by
Black Girl With Long Hair
Photo Source: Toutes les choses de moi
I am LOVING this mini-documentary by New York Times writer Zina Saro-Wiwa about the natural hair community. In addition to documenting a bit of her own transition, she describes common themes of the natural hair movement; community, health and transitioning for personal (not political!) reasons. I thought this was important since so many people still think that naturals are trying to be “political” (o_0) when most of us were really just tired of the expense and inconvenience of relaxed hair, and believing that our own textures weren’t good enough to ‘show’ publicly.
What do you think of the video ladies? Is it an accurate snapshot of the natural hair community? (Video below.)
64 Responses
Wow, the narrator she looks much prettier with natural hair.
LOL, where was I when she was snappin’ pics of naturals?! Jealous! I live in NY!
Wow. I didn’t want it to end. Awesome! Watching her get her hair cut made me want to cut mine again… I won’t though, lol
BRAVO!
It’s interesting to read all the different opinions. I know it does suck to seem like we are always being studied and in this and that analysis black women are the worst at this and the least likely to do that etc…and it’s all negative. I understand that and I feel that way too. However, I think a lot of us have forgotten that we are a collective subgroup of people that has it’s own culture within a larger culture that for it’s entire existence has been in one form or another trying to keep us down and deny us anything they could. Anything a group of common back ground collectively does has the potential to be political.
I do see the natural movement as maybe not political, but a precurser to and a step in the right direction for the collective of black people politically. The first reason IS because of the personal self acceptance. We all know that anything remotely African about us has usually been the reason for ridicule within our own community and historically by society at large(i.e. light skin, “good hair”, eurocentric features) The second reason is because of the UNITY and sisterhood it is fostering. I don’t even have to start on the historic lack of unity we have in our community, especially women. Thirdly, the increase in black business owners making products are keeping dollars within the black community. These things are all political whether you meant them to be or not. The very fact that any of us has ever come against opposition to who we naturally are all has is roots in “politics”.
I mean seriously, where did all the comments about natural hair being inappropriate come from? It came from our parents and grand parents not being able to get a job unless they conformed, or assimilated, to the standards of the larger American community, which is historically an oppressor of blacks. I’m just keeping it factual. None of this can be disputed by any one.
In conclusion, a large segment of our population has changed their behaviors, changed their spending habits, and changed their collective attitudes. It’s just something that can’t go un-noticed.
i mean dark skin, kinky hair, and afrocentric features…
Consider what pinkgirlfluff said about people losing their jobs over natural hair…and the white guy the other day who told me my look was “wild” (Wtf? No joke!)
Our hair is definitely political, it’s just a matter of whether you want to embrace it, like Annie, or reject it, like Merry. Simple as that. Or maybe you’re somewhere in the middle, like me. Personally, I hardly ever think about the politics of my hair, except when I see something like Zina’s film, read the really thoughtful reactions to it here, or get brilliant comments like from Mr. You Look Wild lol
I know one thing- Zina ia so BEAUTIFUL ! She knows how to rock that twa!!! Nice clip to mark our journey!
I think that it’s great. I’ve been natural for years and I’ve struggled with aloepica, wearing wigs and weaves to cover it and the vicious cycle that it perpetuates, i.e. the covering it up, making it worse, not looking after my hair properly, etc. But I’ve learned to take better care of my hair and of myself. It’s a journey, an individual one and people make choices that are right for them. I loved this documentary because it touched on a lot of things that some BW have dealt with regarding their hair and their self-image.
Ohhhhh how I just looove this op-doc!! We are BEAUTIFUL!
Now, to the question: I did not read prior responses yet, but I completely AGREE with the author/filmaker when she states that going natural is “The most POTENT POLITICAL ACT OF ALL”.
Many of the readers under 40 may not agree with the author/filmaker’s statement, but the fact of the matter is that the world is dominated by Western culture (ie White supremacy), so much so that we have swallowed the recent propaganda tag-line of a post-racial America when Jim Crow is still alive and well, conformity to “whiteness” be it in actions, thoughts, and behavior are considered the norm and everything else is labeled as ‘other’, recent national data sets regarding racism reveal that the same stereotypes about blacks held in the early-late 20th c are still dominant in the psyche of other groups and now, black minds. The media need to ALWAYS paint Africa as a country (when its a continent) needing a handout, suffering people or corrupt governments. The recent shenanigans over G. Zimmerman and others who were killed simply b/c of their ‘race’, oh good lawd knows this list could go on ad infinitum!
