by
Black Girl With Long Hair
A few weeks ago Angela Simmons tweeted a picture of her hair sans weave. This sparked a lot of discussion on BGLH about whether the fro was natural or not. I reached out to Angela to get an answer and was excited to discover that her hair is indeed natural. Check it out.
How long have you been natural? Are you a lifelong natural or is this something that you recently did?
A: I’ve been natural for like 3 years. When I get weaves in I just sew it up and leave it alone.
Why did you decide to stop perming it?
A: I just figured that I didn’t really need it. And I did notice that my hair was way thicker without the perm and it just seemed healthier without it and I just didn’t want to put any more chemicals in it. So I just left it alone.
Angela’s natural hair, blown out
Would you ever consider having it huge and natural out in public?
A: You mean without flat-ironing it? No. [Weaves are] easier for me. I work out alot and I travel a lot. So to have my own hair out is a hassle for me. So I don’t do it.
When you tweeted that picture of your hair did you get any negative reaction?
A: It was pretty good. Nobody was negative. They just didn’t know I had so much hair underneath when I wear weaves.
So your hair grows pretty fast?
A: I guess. If I cut it it would probably grow back pretty quickly.
What are your tips for maintaining your hair, because it looks really healthy and really thick.
A: I just keep it braided up alot. For the most part I stay in the hair salon alot and get my hair done alot so I kind of lean on my hairdressers for that. So for the most part, when I go, I do deep conditioners and sit under a dryer or steamer. But other than that…
But I did something bad not too long ago. My front got all messed up. I had a blonde weave, you know I had that moment where I wanted to go blonde. And I bleached some of my hair and it broke off and that was a bad idea.
Photo Source: NecoleBitchie.com
So I don’t suggest that anyone bleach their hair. Overall my hair’s pretty healthy it’s just the front’s a little messed up so I’ve been doing whatever I can. Oh, and I do suggest Moroccan oil. It’s amazing.
How long do you keep the weaves in at a time?
A: Not that long because I change my hair so much. So, probably a month at the most. But I’m the girl who changes my hair a lot, so.
You have a new fashion line coming out soon.
A: Yeh, I’m really working on my designs and stuff, so not quite yet. I don’t have a date for you guys but I am working on it. That’s why I’m here at New York Fashion Week getting inspiration and all that stuff.
If you could describe the aesthetic of your line, what would it be?
A: It definitely has to represent me and how I dress and my sense of style but I would definitely say it’s Betsey Johnson meeting the Juicy Couture girl. In between that I feel like she’s not catered to, so that’s the girl I wanna find. It’s the girl who’s on her own and living for herself. That’s me.
With your sneaker line, Pastry, you’ve had a lot of success at a very young age. Did you think this was the path you would go down?
A: I’ve always wanted to know what I wanted to do. Since I was 9 I’ve wanted to be a fashion designer. So the path I’m on isn’t much of a shock to myself. I’ve worked pretty diligently to be where I’m at and I’m still working on perfecting my craft and what I do. I’m very excited and happy that everyone’s accepting me and that so many young girls say they have somebody that they can look up to. Now that I realize that I’m such an inspiration for young girls I think it’s amazing.
Thanks for setting the record straight, Angela!
You can find Angela on Twitter.
137 Responses
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Keep up the great writing.
I just don’t get why people have to be so judgmental about other peoples hair. Like, is the hair growing out of YOUR head? Do you know her life? Are you Angela Simmons? I’m guessing not…so why do people feel the need to dictate what’s right and wrong for her or why she hasn’t given a lot of info. Maybe this really is all she does to her hair and should you care? No. For me the main reason behind going natural is to embrace and love it how you want to love it. There is not a natural hair law that everyone must follow or you’ll go to natural hair jail. If Angela wants to go to the salon 2-3 times a week, then who cares? Maybe it’s been working for her and she can afford it. Can we all just live? (Needed to vent sorry lol).
it’s a matter of identity, a non-Eurocentric one. But i dont expect you to understand with your apparent slave mentality…
I will never understand the need for women to not wear their real hair because they ‘work out’ or ‘have a busy lifestyle’. When it gets to a certain length 1braid down the back can be striking,so can a loose bun, a loose ponytail, etc. even a few braids/twists put I @ night will leave you with fresh luscious waves in the morning as soon as you take them down (with proper moisture of course). Why fork over our hard earned money to others when we are capable of growing a head full of hair? Sure, you may not be able to wear flips and dips and presses all the time, but again long hair looks great in roller sets, or if you must wear it straight from time to time heat applied properly & infrequently looks beautiful. As do braids, twists, the list is endless. With all the cool protective styles and natural loose styles I can’t wrap my mind around paying someone to unnecessarily sew, glue, staple, fuse, some other persons hair on my head when my own hair falls down my back…..on a side note, I don’t know if anyone else has ever noticed, but weave (the actual hair, not the person wearing it) smells terrible. I cannot take the stench that close to my face. My real hair on the other hand always smells lovely because of all the natural oils and butters I put in it, but I guess to each his own *shrugs*
It’s been about 16 months for me…No PERM, thank God! I’ve been braiding my hair every 3 to 4 weeks and wearing wigs. My hair has really grown a lot! I’m eager to see how longer its going to get. My scalp recently broke out, I guess from all that pulling when my hair is braided…My question to Angela is: how often should I was my hair and do you think that not washing my hair every time I get it braided, is the reason why my scalp broke out?? Btw, thanks for Moroccan Oil tip.
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I did love this post because of how we really harped on the word natural. It was interesting and appalling all at once. In the end I think you are what you say you are, and who really should tell you anything different.
Angela Simmons just released a pic of the natural her, thats all. It doesnt even look like she has on make-up in that picture. I also think that people are jealous that she has all that hair whether they want to admit it or not. It is generally assumed that people who wear weave all the time have short hair, but ofcourse this is not true. Who knows, maybe Angela wanted people to see her real hair,…now they know she is not bald lol. Same thing with Tyra Banks. she showcased her real hair on Tv and she also has alot of it. If Angela declined the interview maybe this website would have felt some type of way, atleast she agreed to interview but its obvious that she is probably not into the natural hair world, the procedures,and lingo etc.
great interview. used it on my blog. hope you don’t mind?
