDE. Also, being of a West Indian persuasion, I am not comfortable with anyone and everyone in my hair, especially… Read more »
I dont care what race you are, i dont like strangers touching me, and i especially HATE people touching my hair without my say so. i dont trust peopleโs cleaniness and i dont need somebodyโs grubby little fingers in my hair just because they think they are at a petting zoo and should be allowed to touch the black girl in front of them. simply put you touch me or my hair and im swingingโฆwhy?? because it is my hair, my property not yours.
This is my number two reason โ I dont know where your hands have been!
Iโve never had a problem with other people touching my hair, I actually tend to welcome it since most people think itโs fake when itโs in an afro and I want them to see that natural hair can be soft and fluffy and move without needing a pick. At times Iโve found myself hoping someone would ask to touch it when I think itโs super cute. Hahaha! The only time a stranger reached out and touched it before I realized what was happening was when I visited a Claireโs and a young black girl working there who didnโt know what… Read more »
I take high offense when its done without asking and rarely allow friends to touch it.
Why is this even a debate.โฆ.โฆ. Its MY hair โ you canโt touch it, period. Its my body โ no explanation will be given.
people touch my hair with out permission but it makes me mad when people touch my fro and it gets miss shapen lol TWA
Sometimes I mind and sometimes I donโt mind. But I think it depends on the person. I donโt like men that I am not familiar with or who give off a creepy vibe touching me and it doesnโt matter whether it be my hair or my hands or something like that. It just creeps me out and I quickly duck out of their way.
I think Renee Martin exagerated a little bit come on โI think itโs the idea that they have the right to possess black women and they will take any excuse they can to jump over the border, whether itโs policing our behavior or policing our hair,โ Martin said. โI think itโs about ownership of black bodies more than it has to actually do with hair.โ weโre still so angry with white people for slavery that we live our lives according to what white people think. Itโs not about black or white itโs about hair. They are so used to seeing us… Read more »
To be honest, I donโt mind people touching my hair. In younger generations of white people itโs not that theyโre trying to possess you, itโs that they are genuinely intrigued by your hair and how different it is. Iโm from Austin, TX, and Iโm surrounded by young white yuppies, who are the coolest of the cool cats and the hippest of the hip. 99.9% of my fellow Austinites donโt have a racist bone in their body when it comes to black people and yet I have my hair touched all the time. In all honesty, the reason behind someone touching your… Read more »
I am so happy to see a discussion about this topic. I am someone who changes my hair often. I personally CANโT stand my hair being touched and itโs primarily by white people. Now let me clarify itโs primarily the ones that I work with because they make such a big deal about it. When I was little I vividly remember white people touching my hair and then rudely wiping their hands off. And now the dumbfounded stares and attempts to touch my hair, really bother me. I actually have explained to many of them that I donโt like it… Read more »
While I consider it rude to touch someoneโs hair without asking, especially if you are a stranger, I think it a bit of a stretch to go as far as saying โI think itโs about ownership of black bodiesโ. I find it ludicrous actually. I am just now growing out my hair (did the BC 2 months ago, yay :)) and Iโm thinking: woe be unto the person, especially a stranger that touches it. This has nothing to do with me thinking itโs racially inclined of course, but just that I hate when people touch my hair period! unless itโs… Read more »
This can be compared to people wanting to touch the belly of a pregnant woman. Some women mind, some donโt. I only mind when someone doesnโt ask first or if they linger in a strange way. Many older people think nothing of it and reach out to touch the belly while being moved to share some random story of motherhood of their own. White people, black people, anyone. I am moved by the humanity in it and the positive emotions that it usually provokes. Everyoneโs hair is different. I look at other peopleโs natural hair and am envious of the… Read more »
I absolutely hate people touching my whether itโs family, friends and even worse strangers. Iโve had migraine s my entire life so am not about to let that happen.
Itโs not a race issue but you donโt have to justify yourself if you donโt like it. Itโs a free country and people should learn to control themselves.
I have friends that smack people hands so hard that you will hear it 10miles away. Everyoneโs hair is different and we all know this so why not just ask or better her admire from afar.
Yes โtheyโ tend to become fascinated when we as Natural sisters embrace who we are with boldness and think โthe audacity of her!โ so โtheyโ want to take one last right of passage away from us by touching our grace and beauty. Next time one of โthemโ touches your hair, especially without your permission, you have the right to respond however you see fit. You donโt have to be violent but one should understand that โtheyโ donโt have the right to invade your personal space, and then leave you feeling violated because โtheyโ were โcuriousโ.