The POTUS can’t even discuss race b/c white people get scared and uncomfortable when race is discussed, this is WHY one of the Ultra-rich guys who was recently outed for his plan to “assasinate Obama’s character” (which you can find the complete document online) wanted to re-use the incredibly brilliant and out spoken Rev. Jeremiah Wright word’s of (REAL QUOTE from paper) “Black LIBERATION THEOLOGY” to cast Obama as a racist b/c of his close association w/ the Reverend.
{BTW, what’s WRONG w/ black liberation theology? Nothing! It’s a philosophy of self-love, self-respect, love of our brother’s and sister’s, understanding our place in history….BTW, other ethnic groups have had a “Liberation theology” and they are always used to lift the marginalized and oppressed out of their subjugated status.}
Of course, Obama has denouced the “good reverend”(as the paper so cleverly called him- the paper even mentioned ways not to appear racist-in fact, this paper is a perfect example of ‘post-racial’ racist whitespeak) or else he certainly would not have been elected in 08. Notice, no ‘black leaders’ are EVER given the finances, socio-political networks, or national coverage if they are speaking about the real injustices in our society and they certainly could never run for president if they did speak about ‘race’ and its consequences, for example, white privilege.
It saddens me that so many of us truly have swallowed the Kool-Aid, but alas, that’s the power of socialization. We may not want to be politicized, but guess what, the moment one is born, you become political whether you want to or not. From the hospital that delivers you, or the prenatal care recieved, to housing, education,…..and until the day you die, you are a political entity.
Am I making a political statement? If you asked me this in my teens, knowing me, I’d probably say not really, but I know the reasons why I always permed my hair (wanted to fit in- BUT, the question is-WHY? FIT-in w/ whom? Who told me my hair had to be altered to fit-in? Who told me that my hair was bad, abnormal; that mommy could lose her paycheck if she wore cornrows? No one had to say it to my face, we pick this ish up the moment we can utilize our senses. Little black girls and boys around the world know where they stand in the social ranking in their respective societies, and so do grown black men and woman. So, yes, I did it for health, vanity (I think black women look way better w/ their natural texture), and fu*K yeah, FOR POLITICAL REASONS. Ain’t no shame in my ish.
One doesn’t have to be marching or doing ‘sit-ins’ to be political, you simply are; especially if a minority of any kind (gender, sexuality, race, disabled/able-bodied, etc).
Ugh, I’m ramblin’…. take it easy ladies =) And, please register to VOTE =)
Should have stated: before you are born-We all know wombs are political.
Our bodies have always and probably will always be political. Sheesh, the bodies of all women are political right now. Just because you may not have made the decision to go natural for some deep profound reason does not mean that who you are in this country is a non political issue. That includes how you style your hair and how you dress.
When people can lose their jobs over having natural hair in 2012 you better believe that natural hair is political. Like it or not.
Interesting point, then one cans easily say that everything involve the human race in a whole is political but that act change any aspect yourself will always will always seen as political so rather it should be then said it is still personal, it will always be booth. So it neither and booth. I prefer to believe that the decision to go natural is personal but once made public it will be judged, therefore being designated into its perceived (or assumed) “rightful” category (stereotyped).
At first in 2000 when I transitioned I got locs and I loved! But then I started seeing women just be completely natrual and know what their hair was like I never ever did my own hair natural I had enough newgrowth to get locs so I did not experience it. I had a perm since I was in the third grade and my Mom did my hair so for me it was meeting myself for the very first time. My locs were beautiful and long but I had to let them go I needed to know who I really am in totality. thanks for all of the help and influence specifically this site quest for the perfect curl and hey fran hey they were instrumental in helping to to let go and have no fear.
Wow there is so much anger out there and rightly justifiable. Natural hair is POLITICAL.
Natural was not socially excepted in the 1970s it was women and men rebelling. Women
And men could not get certain jobs because of the AFROS. Its still happening today.
Everyone will not be 100% on board with the choices we decide and that’s a part
Of life. As long as we are happy and confident within ourselves that’s all that should
Matter.