W-o-w, at some of the responses. My opinion…like someone else said, sound like Angela doesn’t have alot of natural hair tips, etc to share, she has the resources to have her hairdressers take care of her hair. It’s weaved up to protect her natural hair. I enjoyed the interview (not to say everyone else should) but how many tips can you expect her to give if she doesn’t even take care of her own hair ? and like someone else said BGLH reached out to her because of the tweeted pic with that gorgeous head of hair she has.
OMG, is it that much of a crime to not like every feature on here?!??! I like Angela(as much as you can “like” someone you don’t know) but did not like the interview. It was dull to some of us. Why does that bother so many people? Since when do we all have to like the same thing? Sheesh! This is the “if you don’t like something you are a hater” crap that gets on my last nerve. We read the same thing but some of us did not get much out of it. Does not mean those who do like it are better/smarter/nicer/wtfever-er than the rest of us and vice versa.
Her regimen is pretty basic even if she has hairstylist’s that actually ‘cares’ for her hair, it works for her and her lifestyle. So her answers to the questions were cut and dry big deal! She shared what she wanted to share even if it was straight and to the point, and how much can she share anyways when her hair is weaved up the majority of the time lol, the point is she shared what works for HER and obviously she doesn’t take her natural hair and the whole ‘natural hair movement’ too seriously, nothing wrong with that. I don’t know what some of ya’ll were expecting from this interview, some of these comments are just wow. *smh*.
Actually, the person to ask about this particular woman’s hair care regimen would be her stylist since she’s the one that actually takes care of the hair, and not Miss Simmons. Therefore, we don’t know how simple or complicated the hair care regimen is, what products are applied, how the hair is detangled etc., simply based on this interview.
I was afraid of getting a sew-in because I’d heard so many stories of traction alopecia and maintenance issues, but Angela Simmons definitely inspired me to look for a stylist who can do a sew in without messing up my natural hair. I’m so ready to try a new protective style!
I love Angela! She seems so cool and down to earth!
helle my friend i u doing i nig live in morcoco pls this is my 00212602574739 my angel piz coll me and my emil adder plz angel
Well this is what she had to say on Curlynikki as well she added a little bit more not much.
http://www.curlynikki.com/2011/09/on-couch-with-angela-simmons-natural.html
Hold up this girl goes to the hair stylist 2-3 times a week and ppl are saying we can learn about hair care from her? Protective styling is not what grew her hair out its having a stylish at her beck and call.
Once the hair is braided how would a stylist be doing anything to her natural hair. If she is going 2 – 3 times a week she is clearly having the weave styled while her natural hair is untouched. If she is wearing a weave for a month…then that means her hair is braided for a month. She could easily grow a 1/2 of hair because no one…even a stylist…is touching it. You sound judgmental because she has the money to afford to go to a stylist. I don’t think that has anything to do with the simple fact that hair will grow when it is left alone.
Ummm no I’m not judgmental because she has money. I just don’t understand how a person who can afford stylist can give advice on natural hair to women who can’t afford that luxury so please take that ish somewhere else.
Also I don’t agree that weaves are a protective style for everyone especially women with fine hair which make up many black women. The thread from weave can destroy your strands.
Unreal.
Okay, it’s official: I have a trick computer.
Before I get to why I say that, I would like to point out something that has been unnoted before now. While the words written to indicate Ms. Simmons’ responses read as lackluster to some of us, those words are all we have of her responses. We don’t have a visual of her face or the soundtrack of her voice to add any hint of emotion or to confirm any lack thereof. And if we’re honest, there have been any number of moments when some of us have expressed ourselves in such a way that if our audience had only the written transcript of our communication, they would have had the same “huh?!” response some of us had, and their eyebrows would have risen/squiggled/come together over their noses/etc. the same as some of ours did when we read this.
Now, here are the reasons I say I have a trick computer: (1) I actually found hair tips in there! They’re basic, but they’re there. (2) I also found the reason for her mention of her clothing line. Permit me, please to demonstrate:
Ms. Simmons said, “. . . I did notice that my hair was way thicker without the perm and it just seemed healthier without it . . . . So I just left it alone.” Contextual take-away: It is possible for hair to grow thicker and take on the semblance of health if you stop perming and leave it alone. We can call this tip #1: One reason to ditch the perm.
Next, she said, “I work out alot and I travel a lot. So to have my own hair out is a hassle for me. So I don’t do it.” Yes, this was part of one of the infamous weave responses, but she does cite an actual concern some raise about management of massive amounts of unprocessed hair in the midst of a busy life. I’ve seen any number of responses from people who attest to the fact that the longer their hair grows, the more time they find they have to spend on it. I myself am constantly fighting to keep my weekly takedown/cleanse/retwist sessions down to a five-hour maximum, and my hair is just touching my shoulders! So my contextual take-away (tip #2) from this is that it’s safer for the hair if you manage it in such a way that you can avoid wrecking either your hair or your schedule. For some others, the answer has been braid extensions, or a second/third/fourth/series of big chop(s). A blogger actually talked on here about chopping for that very reason, if I remember correctly. But for Ms. Simmons, weaves are the answer.
And that wasn’t her only maintenance tip: “I just keep it braided up alot. For the most part I stay in the hair salon alot and get my hair done alot so I kind of lean on my hairdressers for that. So for the most part, when I go, I do deep conditioners and sit under a dryer or steamer.” There are several contextual take-aways in here that make excellent tips, I think. #3: Protective styling is an excellent way to “leave it alone”. Braids, for instance, are a good protective option for some. #4: If you need/want assistance managing your hair for whatever reason (for her the stated reason is time constraints; to some of us, one inference is lack of DIY know-how, another is disinterest), be careful to choose a stylist/stylist team who is knowledgeable about natural hair in general and invested in the correct care of your hair particularly. #5: Deep condition regularly, and employ some form of indirect heat in the process. This tip should have been recognizable to most everyone who frequents this blog; many of us do this at home regularly.