I donโt think that itโs an issue of racism, but more or less race and the differences in cultural mores. Black girls are taught their mothers at an early age not to let people โplay in their hairโ and a concept of personal space.Part of the reason was that mothers usually styled your hair in structured styles on a weekly basis and in order for said style to last a week it neednโt be disturbed with unnecessary handling. White children considered a single french braid a cause to visit the salon and have their hair โstyled.โ I think that white… Read more »
I agree it can definitely be an annoyance and it is just plain rude to touch anyoneโs anything without first asking permission. But I donโt think it is an issue about racism. Honestly, I believe itโs just pure curiosity. Iโve personally touched my friendsโ hair whether they were black, white, Asian, whatever (with some kind of permission of course) but solely to satisfy my curiosity. Iโm used to my kinky hair so when I touch long straight here, the sensation is just interesting because itโs different. Even touching another black personโs hair, it might feel interesting as well. Plus Iโve… Read more »
I think itโs a matter of personal space. Some people see some thing that interests them and they incorrectly feel they have the right to touch it with out permission. Like when people walk up to a pregnant woman and touch their stomach without asking.
I am white and the only strangers I can ever remember touching my hair uninvited were older black women, so go figure. My husband (who has very beautiful curly hair, lol) says that black ladies are always complimenting him on his hair- donโt know if touching is involved though. I think you should always ask, no matter who you are.
I am a creamy crack addict myself. I do however love natural hair and wish I was able to go natural myself( Just can do it). My girls are all natural and I hope they choose to stay that way. But when I see a beautiful hairstyle I love to look and yes touch (after asking). Try to understand that some people are very hands on, try not to be offended, differences make us all curious. But if you act like a child and touch me with out asking I will pop your hand and say โNO,NO.โ
Hair touching doesnโt always have race related origins. I have had my hair touched, grabbed, and felt up by mainly African American people and it bugs me till no end! lol I understand that some of them have never seen natural hair or are shocked that I am able to wear it in various styles, but what annoys me is that they feel that they can just come up to me and invade my personal space. My hair isnโt a piece of clay that one can touch and mold. It is a masterpiece in display in a museum; do not… Read more »
NO Iโd say itโs definitely not a race thing! Iโve had countless people of different ethnicities and genders touch my hair whether wanted or not. I must say it is annoying for those who donโt ask, in which I definitely snap back with a mean look or take it upon myself to run my hair all up and down their hair in return so they can see what itโs like to have a stranger up in their roots. I also tend to get a lot of black strangers touch my hair, so itโs not fully racial but I can understand… Read more »
Eish!! When did personal space become such a HUGE issue? Iโve read a couple of posts on various blogs and I notice how women who go natural also start to publicly โembraceโ their โAfricanโ, but yet still, there are such a great number of these women with high walls and issues with personal space. In my mind, and Iโm not saying this to anyone in particular, maybe people need to hug more, touch more, hold hands more, kiss more, love more. When I visited the States, American girls, regardless of race, found it strange that I hugged and kissed my… Read more »
Hmm, okay. So when some total stranger grabs your breasts or behind on the street because they find them attractive & โfascinating,โ then you can โgraciously allowโ THAT. More power to you. In the meantime, who TF are you to ridicule anotherโs request for respecting their personal space??? โEishโ is right!
โSome white women who responded, Martin said, shared their stories of their own hair being touched in countries populated by people of color. They chalked it up to natural curiosity and accused Martin of being too sensitive, she said.โ That right thereโฆkilled me. Iโve heard people say stuff like that too. Like, seriously, we are not in a foreign country! Black people have been here for centuries or did somebody forget about that peculiar American institution!?! So, now, I canโt be at home in my own country? The country I served in our military for? In any case, Iโve asked other… Read more »
i am Jamaican and i have had natural hair all my life. i do think the writer of the article is too sensitive. i have experienced black women asking caucasian and asian women to allow them to touch their hair and vice versa. the only problem i see here is someone touching our hair without permission. people are just curious about what they dont know. plain and simple
Did you REALLY try to turn that into a slavery issue? Thatโs retarded. No, that lady didnโt think you were her slave.โฆshe thought your hair looked interesting and wanted to touch it. Should she have violated your personal space without asking? No. But trying to make yourself a victim to that level is one of the stupidest things Iโve ever heard in my life. Can we all just agree that until someone tells you to get your ass back to the fields that itโs PROBABLY not a slavery reference?
I agree with Illiarria. Turning this issue into something about slavery is stupid. Black women are not the only ones that are getting their hair touched. Any time your around people that are unfamiliar with you their is a natural curiosity. I wouldnโt mind people touching my hair just so it can dispel any myths of natural hair being untouchable. As a matter of fact, most black women donโt even want their boyfriends or husbands touching their hair. How do you explain that?! You sure canโt claim anything about slavery.