Zina…great daughter of a great man.. I salute you.
I guessed as much. She must be Ken Saro-Wiwa’s daughter
really annie l? you think being natural is about saying no to centuries of tyranny?
imo, this is so sad.
it’s so depressing to me that anything a black woman does can be construed as “political”.
i speak standard english – that’s political.
instead of getting pregnant at 16 and going on welfare, i went to college – that’s political.
i exercise regularly, eat well and am not fat, defying the statistical data on black women – that’s political.
i wear my hair the way it grows out of my hair – that’s political…
why does everything i do as a black woman have to be about politics just because it flies in the face of someone else’s expectation? yet, we don’t lay the same crap at the feet of anyone else. i have no interest in being burdened by this mentality. and yes, it is a burden and an annoyance. i feel like people are expecting certain things from me.
i can easily argue that anyone who goes against the grain of society is political.
don’t you just want to rest and have a chance to be you?
are you comfortable with someone thinking you’re making some sort of statement? are you okay with an employer or potential client thinking you’re making some sort of statement?
i wonder if this sentiment varies depending on how long a person has been natural. i wonder whether someone who has been natural for a decade or more, before it was called a “movement,” believes they are making some sort of unavoidable political statement.
even though the video wasn’t that bad, these types of things always make me cringe.
I totally hear you and agree with what you have expressed.
I have been natural for twelve yrs and no one was talking about it the way they are now when I went natural.
I think it has become politicized ( or viewed that way) partially because of the economics involved. So many people are losing money (relaxer companies and stylists) because of this shift. Society doesn’t expect that black woman would be in such a position to direct economics the way it has with this shift. It’s sad because most of us who have made the decision to go natural did it for totally personal reason and not direct some sort of global shift- political or otherwise.
I , too, get sick of people expecting the worst from us. It’s so bad that when we dare to be an individual and inadvertently exceed expectation, folks have to find some crazy reason as to why that’s the case. It is so tiring.
Why can’t we just BE??!!
@ Zenith
“Why can’t we just BE??!!”
Well, as I’ve already said, we CAN just BE — in our minds, in our homes, & when no one’s watching.
But because we ALSO live IN the world, who we are will always be up for interpretation — whether you’re black, white, male, female, etc. If we try to control how our image is deployed (for good and for “evil”) once it’s seen and out there in the world, we’d go crazy and waste a whole lot of our precious energy on folks who will NEVER get it.
Just because people will do with your image what most people are in the habit of doing doesn’t mean that you can’t continue to BE, to do YOU, to do as you do, to carry on, to prosper, to have your own personal reasons & motivations.
For example, should merry let annie have her own personal opinions about the politics of her personal choices?
Yes.
Why won’t merry let annie BE?
That’s what’s called the thin line between the personal and the political, my friends.
PEACE&LOVE
“If we try to control how our image is deployed (for good and for “evil”) once it’s seen and out there in the world, we’d go crazy and waste a whole lot of our precious energy on folks who will NEVER get it.”
+1
I think some people are seriously getting bent out of shape for no reason. Does it really matter whether some anonymous, hypothetical person views your hair choices as political? In all honestly, other people aren’t really thinking about us that much. Try this. The next time there’s some article about black women in a major media outlet, ask the white people around you what they think about it. You’ll find that the vast majority don’t even bother to read it – they don’t care. White people really aren’t sitting around thinking about our hair, and what our choice in hair care means to them. This gets to be a bit too much navel gazing when people prattle on about the “image” of black women, and how we can control it, or whatever.
Who was it that said: “You wouldn’t worry about what other people think about you if you knew how little they did.”? Those are wise words, ladies. Don’t bother worrying about who might think your hair is political. That’s something you can’t control. And more often than not, it’s a fleeting thought that is largely be inconsequential to the person thinking it. Why get so worked up over it?
+1
+1 Accurate.
agree Clueful, that is just one of the aspects of that question.
Clueful it’s nice for you to express your opinion, but there is no need to denigrate others or attempt to dimish others who feel and think differently than you do.
I am sick and tired of being black women being ‘studied’ by various people for a myriad of reasons.(Just like merry stated in her comment). Yes, other groups have been studied, but not to the same degree and with the same vigor over BASIC things/choices (i.e hair, dating/marriage) as black women. This is MY opinion. I am living my life like it’s Golden and am happy with it. Believe me, if I was all caught up in an ‘image’, I would not be where I am today – professionally and personally. I do, however, have an opinion about WHY people are so interested in the details of black women’s lives and choices.