There is even information about lessons learned from the dreaded mistake of some sort: “But I did something bad not too long ago. My front got all messed up. I had a blonde weave. . . . . And I bleached some of my hair and it broke off and that was a bad idea. So I don’t suggest that anyone bleach their hair.” That’s self-explanatory enough as tip #6.
Lastly, for my original point number 1, she gave a shout-out to a product she actually likes, or so I infer: “Oh, and I do suggest Moroccan oil. It’s amazing.” Nothing about what purpose it serves in her regimen, but since some of us use it, and many of us use an oil of some kind for any one or more of several reasons, I’ll leave it up to individuals to take away their own tip #7 from this.
As for Ms. Simmons’ digression onto the topic of her clothing line, which was my second original point, the reason for it is very simple: She was asked. It went a little something like this: “You have a new fashion line coming out soon.” “If you could describe the aesthetic of your line, what would it be?” “With your sneaker line, Pastry, you’ve had a lot of success at a very young age. Did you think this was the path you would go down?” If you check the interview as written, you will notice—unless this is just a feature of my trick computer—that those questions are in bold font. Now since I’m the one with the trick computer, I’ll speak for myself here, but whenever I’ve seen statements or questions in bold font in the interviews, I took it that the interviewer was speaking. In this case (please forgive me, Leila), the interviewer was our blog author. Which means that, whatever we may think of Ms. Simmons’ answers to the interview statements/questions, she put that information out there because the interviewer asked her.
Trick computers being what they are, it’s entirely possible that I will return and find that all my findings have been nothing more than smoke and shadows. So I thought it wise to make note of them while they are still here; who knows what other stunts my computer may pull. It may attempt to convince me that I made the whole thing up :-).
I saw all of that as well. I think most people made up their minds about her interview and decided to skip over all that. Or they were looking for a statement like “As black women today we are conditioned…” from her. Not every natural you see is going to be enlightened about their hair (especially one’s who have been natural their whole lives or decade veterans) and gush about it. Some just let it be hair and keep their day moving. And for her busy schedule, a weave seems fit for the occasion.
Excellent breakdown of the interview! I read it the same way you did. It seems clear that people made judgments without reading details and also based on their opinion of her from what they have seen on T.V. If we are just focusing on the interview and the information she provided I would agree that she provided information about protective styling, coloring, deep treatment, and health. Everyone is not doing their hair themselves. I have been natural since 2004 and up until last year I was regularly going to a stylist to have my hair done and treated. No shame in that. People are buggin.
Uh… no. I don’t even know who this woman is (other than what I’ve read here), so I did not make up my mind about her. Opinions that are different than yours does not automatically = buggin. I do like her name, though.
I tend to agree with you. T too have no idea who this woman is, and therefore might have liked to learn about her and her hair, since this is a forum for such enlightenment. I took her responses to mean that she really prefers not to discuss her hair for whatever reason, but prefers to discuss her fashion line. A fashion line I’ve never seen and know nothing about.
I get that some folks like that those of us reading this interview negatively are being unkind, and in one case wrote a detailed diatribe to tell us just how wrong we are. However, unless anyone posting here actually knows the person featured in this interview, my interpretation of the interview is just as valid as anyone else’s…even if I choose to use fewer words to do so.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You’re funny!
I didn’t find the interview interesting, but this is a large community with lots of resources for those of us who don’t or can’t wear certain protective styles all the time. Take me, for instance: my second BC was in April and I now have maybe 5 or 6 inches of growth, which isn’t enough for me to do a lot of cute protective styles, so I tend to wear twist-outs when I’m not working from home. I was a braids and cornrows queen for years, but I’ve sworn off them because they’ve wreaked almost irreparable havoc with my edges, and weaves wrecked my hair, period. So this particular interview doesn’t help me. It is, however, interesting to know what other naturals are doing, so I don’t find the interview as objectionable as some commenters. (And yes, I do believe she’s natural; natural hair is natural hair, even if there are motivational/psychological nuances.)
As a side note, can we please not call other commenters? (See Jasmine’s comment above.) Everyone’s allowed opinions and preferences.
shame she views her natural hair as a “hassle.”
since she doesn’t do it, i wonder if it’s actually her hairdresser who finds it to be a hassle. lol.
I think her natural hair is beautiful. But she doesn’t really fall in the same category as most of us. All that “spending a lot of time in the salon,” “letting the hairdressers take care of it,” and wearing weaves all the time and never wearing her natural hair out without it being flat ironed, doesn’t sound like she’s embracing her natural hair. Sounds like any of us that had relaxers and went to the salon all the time and had to have our hair straight. If you always hide your natural curl pattern, whether its with relaxers, weaves, wigs, hats ALL THE TIME how natural are you really? If your ashamed, then why bother? Just my opinion!
No need to throw so much shade at the girl. She has never claimed to identify with the natural community, nor has she ever worn her hair picked out.
“She has never claimed to identify with the natural community…”
then why is her interview on a natural hair blog??
She does not sound very bright.
Love angela style… I must agree the interview was boring! lol…but she doesnt take care of her own hair, so atleast she was honest! lol
Okay, I don’t really care about her wearing weave or being natural or not, but honestly, as I read the interview, she did come off as uninterested and dry…. I’m not hating and I think that Angela is a cool chick, but honestly, it seemed like she was bored with this interview, and thats just what I took from reading her words.
As far as covering her natural hair with weave all the time… We can have these discussions a million times. While I believe there are some naturals who choose to wear weave as a protective style and to switch things up, it is undeniable that there are women who are weave dependent, and though their hair may be natural and not chemically altered, they can’t see themselves without the weave. Basically, I gather that women like that have yet to fully accept their natural hair. If a person wears weave constantly, I don’t think there’s any other way to explain that.
Diversity is what makes the world go round. Each and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, you all have to agree to disagree. Going back to the topic in question i too found her comments/answers uninspiring. Can’t fault her hair though. However, i’m not someone who has ever hidden my hair under a weave so i find it a bit shocking that someone would rather wear a weave than have their own hair on show. I understand protective styling but this is extreme to me.