Iโm a white woman and the social norm among my friends growing up was that if you touched someoneโs hair it was a compliment- it was sort of the idea that your hair is so pretty that it makes me want to touch it. I would never touch a strangers hair- but often find myself touching a friendโs hair as a part of a compliment-โyour hair is so prettyโโฆorโฆโI love your colorโโฆorโฆโthis is a great cutโ. A white friend adopted daughters from Africa and I research hair care strategies for her and was surprised to learn that it was considered… Read more »
It is not a racial thing. I am Caucasian with long, straight, blondish brown hair. I had my hair touched several times while traveling in Asia. They were so amazed with the texture of my hair (which is very soft). I am a teacher with the majority of my students being Hispanic. My jr. high students touch my hair all the time, just to feel it. It is in stark difference to their own hair. I donโt mind at all. In either case, they are just curious. Sometimes it is easier to ask for forgiveness then for permission. Most cases… Read more »
I am Black, of African descent, having returned home 2.5 years ago after living in the US for almost 17 years. I have natural hair now, and I am tempted to touch the hairs of other naturalistas, out of curiosity, particularly regarding texture and softness. It is also out of admiration. I now understand that everything is not so black and white. People marvel at my hair too, unfortunately due most in part to their love of fake hair and lack of understanding the loveโand careโof their own hair, which has resulted in an over-abundance of (often poorly-cared for) weave-wearing… Read more »
Iโm saddened that the author feels people touching her hair is racial and based on possession. I happen to be caucasian, and have seen this curiosity outside the U.S. I studied abroad in China, and my friend and great hair. We went to a blind massage parlor, and the Chinese person giving him his massage couldnโt stop touching his hair because she had never seen or felt anything like it. As much as I was curious about how his hair felt, he expressed how tiring it was to have people constantly taking pictures and touching his hair. I grew up… Read more »
I donโt think there is anything racial, at least in most cases, when someone of a different race touches my hair. I go to a school in a 60 percent white and 30 percent hispanic area and people are ALWAYS fascinated with my hair. Iโve had classmates who walked across the class room or scoot their chair over and touch my hair (without asking of course) and I used to get really offended but after talking to them itโs really just curiosity. They havenโt been exposed to many black people in their are and the few that do live there… Read more »
So after reading most of these comments, Iโve come to a conclusion.โฆ EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. No one can tell someone else to not feel offended and no one should tell anyone that they should feel some type of disrespect. Itโs your hair, do what YOU want with it and let whatever YOU want happen to it (or stop what you donโt).
I could not ever picture myself just going up to someone and playing in their hair! That is just plain rude. Iโm white and my family has a lot of different races and cultural backgrounds. Most of the African-American women in my family keep their hair natural so I have always loved natural styles . I have really fine and soft hair and my little cousin who is African-American loves to play with my hair but I donโt see it as racist; itโs just different to her and itโs fun for both of us. I have Mexican and Brazilian family… Read more »
Wow. This article was so offensive. Iโm black and white and used to wear my hair up in this big afro ponytail. (Think the girl from the boondocks). I had more black people just touching my hair without permission than white so to say itโs because somebody wants to own you and remind you that you are a slave is nonsense and completely offensive. This writer is crap and needs to reevaluate her life of thatโs all she perceives. And quite frankly the fact that this Site is so obviously divided racially is sad and I find it uncomfortable to… Read more »
I think itโs EXTREMELY rude to touch a strangerโs hair without permission; the least the person would get is a hand swat and a dirty look.
However, a familiar person touching my hair would get different responses. A classmate: not favorable. A friend: doesnโt bother me.
I understand where it would seem an incredible trespass of personal space to have a stranger touch oneโs hair but Iโd like to open another view point. Iโm an American of European descent and I have spent a lot of time in Salvador, Brazil where I have had many Afro-Brazilian children and a few men touch my hair โ it is blondish red and curls loosely. I have never minded because they just want to see how it feels and the children want to comb and make hairstyles out of it. My hair is different and they want to experience… Read more »
Growing up in Washington,D.C. in the 1970s and 80s a white male going to predominantly black schools, I remember several occasions where black girls would reach out and touch my hairโalmost as if I wasnโt thereโand comment on it. This was more in the elementary years. Anyway, as much as it surprised me, I got that it was an expression of interest in something, and someone, different and not, at least in our context, a power-based act of any kind. It was just people wondering about each other.
I like when people (attractive people only) touch my hair. I especially love it when guys do it. I have always liked the feeling of someone playing or petting my hair. To me itโs an affectionate thing. If I ask to touch someoneโs hair itโs because I think it looks soft, shiny, silky and healthy or smells good. Believe me, I donโt think myself or anyone else would touch your hair if they thought it looked disgusting or dry or crusty or stanky. I feel like some black people forget that not all others in other races and ethnicities are… Read more »
Seriously, get over yourself. It has nothing to do with race and the fact that you have to jump to that conclusion offends me. Iโm as white as they come and for about half my life (Iโm 31 years old) Iโve had a mohawk. In my older age it doesnโt get too long and I donโt really style it but when I was 16 I grew it out and spiked it upโฆ ALL THE TIME I had people, total strangers, reach out and either attempt to or actually touch it, without asking. Itโs about the hair, not the race. Get… Read more »
If youโre white, your opinion had no bearing on the discussion. For you, someone wanting to touch your hair must be a good thing, thus, the โget over itโ mentality. But physical contact by a stranger is very rude in many cultures. Get over that.