You don’t have to agree with it, but stop trying to ‘assert’ yourself by minimizing others or trying to make our feelings about this issue seem ridiculous. You are NOT that deep and insightful.
I didn’t realize that I was “denigrating, diminishing, & minimizing” others.
How did you come to that conclusion, I wonder?
I will try to be more deep and insightful and less denigrating and diminishing next time.
I promise.
PEACE&LOVE.
lovely hair!
I must say it is interesting that I did not notice so many naturals around me until I decided to go natural myself. I must agree that going natural is a personal decision for each individual but if others want to make it political then fine by me. If saving money, accepting myself, and wanting versatility is a political statement then oh well.
Beautiful video…I must say my decision to go natural was because my hair was damaged due to all the relaxers I had received from childhood to adulthood. In the process of this journey I found excepting my true beauty….(hair, skin, personality etc.)I don’t think we start out making a political statement but somehow it ends up that way. The community (society) should not be the one to decide what “Hair Type” is accepted. That’s our right and choice..(the people)…love the documentary keep them coming!!!!!
I think that we in a world where political correctness prevails. This era that likes to pretend that everything is peachy and that “we are the world, we are the children”.
Basically we pretend we have reached equality when it is not so. Beacuse of that, it may be more difficult to label the natural movement as political (just so as not to shock or scare people).
But I totally think it is political.
I definitely agree with this.
+1 I definately think that the movement is kind of going out of the way not to be political too…like don’t worry white folks LOL
Something should also be said about how objectionable our generation seems to find the “p” word (political) and the “f” word (feminist).
I wonder why we — aged early 20s to early 30s — are so opposed to claiming these identities in the first place?
We’re the “me” generation it seems.
The YOUtube generation.
God forbid that thing was called WeTube!
(But, ironically enough, at the end of the day, that’s what it really is: a barometer of the changes in OUR times.)
Individuality is wonderful & amazing, but I want to have my cake and SHARE it too.
+1 very well-said.
+1 Definitely nothing wrong with being a feminist, many patriarchal pesrpectives have completely rtied to redine the word itself.
I agree. As a 19 year old female, I feel confused about how my generation wants everything separate, everything individualized.
As if what theyre currently doing has never been done before.
They think the defining thing about themselves is far apart they can be from everything and everyone else.
God forbid collectively standing up for something that is good for everyone.
It’s just too “mainstream.”
Yes, yes, yes!!!
one love, y’all.
OMG, this statement is the absolute truth, sine when did “political” become a bad word? Don’t call me, political, feminist, strong or God forbid independent woman but call me a b*, h*, or the “N word” w/ an a at the end, and that’s fine. *Sigh* I don’t get my generation at all.
Interesting clip. I have to say though, the last thing we need is for this shift in our hairstyle is for it to get political. It’s the fastest way to turn it into a fad and then go back to what happened in the past with the decline in afros.
The best is to make it about self acceptance and love, care and honesty with oneself. It should not be a debate/fight between natural and chemically treated, or natural vs weaves. I think the best thing we can do is keep it positive, concentrate on the variety and beauty of natural hair. Eventually the celebrities will catch on and we’ll see more natural on the cover of magazines. Until then, we can create our own magazines celebrating natural hair and support blogs like blackgirllonhair 🙂
@LA
“It’s the fastest way to turn it into a fad and then go back to what happened in the past with the decline in afros”
here is the thing though, i don’t think it would shift into a political fad because ppl are realizing they CAN go natural, not that they SHOULD go natural. realizing that your natural hair can be beautiful & healthy, at least for me was what inspired me to go natural. I wasn’t inspired by the statement it made; I was inspired by the fact that it was beautiful! I had never really experienced my hair in its natural state,so i didn’t get to see its beauty. I was young when i got my first perm, but when i saw its potential i finally saw something i hadn’t seen before. Seeing someone else do it inspired me to want to do it as well. all hair types, have beauty of their own, we are fearfully & wonderfaully made!Ps139
The decline in afros coincided with the proliferation of perms on the market, white backlash from the civil rights movement (which resulted in employment and housing discrimination if hair was thought of as politcal by potential bankers, employers, etc, and resulted in the election of one of the worst President’s in recent history-Reagan; his political team created the “welfare” queen stereotype and nasty policies that harmed black socioeconomic mobility),black folks not wanting to rock the boat, increased beauty marketing to woman, and the often unspoken generational self-hatred that many blacks still shackle both themselves and their offspring.