I don’t really care one way or the other about her wearing her hair in a weave 98% of the time — do you boo boo … DO YOU (Kevin Hart anyone?). My main reaction to the interview was just kind of disappointed that she basically didn’t have much of anything to say. She actually ended one of her answers with “yeah, so.” I just kind of got the sense that even though she’s had great success in growing and retaining her hair without chemicals — it wasn’t really HER success, its more of her stylists’. I wanted to her from HER how she learned from/about her hair but I don’t really think she knows. Am I judging her for that? No. It doesn’t have any negative bearing on my opinion of her — I still like her. Its just, I thought we’d have something in common and we don’t. Oh well.
WOW….um ok. The interview was boring but she does have pretty hair. I find it odd that with all the resources she has she does not know much about her hair. I would think that she has advantages that most of us do not have but to just be like “they do my hair….HEY! listen to my clothing line ideas” was just weird to me. I guess I am too involved with my hair, LOL! I dont blame the site for the interview and to be honest I didnt see anyone doing that. As far as the weave issue goes, I can understand because she is so busy with her career she does not have time to do her hair. I am not against weaves but could not imagine wearing them all the time. Nice girl, boring empty responses. Sorry.
I agree JP23. It was like we would have gotten better answers from one of her hairstylists because she personally knows nothing about her own hair. Alot of people have this problem not just weave wearers and permies but people who are natural who constantly go to the salon too. They depend on stylists to do their hair and when they get a stylist who doesn’t know what they are doing their hair suffers.
Sorry if I’m coming off like a hater but, I still don’t think that’s her natural hair. Unless the fro and blowout aren’t from the same time, her blown out hair should be much longer than the picked out hair but, it’s only a few inches different.
*Stop it*
Yes, you are coming off as a hater….
*Opens door, looks around, shakes my head, backs out and closes the door.*
lol, you and me both…
exactly! lol
LMAO I’m sensing some extreme naturals in this piece. My advice sometimes natural hair isn’t a BIG DEAL to other people. Let them be.
Great job Angela,,,
And what are the rules in the natural community? Are you guys serious? Rules…smdh.
I bet Angela has more hair than half of yall belittling her..lol
No one has belittled her. There are more complaints about the chat being dull than her hair choice. A small minority deem her unnatural. There aren’t that many people commenting here and lately the interviews don’t get many responses. People seem to be seeing things that aren’t here and the main rebuttals to the few extreme natural views are tinged with such nastiness. Even if someone is rocking a Caesar, they can still comment on a head of hair posted on here. Some will love it, some won’t. That’s life. Your comment seeks to belittle and insult a lot more than the expected cries of ‘she’s not natural.’ Some of us have been reading this since day dot and love the inspirational spirit it possesses. It’s perfectly ok to say that this interview left us feeling flat, just as it is for you to say you loved it.
Number one annoyance on the natural community: those of any persuasion that try to silence debate rather than offer their own tempered view. Insults just make people switch off.
You’re kidding right? Her interview was a whole mess of um…whatever..yeah…ok. And I’m tired of friends and stans hijacking reply boards to spin drama.
Celebs want free publicity they have to come correct. Don’t accept an interview for a natural hair site if you don’t have anything to say about natural hair. Don’t promote your clothing line if you don’t have anything to say about clothes. She got called out, the end.
@extreme side eye
I know for people living in the Color Purple saying someone’s hair is longer than somebody else’s means something, but grownups in the 21st century ain’t really trippin’ on that.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. 🙂 And I stand by mine, even if it is not popular.
I am truly impressed by her length retention. Whatever means it took to get there good for her. Maybe some of you guys can take some advice for her instead of moaning about “not retaining length”.
My post was dedicated to the people trying to define what “natural” is/isn’t.
Number one annoyance in the “natural hair community”…people trying to broadcast their perception of natural hair onto others.
Nice way to try to redeem the first 😉 A whole lot of people here retain length and have a lot of advice about it, take a look around sometime. Maybe some would’ve liked information from Angela but she didn’t have any.
Number one annoyance, passive-aggressive quoting.
I agree with Char re: yours and the other BGLH commenter critics on here. It’s all so spiteful, passive aggressive and baseless. Your opinions are not so much unpopular. Your points of which there are few, are delivered in such a sledgehammer fashion. I think it’s completely passive aggressive of you to throw general insults at BGLH commenters and only now get to the crux of what your argument was and who it was aimed at. It came off as though you were tarring all readers with the same brush in quite and immature fashion i.e ‘you’re all baldheaded’. Most of the interviews on here carry tons of hair advice as do the comments section when topics about hair care arise. I wonder how much you detractors really post and read here when you make such fatuous and facile statements. Furthermore, Simmons is not asking for unsolicited advice of any kind so wouldn’t us offering it be, as you put it, broadcasting our perception of natural hair onto others? Some of you need to choose what you want out of BGLHONLINE. Do you want to engage in rational debate within a supportive, inspiring space for naturals or just continue to infect it with your overwhelming negative energy? That’s what you do when you fail to offer a rational counter argument directly to those you disagree with instead choosing to resort to petty, misinformed insults.
“I know for people living in the Color Purple saying someone’s hair is longer than somebody else’s means something, but grownups in the 21st century ain’t really trippin’ on that.”
LOL!
That is all.
“I bet Angela has more hair than half of yall belittling her”
^5 🙂
BGLH reached out to her– she responded. She didn’t contact natural hair sites wanting to be a natural hair representative. Her interview was plain and boring, but I wasn’t expecting any passion from her regarding natural hair. She wears it covered, which is her business and decision. CurlyNikki had an interview with Toya ( Lil’ Wayne’s ex wife) and it was similar to this. Not everyone had some big ole drawn out process and revelation about natural hair when they stopped perming.
I stopped perming 8 years ago because I didn’t see the point of having a perm. But there were barely forums then, definitely no blogs and YT videos to ask about hair types or product reviews. I never wore a weave and had synthetic twists once my whole life, but that is me. People are exposed to more options now, but you can’t toss everyone in some big “enlightened” box that you made up.
I definitely agree with everything you said.
I would have liked a little more information about how she cares for her hair, since it is a website about hair. But I understand that she is a “celebrity” and having your hair out all the time could cause problems with excessive stying, color, etc. If we were just trying to answer the question about whether that is her natural hair in the first picture, then mission accomplished. In this case, even though people like to hate, Beyonce is natural and should be featured in an interview.