A mohawk is a deliberate hairstyle that is a deliberate choice to alter the way your hair grows on your scalp. You shave the sides and spike it out on purpose so garnered attention is kind of the goal.
The curls I have are natural. Not a deliberate choice. I donโt wear it this way to garner attention. Itโs just how it grows.
You have no basis for comparison to tell me to get over it. Your experience is not the same.
I cannot speak for everyone, but for me personally I prefer that if someone wants to touch my hair that they ask me first and wait for my response. Just like I am not comfortable with random people touching any other part of my body, my hair is no exception to that. I think that it is rude to assume that because my hair may be unique or unusual to someone that they are entitled to touch it. I think that if people are comfortable with that then it is fine. I just know that I am not. In my… Read more »
Growing up (and sometimes still today) people would touch my hair without permission. picture the most gruesome frown on a five year oldโs face- and then direct it at some old lady. Iโm a white australian with curly ginger hair so its not really the same but Iโve felt the RAGE and I believe a person has every right to call out space invaders and patronizing fools. Iโm looking at you old ladies!
But seriously, this is a great site. I didnโt realize how ignorant i was with regard to both hair and culture. Thank you!
I wouldnโt be offended if people wanted to touch my hair as long as they asked first, cause touching it without permission would be an invasion of personal space. But Iโd understand why theyโd want too, our hair is different and they are just curious. Doesnโt mean when people ask to touch our hair they see us as property.
โBecause my black ancestors may have been your ancestorsโ property, and had to smile while they got touched in ways they didnโt want to, but I am not YOUR property and never will be so youโd best move your hand away from me.โ Im sorry but what? Shes generalizing and being down right prejudice. How can people scream that they are for equality and against hate if they do it themselves? If you go to east asia you will get the same thing because they have never seen something like that before. You shouldnt lash out in hypocritical anger.
>_> Mmm, okay, girl.
I donโt really like anybody touching my hair for no reason. Iโll let the occasional brother/sister touch it, if itโs related to how they style their own natural hair etc, but touching just for touchingโs sake? Heck no! Hehehe.
The hair touching thing happened to me all-throughout high school usually when I wore my hair tied on top of my head making it look like a bunny tail. The odd part is that most of the time the people who touched it were very tall (usually grade 12) males circulating in the hallway (I knew because I could tell the direction the hand would come from). I wouldnโt attribute a particular race to the offenders but I think it was the shape and texture that sparked some sort of curiosity. The other black and mixed girls who had their… Read more »
Actually the first time some stranger touched my hair it was a black american woman and I had a TWA. It was my first time in the states and I didnโt know if that was just how people rolled over there.
I am a human being. As a human being, I believe that people should just ask permission before touching anyoneโs hair because not everyone wants their hair to be touched. I am also black. As a black girl, I also believe that the issue of hair being touched without permission is not a racial thing. People just want to touch hair textures that they have not previously experienced. I just believe that they should ask first. I might let someone touch my waist-length Type 4 hair if they asked, but just touching my hair without permission is absolutely unacceptable.
I think the hair-touching is a race thing in my experience for 2 reasons. One is Iโm a white woman with long, curly, huge, hard-to-ignore but European-textured hair and even when I wear it loose, nobody tries to touch it unless theyโre family/friends/my husband. The other is Iโm a teacher, and I notice that black pupils are subject to unexpected hair-touching from other kids (despite them knowing that nobody touches anybody else in my classroom without their permission). I absolutely get that human beings are interested in texture, but it seems obvious to me that assuming itโs ok to touch… Read more »
Also, I think unexpected touching is different if youโre a long way from home (a few people have mentioned it being a response that comes from curiosity about difference, rather than an assumption that people from a particular race have less right to personal space). Iโve experienced people wanting to touch my hair and skin when Iโve been travelling, especially in more remote bits of Asia and South America where I was very definitely a pretty tiny ethnic minority, and I never felt threatened or degraded by it because it did feel like a genuinely inquisitive, desire-to-understand-another-sort-of-body thing. BUT if… Read more »
The issue with inappropriate hair touch is definitely unique to the black community, but Iโve noticed that women in general are subject to unwanted touching all the time. Iโve been grabbed by strange men before wanting to โtalk to meโ and friends have had their headphones pulled out of their ears because someone โneededโ to ask tell them something. pregnant women get their stomachs touched by strangers all the time. Womenโs bodies in general are considered public property and what a woman does with her body is subject to public scrutiny. The hair definitely has a particular racial element to… Read more »