I really liked this. Its was honest. She did a great job of capturing the essence of natural hair.
The personal is political.
YES! I agree =)
I love this…very valid points were made in this clip…this is a great clip to start a conversation with!
I CRIED!!!! just saying xxx loved it
Now I don’t feel bad,:-) There was something about this that made me emotional.
I think it’s sad that collectively we feel the need to ‘explain ourselves’ to people. SMH — It makes it look like we can’t even grow our hair without seeking the approval of other races. Who cares if people think it’s ‘political’? What are we so afraid of?? I’d argue that going natural IS a movement — whether you want to accept the reality of the situation or not. There is a history here whether it is regarded by said natural or not. That’s why people are so put-off by it and that is why this generation feels the need to make a distintion between themselves and previous generations of so called ‘militant’ black women. It’s lame and chickenshit. I GLADLY accept everything my hair represents PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE — all ‘political’ btw.
I don’t think that naturals are really explaining anything to anybody. But I’ve noticed that in quite a bit of the coverage of natural hair, many writers (who themselves are not natural and not really familiar with the natural community) describe it as a political movement, and I think it’s an inaccurate description.
Yes, the COLLECTIVE effect of thousands of black women choosing to rock their own texture is political on some level. But most of the style icons featured on this site, and a good chunk of the readership, didn’t go natural to make a statement to anyone but themselves.
Almost EVERYTHING black women do is politicized. And it’s something that women of other ethnicities don’t deal with on the same level.
Who we choose to marry (black or non black), WHETHER we marry (the whole ‘single black woman’ debacle), our economic status, how we raise our children — these are all things that are picked apart in the media, often by people who themselves are not black and female.
So to me, it was refreshing for this writer to notice that most naturals aren’t thinking of the ‘macro’ effect their hair has. But rather, how it has enhanced their own personal quality of life, and that of their spouses, partners and children.
For example, I did my big chop as the result of a breakup. The politics of my action were the furthest thing from my mind at the time! I had just graduated college, broke up with a cute boy, and was generally lost and a bit sad. It wasn’t until after I searched online for information about how to grow my hair out that I discovered that many other black women were doing the big chop every day.
This might be a bit controversial but for me, personally, I don’t think it’s always helpful for black women to have to always feel that they’re part of a political community or movement. It’s something that we have been historically weighted with (being the ‘gatekeepers’ of the black community, being supportive of black men, looking out for black youth, yada, yada). Yes, this is important on some level. But at what point do we just get to be who we are, as individuals, without always thinking of the macro impact on millions of black people that we don’t even personally know?
I know this response was kind of long (lol), but the whole ‘political vs personal’ thing is something that I think about.
@BGwLH
“But at what point do we just get to be who we are […] without always thinking of the macro impact on millions of black people that we don’t even personally know?”
The simultaneously tragic and comic answer to that question is when we all start to live in vacuums — and that is to say, never.
There are biographies, memoirs, and personal hair-journey stories, and then there are the Histories and documentaries that will be written about the zeitgeist of the natural hair movement in which those personal stories will be co-opted in the service of fleshing out that History.
But to be completely honest and fair, I get to be who I “really & truly am” when I get home after a hard day of work (or of procrastinating!), I kick off my shoes, and I kick it with my man.
-Trust me: I don’t want to be who I really am at work or in public.
-Trust me: And, in the adapted words of David Banner, They “wouldn’t like me when I’m” the “real” me anyway.
Sometimes the political and the personal are a united front.
Sometimes the political (public persona) and the personal (private one) are two different people.
I’ve cultivated many a persona to survive, to stay sane, to stay employed, & to stay true to my multiple and ever-changing personalities.
Wow, BGLH, I think this comment can and should be expanded into a full article. I read it thinking, “Yes! Exactly!”. Very thoughtful.
i agree bglh.
i wrote this down below. i didn’t read this comment.
i’m so over the whole my hair is political stuff.
i’ve been natural for so long, i’m barely impressed with myself anymore.
lol.