I don’t really see the point of the interview, other than to answer that question and promote her new clothing line. Didn’t really help me with my natural hair goals, since I don’t like to wear weave. I don’t have anything against people who do, but for me it’s not comfortable and I don’t see the point of having nice, healthy hair and never showing it.
Why are we making such a big fuss over Angela’s hair? Does it matter whether or not she is natural? Does it matter that she wears weave 24/7? NO and NO. I don’t understand for the life of me why it becomes so vicious when leaving comments. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I think we all should be a little more respectful to others opinions even if we don’t agree. Also, this girl is not trippin off of how natural we are or aren’t. In fact, she could care less. So, why are we supposed to care about what she is doing to the hair on her head?
I just wanted to give MY opinion on what natural means:
Having natural hair/being natural when it comes to hair is something that transcends race – this goes for white, black, yellow, brown & everything in between.
When you wear your hair in its NATURAL state (which is where the slang term of just plain ol’ “Natural” originates) – you don’t do ANYTHING to alter the NATURAL TEXTURE/LOOK of your hair – that is, you don’t straighten, bleach, relax, texlax, dye, fry, etc. – *TO ME* it means you leave YOUR hair in its NATURAL STATE. This is why some white women will say, “I’m NATURALLY a brunette but I dye it blonde” or “I’m NATURALLY curly but straighten my hair”. Same thing goes for us! If you’re doing ANYTHING to alter the hair that is GROWING OUT OF YOUR HEAD, your hair is no longer in its natural state. That’s *my* opinion of what natural is.
With that being said, if you wear weaves, you’re not wearing your natural hair out but that doesn’t mean that you’re ALTERING the natural texture or look of your OWN hair – you could just be adding pieces in.
Just my opinion!! Don’t beat me up!!
There’s definitely criticism about Angela’s styling, but I don’t think it’s just about Natural’s being territorial. I think her profile, in some ways, contradicts the spirit of BGLH, and it’s not wrong for people to observe that. That said I think we should just take the interview for what it is – a brief spotlight on a tv personality/designer.
The “spirit of BGLH” is in its title: “Black Girl with Long Hair: Celebrating the Dopeness of Natural Hair.”
Right now I’m looking at a woman with natural, long, beautiful hair.
So what’s the issue?
the about page of BGLH:
“Black Girl with Long Hair is a website dedicated to the ever-growing community of black, Latina and multi-racial women who choose to wear their hair naturally — with minimal or no use of chemicals, heat, weave or extensions.”
pay attention to the minimal part.Angela is constantly using heat and weaves so she does not fit the BGLH ideal.
And if anything, this re-opens the dialogue about weaves as a protective style.
Naturals continue to turn their nose up at weaves, while they continue to be a proven and effective way to grow hair out.
Online naturals really need to get over themselves. Because we’re talking this ish too far. And I’m all for more and more women accepting who they are naturally… and I definitely believe that we live in a Eurocentric society… but when it gets to the point that we can’t even allow in women who don’t fit our definition of what it is to be natural, then I think we go too far. And I think we already have gone too far.
If you want to spend your afternoon/day/evening raging against this, enjoy.
2nd Rosie, LoL!
Third. It’s exhausting watching her and the similarly named Jazmin hi five each other as they rail against the odd negative comment towards Simmons. Most of the negative, disheartening comments come from those two. It’s wrong to slate Simmons but ok to make ASSumptions about the commenters and readers of BGLH. Good luck with that.
Angela, is that you?
Seriously. Are you her cousin or something. You sure seem so passionate to defend Angela Simmons.
wow…idk i think people need to take a break from discussing natural hair…it’s just constantly so heated….and tiring…wow.
The comments on this blog are atrocious. This “you can be apart of this club but you can’t” reeks of the paper brown test. How dare you!!! EVERYONE has the right to wear their hair the way they want to wear it. This “you aren’t really natural because you don’t wear an afro or you use heat” bulls**t is so stupid and shows the immaturity and judgmental attitudes of so many women.
Right? I’ve been seeing this more often then I would like. I have to laugh at some of the natural hair police sometimes. I’m finding myself wanting to distance myself from a lot of this.
Back to the actual topic, I think Angela’s hair looks gorgeous! Thanks for the interview BGLH.
I agree. This site is becoming like those chicks over at Nappturality. A site I don’t even bother visiting anymore.
She’s a pretty girl and I’m happy for her success…. but uhhm, no I am not really feeling this interview as well. There seemed to be some sort of disconnect.
To me personally I take “natural” as anything representing your natural hair texture. It’s the difference in texture that has caused afro-haired-black women to alter their hair with chemicals or hide it under wigs that are not similar to their own.
Technically wearing any sort of weave wouldn’t be natural. BUT when we get into discussions about the discrimination Afro-hair faces, the beauty standards that Afro-hair fails to meet, and the shame of wearing Afro-hair it’s about TEXTURE. It’s not about length or color, but texture.
So that’s great that Angela is choosing to take care of her hair in “healthier” ways. But she is definitely NOT contributing to decreasing the stigma towards AFRO-texture by wearing weaves that do not imitate Afro-texture.
+1 billion!
Exactly.
ICAM. You hit the nail on the head but it will be ignored and cries of militant natural police will be chanted, the usual go to deflection ploy.
I am not judging anybody for relaxing or weaving, but please don’t expect me to call them natural if all they do is hide their natural hair. What makes flat ironing and wearing weaves 24-7 more natural than relaxing? So, they do everything they can to have straight hair EXCEPT relax? Big deal.
The obviously your definition is more than just the meaning that hair is not chemically treated. It is like Black people that question someone’s blackness because they have beliefs that differ from a large portion of the group. Still Black by definition. Doesn’t matter what you wanna call them. You are deciding who is in or out based on a standard that you created and is not what the term means.
BAZINGA!!
I am about to go on a rant because this really bothers me.
