Good Hair

I saw this documentary and I have to say I never knew so much work went into a black woman's hair to look the way that most black women have their hair. I have to say I look at hair a little differently. I wonder if some women look at my hair, usually pulled back into a ponytail, and think it's unfair that I have hair that they spend so much money on to get, and don't appreciate it? I remember when I was in elementary school, a black girl named Erica came up to me and started playing with my ponytail. She told me she thought I had nice hair and I didn't think anything of it, but shortly after I realized she'd put glue in my hair! At the time, I was upset, but not super upset. I had thought about doing it back to her, but decided against it, looking back now I'm glad I didn't because I suspect that act would have meant way more to her than it did to me (I just washed my hair in the sink in the bathroom and let it air dry, getting the glue out of her hair would have been a bit more labor intensive since her hair was relaxed.)

I have to say, I was pretty shocked by some of the things in the documentary. Relaxer in kids as young as 3, and then seeing the scientists show what relaxer can do to an aluminum can? Oh my stars! Also, the way weaves are attained? Devout, poor Indians going to temples and giving their hair up to their deity as a purging of vanity, only to have it sold by the temple so it could be processed into a weave. Poor being basically being robbed of a commodity they didn't even know they had! Men stealing hair from women, cutting it while they slept or watched movies. It's awful! Weaves on lay away and credit. It's so sad, you see fair trade products popping up, wonder if you'll ever see fair trade weaves?

That said, I was looking at Perez Hilton today and saw a video of Solange Knowles on Yo Gabba Gabba. She has no wig or weave on, and I'm not sure if she's just opted not to do that anymore or if she just didn't want to wear anything that day. The comments on it are disgusting! Saying she looks like a boy, that she looks ugly, one person said she looks "African"!!! WTF is that about? I don't care what anyone does to their hair, but I have to say, if she's made the decision to stop having wigs and weave, then I applaud her. She's a lovely woman. Tracie Thoms was in Good Hair talking about how revolutionary it is for her to leave her hair alone, the texture it comes out of her head. I don't know if you've seen her, but she's gorgeous! Here's a pic of Tracie (she was in "The Devil Wears Prada" as Lily, Andie's friend, and has a role on Cold Case.)


From the looks of the picture, she's braided it, but that's about it. I think she looks lovely!

Here's the link for the Solange Knowles video. You'll see what I mean about the comments.