“i’ve been natural for so long, i’m barely impressed with myself anymore.” LOL!!!!
Great response BGLH 😀 I completely agree.
JustLeavingaCommen,
I get what you’re saying put I think you have to look at it from a different angle. I thinking that some of us have to explain ourselves because if we don’t people will continue to assume things about women that wear their natural hair. There are still black women that worry about how they can wear their natural hair in the work place.
Explaining our hair to other does not mean we are trying to seek acceptance from other races. Rather, this conversation allows us to help them understand our hair for what it is. Our hair is not only foreign to many that are learning how to take care of it, but its foreign to other people. So what is so wrong with explaining it as we learn.
“That’s why people are so put-off by it and that is why this generation feels the need to make a distintion between themselves and previous generations of so called ‘militant’ black women. It’s lame and chickenshit.”
No, its not chickenshit. Every generation tries to define who they are. I totally love seeing women back in the 60’s and 70s. I respect them. They inspire many of the styles we wear today. However, this is the 21st century. I think its great that this generation of black women is not only paying homage to the past, but trying to define their own.
That was a beautiful documentary. It is not a political journey-it is a personal journey. The politics comes in when there is division about nonsense within the community. This is a journey that should foster a sense of self and sisterhood.
One fascinating, and I believe accurate, assessment by the writer of the NYT piece in regards to the subjects declaring ‘it’s personal, not a movement’ is the quote:
‘black hair and the black body generally have long been a site of POLITICAL contest in American history and in the American imagination. Against this backdrop, the transition movement has a POLITICAL DIMENSION — whether transitioners themselves believe it or not. Demonstrating this level of SELF-ACCEPTANCE represents a powerful evolution in black political expression’
Self-acceptance and resistance in my opinion are political gestures and they have fueled resistance movements worldwide among a range of transformative issues rooted in the politics of money and access.
Yes, I transitioned to preserve my own self-worth and sanity but in doing so, whether I intended to or realized it or not, in my own little way I was making a political gesture against centuries of tyranny.
As far as accuracy in the doc, I haven’t seen the entire film but I think the director and subjects profiled ‘represent’ natural hair no more than anyone else on BGLH or CN or UBB or YT or any other media. The film looks like a great addition to the subject on a whole, congrats to Zina!
Hmmm. That’s an interesting perspective. As much as I swear up and down my choice is personal, I, too, am having difficulty ignoring the political element. I also have to acknowledge that the political element of my choice to accept my hair has absolutely nothing to do with me. It’s interesting that what I do for personal reasons can be perceived by others as political. My self-acceptance can inspire others among us who have been shamed and belittled by the dominant culture (and there are LOADS of us) – and that can be a powerful and transformative cultural force.
The age-old efforts to subjugate us by devaluing our beauty and our value have always been political. And my personal choice to cast off the shackles of shame and notions of my own inferiority is a powerful blow to those political forces – whether intentionally struck or not. It is a curious thing when the personal and the political intersect. And sometimes we can’t do anything to stop it.
Once upon a time, Rosa Parks sat at the front of the bus because her feet hurt. And a political firestorm was born.
+1 Really admired the breadth and thoughtfulness of your statement!
+1 I have tried to articulate this notion to a lot of people about the natural movement, that no matter what, because of our history it’s political whether we are trying or not. But I haven’t been able to say it as well. Kudos!
Nice observation Annie L.
I never looked at it this way.
Annie L, it would be great to chill over some wine and just chat w/ you!! Not sure if you’re a sociologist, student of sociology, a lawyer, social worker, psychologist, or just well-read; but I know where you are coming from, and I agree, everytime you comment. Blessings to you =) In solidarity my friend!
I SO appreciated this Op-Doc, and not just because Zina and I could very well be sisters from the other mother — Africa, that is!
We seriously look a lot alike.
I love the natural hair movement and all of the afro eye candy.
Or should I say afro eye cotton-candy?!
Texture in da house, y’all!!!!!!
Then you are beautiful =) Zina looked incredible after that shave!If one can look great bald, then one is a true beauty IMO.
[smiles, giggles, blushes, and fervently hopes that she is not being delusional about looking like Zina the gorgeous!]