Angela, I completely agree with you! As a community, we really need to redefine what it means to be “natural.” It really disappoints me when people limit the definition of natural to just hair that is “chemical free.” In my opinion, there’s so much more to it. On a physical level, being natural is about maintaining one’s hair in its UNALTERED, NATURAL STATE OF TEXTURE (more on this later). But most importantly, being “natural” is a state of mind. It’s not just about a cessation of using harsh chemicals to straighten your hair…it’s about shedding the eurocentric conditioning that straight hair is better, and (to quote Angela Simmons) “easier to manage,” and to stop viewing your natural hair as a “hassle” (again, quoting Angela Simmons). Changing one’s mindset is the longest and hardest process.
The natural community refers to relaxer as “creamy crack” based on the premise that black women are addicted to it. But I would challenge the natural community to take the analysis a bit further. Black women are not addicted to the relaxer, per se…they are addicted to the outcome achieved by the relaxer, which is flowing, straight hair. Without addressing the addiction to straight hair, we will forever have a confused, nonsensical definition of what it means to be natural.
Whether it’s by relaxer or heat, the means by which one chooses to achieve a straight-haired look should be completely irrelevant. If your hair is straight, it is NOT natural. Point blank…period. Surprisingly, many natural-haired women seem to get offended by this concept because, for some reason, we don’t want to abandon the straight hair aesthetic, even AFTER becoming natural! If women want to wear wigs and weaves or straighten their hair OCCASIONALLY, I take no issue with that (even though it is not my personal preference). However, my opinion changes when that is a woman’s hair preference the majority of the time. Quick story: I once met a black female hair stylist who told me that her hair was natural, but she wears her hair straight 9 out of 12 months of the year…I was floored that she would even fix her mouth to say that she was natural…that made no sense to me. Needless to say, I let her nowhere near my curls (particularly since she kept trying to convince me to straighten my hair).
If you want to hide you hair with weaves and wigs all the time, in my opinion, that’s no different from permanently “hiding” your hair with a relaxer. If you heat straighten your incessantly (like 9 out of 12 months of the year!), that is no different from having a relaxer because the outcome is the same–STRAIGHT HAIR on a damn near permanent basis. While the straight hair was achieved through a non-chemical method, straight hair is NOT your NATURAL hair texture, and you are not embracing your natural texture by heat straightening it. You are still trying to make your hair texture look like the complete antithesis of how it grows out of your scalp naturally–the very behavior one claims to abandon by going natural.
Now that natural hair has become popular, and somewhat mainstream, it seems that more black female celebrities want to come out the wood work (or perhaps out of the closet) screaming that they, too, are part of the natural hair community because they have natural hair hidden underneath wigs and weaves, or pulled straight with flat irons. It really bothers me that natural hair bloggers flaunt these celebrities on their websites as natural. What irks me even more is that the natural hair community embraces these women into the fold as if we are so happy to see a celebrity claim to be natural although they are reluctant (if not fearful) of showing their natural hair to the world on a consistent basis. In my opinion, they are not positive representations. I wear my natural hair out every day when I go to work…why can’t they? I wear my natural hair when I go to work out…why can’t they? Show me more celebrities similar to Solange Knowles or Raven Symone. I am not inspired by a celebrity who finds her own natural hair too taxing.
I’m sure many people of you will disagree with my view points, and I’m sure I will get many hateful responses. But this is just food for thought. I want us to stop being delusional about straight hair (by way of chemicals or heat) being natural. This is just my humble opinion.
Yes. Yes to all of this.
Co-sign 100%! You nailed it.
You are NOT natural if the hair that you present to the world 24/7 is 100% Yaki or straight hair from the head of an Indian woman! There is too much nonsensical bandwagon jumping going on. If you wear weave, then good for you. But spare everyone the delusional nonsense that you are natural, when you never wear out the hair that grows naturally out of your scalp!
You know what… a lot of you commenters/observers either have short term or selective memory. Because I remember when BGLH initially posted the picture of Angela Simmons’ natural hair and was CRUCIFIED because many of you said that a.) the hair might not be natural or b.) flat out that the hair was NOT natural. Remember??
http://bglhonline.com/2011/08/angela-simmons-reveals-her-massive-natural-hair/
Now you wanna complain that the interview is uninspiring. SMH. For me, I’m glad that it’s been cleared up that Angela Simmons IS IN FACT natural underneath the weave. And even though she might not be at a point where she’s walking up and down the street with a twistout, the fact that she shared the picture with her Twitter followers is really cool, IMO.
Naturals are too possessive and obsessive about ‘protecting the community’, as though everything will fall apart if we accept and embrace people who don’t fit our definition of natural. We need to be careful that in our quest to be the ‘keepers of all things natural’ we’re not turning into stereotypically bitter black women.
I know that I’m more surprised about her responses than if she wears it out or not.
WOW!!! to be honest While wacthing Daddy’s girls, I didn’t even realise that she had a weave!!lol. she is beautiful and her hair is absolutely healthy and georgeous
yesss, Cher Nikki. You couldnt have said the words better.. I totally agree:0)
some are taking this hair thing to seriously. This girl is not putting any harsh chemicals in her hair to permanently change the texture. So is she Natural? hell yes. If she chooses to wear weaves as protective styling, then kudos to her because from the looks of it, it’s working..what is the problem? i don’t get it.
I feel like people are being hard on the Angela. Particularly with their description of natural. Natural is simply the state of the hair…is it chemically processed or not. How she decides to where it (covered up or braided or out) is a personal decision. I find it odd that people are saying she is not natural if she doesn’t embrace her hair. I feel like embracing you hair is different for everyone. People get on Kimmytube because 90% of the time she wears her hair twisted up and pinned back. Kizzy twist are often used to describe what she does. Is she not embracing her textures because she pins it back. Simmons braids her hair and puts in a weave because it is easier for her lifestyle. It doesn’t take away from the fact that the hair growing out of the scalp is untreated. Lets not divide the community over trivial stuff. There are also many natural women who do where their hair flat ironed all the time. I feel like when I read comments like this the natural community sounds cliquish and to some degree judgmental.
Good comment, Cher.
Right now I wear wigs so that my natural hair can grow to a length where I can blow or flat iron it out. That’s my choice. I completely understand how Angela feels. Perhaps she just doesn’t like the way her hair looks when it is curly and prefers a straight style.
No biggie.
How “natural” are you really if all you ever do is hide your natural hair under weaves or flat iron it? There is more to being natural than not relaxing.
No theirs not. If you don’t have chemicals in your hair. You’re natural. bottom line. It doesn’t matter if she hides it all the time, she still is natural.
+1
I think some people fail to realize that, a weave, is not a chemical. It’s not about “hiding” your hair (for some it may be), it’s simply an easy hair choice that equally protects your hair strands. You don’t have to jump around proclaiming how natural you are, wearing T-shirt’s, etc. It’s just hair, just like relaxed hair! We’re all here for the same purpose, protecting, growing and keeping our hair healthy! JS.
+1
I couldn’t agree more. We’ve gotten way off the path and have started “policing” what natural is. Yea she wears weaves all the time but she is a natural. Sheesh.
I do agree with others though that her interview was and wasn’t inspiring. It was in that it shows protective styles like weaves give your hair rest so it can grow and retain uninterrupted if taken care of properly. It wasn’t inspiring because on BGLH, we want to see what women are doing to their hair to keep it thriving and looking good and since she doesn’t do her own hair 99% of the time, she didn’t have many tips to offer us. I think in this instance, an interview with her stylist would have been beneficial as well.
+1,000,000 THANK YOU Jazmin! There’s a difference between being natural and being part of this online natural hair community.
Being natural simply means being chemical free. No ifs, ands or buts. Angela Simmons is natural because she doesn’t alter the texture of her hair.
But as far as being part of this online natural hair community… hmm… that’s a whole nother story. There’s a whole set of rules and regulations to that.
No there really isn’t. Most agree with the idea that natural is just chemical free unaltered hair. It goes no deeper than that for many. Of course there are some that feel natural hair should carry certain caveats and regulations but these are truly in the minority. You come across as someone who has a very negative view of the online element of the natural hair community. It shouldn’t affect you as much as it does or anyone else for that matter. If I were you, i’d leave it alone. Being on here complaining seems futile.
Jasmine, can you please provide me with a manual about these “rules and regulations” in regards to being a part of the online natural hair community?
I CAN’T UNDERSTAND HIDING YOUR HAIR ALL THE TIME LIKE THAT, AND THEN ONLY WEARING IT OUT IF IT’S STRAIGHT? REALLY? AT LEAST IT WAS CLEARED UP THAT SHE IS NATURAL……. BUT I RATHER READ AN INTERVIEW ON SOME ONE THAT WEARS THEIR HAIR NOT SOME ONE THAT IS WEAVE DEPENDENT
Interesting hair design 🙂
I understand 24/7 protective styling for those in the entertainment industry. While I don’t take much issue with her not wearing her own hair out, I wonder if she would (or has) worn weaves that resemble her natural texture? Anyways, I wasn’t exoecting much from the interview on Angela’s end; from the little that I know about her, she seems like a run-of-the-mill vapid industry gal.
I really love this blog and I usually don’t post, but the Angela Simmons topics are really eating at me. As someone who wears weaves and interlocking as protective styles, I can certainly attest to the growth and health of my natural hair now vs. when I was wearing my natural hair out in twists or other styles. I am not Angela Simmons and I don’t have her genetic makeup or hair type, but I have a gorgeous head of natural hair that I love, a texture that I happily embrace and a hair length that I want to retain and extend. My natural hair is strong yet very cotton-y in texture and while I love wearing my natural hair out, moisture retention, manipulation, and styling time are factors in my life and hair care. Not every person who keeps their hair in a protective style the majority of the time is natural by default. For me, it is truly a choice, and one that keeps my hair growing.
what is interlocking?
Interlocking is another term for crochet braids.
oh ok. thanks!
i agree with you Moon but i think what people are trying to say is that Angela seems very indifferent towards the whole hair topic.. alot of us who visit the site went natural for different reasons and know how much time and care we put into our hair ( i mean thats why we read the blog) so we were interested in seeing her routine or reasons, not just o my hair dresser does it i just didnt see the point in perm. I wear weaves and protect my hair but the reason i protect it is because im proud of it and cant wait to take it out and show it off.. i mean.. isn’t that why we went natural? just a thought not trying to knock anyone lol
I agree with the comments made, this isn’t really an inspiring interview. She’s got a gorgeous head of hair on her, it would be nice to see more of it.
I don’t think her going natural seemed like too much of a choice, like she said.. there was no point in perming .. especially if its under a weave the whole time… duuh!
I understand that natural hair is diverse and you can do so much with it in the sense of style(twist-out, weaves, straighten, etc.). Women can do whatever they want with their hair but something about this interview just rubbed me the work way. Is it really embracing the beauty of natural hair if the person isn’t willing to wear their natural hair out sans flat iron?
Heck I use to wear nothing but weaves so there was no need for a relaxer does that mean I embraced my natural texture? No.
“Is it really embracing the beauty of natural hair if the person isn’t willing to wear their natural hair out sans flat iron?”
I totally agree with you. While various styling options are fantastic, the inability to leave the house without flat-ironing speaks volumes.
Nevertheless, I do believe that she will inspire many to take care of their hair while it’s weaved (especially if money is no major concern)and I hope that she may be inspired to learn, for there is power and freedom in this, to take care of her own hair.
+10,000!
I agree. I was like what’s the point of being a natural if you’re not rocking the natural hair…ever?
Beautiful woman, I wish her continued success. The interview was my least favorite on BGLH though, for either her hair care tips, her design inspiration or career history and motivation. Every answer seemed so general, uninformed and worst of all boring. Despite all that I love the diversity of interviewees and the great questions!
Um… Why are you being a hater?? BGLH has no control over the responses celebrities give to the questions.
#icant with some commenters.
How is she a “hater”(gosh I hate that word)? She’s stating HER opinion . Annie clearly stated that the questions asked was great clearly she knows that BGLH has no control over responses.She just did not like Angela’s reply to said questions, what’s wrong with that?
I agree with Annie. She didn’t seem like she had much to say. she doesn’t take care of her hair, her hair dressers do. So she wouldn’t have many tips on taking care of it, other than weaving it up.
I have mixed feelings about the interview too. I love her long, thick hair and it would have been nice to get some hair care tips besides paying money to let others do it or weaving. It works for her and her lifestyle (and budget!) so I wont throw shade…
Why even say “The interview was my least favorite on BGLH”.
Who says that? Why take shots at BGLH if Angela is the problem.
But I’m not a fan of the BGLH comment box. There’s a lot of passive aggression and outright nastiness that goes on here.
And check the end of this comment thread for my other response.
When BGLH initially posted the pic of Angela Simmons’ hair, people were upset, and swore up and down that a.) it wasn’t real or b.) it wasn’t natural.
To me, this interview silenced those accusations that were probably leveled by some of the same women commenting now.
@Jasmine Co-sign
Yours was the first negative comment I read on this post, and I don’t think she was taking shots at BGLH, because she only asked the questions, I think she was simply saying Angela was a boring interviewee.
Agree, Jasmine you came across like the thought police and appeared to be the only passive aggressive at this point in the comments. There were a lot of complimentary comments on the last AS post. Why do you read and post in the comments if your disposition is so delicate that you cannot handle opinions which are contrary to your own? This was a boring, strangely flat and nonchalant interview and I understand that the criticism was of the respondent’s lacklustre answers not Laila at all.
Q:”Why even say “The interview was my least favorite on BGLH””
A: Because that was my RESPECTFULLY stated opinion.
Q:”Why take shots at BGLH if Angela is the problem”
A: I didn’t, if you read my post it went as follows:
“Beautiful woman, I wish her continued success. The interview was my least favorite on BGLH though, for either her hair care tips, her design inspiration or career history and motivation. Every answer seemed so general, uninformed and worst of all boring. Despite all that I love the diversity of interviewees and the great questions!”
Your reply to my comments weren’t at all based on what I wrote about the interview, feel free to re-read. HTH
jasmine: YOU are the hater. Annie posted her opinion which many of us agree with. Angela has no adivce bc she doesnt take care of her hair herself. Then when was talking about her shoes PASTRy)overpriced chit IMO) and her new clothes lines, more genral stufff. ARe she/her sis really involved or are they just figureheads?
jasmine, u aint the moderator or the thought police.
So YOU JASMINE sit down and shutup.
+10000000000
I couldn’t agree more.
But hey at least she was completely honest about what she does with her hair which isn’t that much.
Her hair is gorgeous and thick, it was my least favourite interview as well…she answered the questions like yeah its just whatever anything goes I guess smh umm really, oh ok…
Ha Ha! Your so right. She’s young though, so I’ll give her a pass. That’s my girl though I dig her a lot 🙂
well maybe there’s link between her nonchalant attitude and her length retention. she doesn’t fuss with it and so its allowed to grow uninhibited…
I agree that her answers were pretty general and she seemed rather disinterested. But she was probably just doing the interview because it’s free publicity and she can plug her fashion line(s). I don’t know if it’s my least favorite interview, but it wasn’t really inspiring or informative to me.
Not in reply to Annie L.- I can’t agree that just because she only wears her hair straightened or in a weave that it’s not “really natural.” As long as she doesn’t have a relaxer, it’s still natural.
MsM: Angela’s hair is natural yes.
What we see day to say inst natural.
that was a nice interview and I liked that she talked about her work and upcoming line. but for the life of me, I can never understand the concept of keeping your hair hidden under weave, wigs,braids and whatnot 100% of the time…I don’t understand WHEN these individuals enjoy their actual hair whether it is natural,realxed textlaxed etc.I guess there is just somekind of satisfaction in knowing your own hair is healthy and growing even though you almost never get to showcase it…
Lola, I hear ya, at least for the everyday girl, but if I were a celebrity I think I would do it to. The pressure to be camera ready 24-7-365 would put too much stress on my natural hair. In order to protect and preserve it I would probably wear lots of wigs and weaves. Many women I respect in the industry Oprah, Tyra, Beyonce use them liberally. I put Angela in the need-to-wear-weave group with them. But as for the rest of us, I think we can give it a rest already.
Wow, the need- to- wear category. That group would have to contain more than just celebrties right? Like busy working,studying & attending classess college students and the working 2 jobs, taking care of the kids single moms or can’t won’t and never will have hair women suffering from alopecia. In short we should strive to understand, support, encourage and lift one another as oppose to judging one another because you never really know who is in the “need to wear group” when you pass them on the street. Great article and very empowering.
exactly, many women are in the need-to-wear category. especially with all the talk of fitness and how our hair affects our ability to work out.
I am in the need-to-wear category, because I work out at least 4-5 times a week and a large part of that is cardio. I use wigs with my hair twisted up underneath. Wigs are best for me, because I need to have access to my hair daily for moisturizing, washing an so forth. It would be impossible for her as a loose-haired natural to wear her hair out for more than a couple days at a time (can we say tangles?) without inviting dryness and breakage. Low manipulation is what is best for my type 4 hair.
Well I’m not in the need-to-wear category, but I did wear wigs for 6 months straight leaving my hair in twists underneath (I’m a transitioner) and I saw HUGE progress in hair growth. But kimmaytube does have information on how to achieve the proper styles for things such as working out w/o having to wear wigs; her method is using neutral ph balanced products (6.0-for ex. water and oil) that stretches the hair and also makes it puffier. This enables one to sweat without having to worry about extreme frizz.
Proof that protective styling, weaves etc. are healthy for hair growth! (As long as you take care of it, that is!). I love the growth and the health of her hair. I understand with wanting to keep it in extensions, because natural hair can sometimes be a hassle. I’ve been on the brink of getting a weave!
Alas, she looks great. The picture of her hair straightened is to die for!
Proof indeed! True die hard weave and wig wearers MUST be 100% natural if they hope to see that kind of healthy growth. I’ve encouraged many to release the perm & coloring when wearing alternative hair and with patience and proper care growth happens
Awwww nice interview!
Love. Love. Love her. 🙂
from fashion, hair and the way
she carries herself.
#teamANG/. 🙂
pretty girl, epic hair 🙂