Saturday, September 12, 2009
White is still right?
A friend posted this video on their facebook. Listening to young black girls talk about how they're perceived was interesting. I'm surprised that while we've come far, we still have a long way to go. The part where they conduct the experiments with the black and white dolls was a big eye opener. Why aren't we telling our children they are beautiful with their nappy hair and dark skin? Why do they think that their hair has to be straight to be beautiful?
Part of the reason I cut my hair and stopped straightening it was because I wanted my daughter to know that natural hair, black hair is something that should be celebrated and appreciated. I also did it for myself, as a black woman. I'm not knocking perms, or weaves. But for too long black has been wrong, and we've gone out of our way to fit a certain ideal. I'm grateful that my parents never did that and I'm hoping that I will be able to teach my children that no matter their color, they are beautiful just the way they are.
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6 comments:
Yes, we've come a long way, but we have far to go. I saw the video a while back during my freshman year of college, and it didn't surprise me that the black children found the white dolls more aesthetically pleasing. For one, the media instills a one sided view of beauty...second, we still have our own beauty issues within our own race (i.e. hair, skin tone, facial features).
this was so good to watch. Gosh... my heart feels heavy and broken seeing the little children pick up the dolls. ah. I am so proud of you for being you, truthful, joyful, honest, proud of who exactly you are. I love your hair, ps. its beautiful.
I agree. I never got a perm but just yesterday a black woman asked my why don't I perm my hair and when was I going to. Never. This shocked her. I also told her that my hair looks it's best right now while it's natural and that any perming/ weave would be a downgrade. Than her mouth dropped open. (that part was necessary but I don't partially like this woman). I'm sorry but if there's going to be people who think that a perm is the end all be all, than I've decided to feel the same way about natural hair. Shoot. I was born with the stuff.
Great Post.
I think some of it is that we as humans tend to want what we don't have. As a white girl growing up I always wanted a tan, b/c I thought my skin was too white. And while I have poker straight hair I frequently got perms as a child and/or colored my hair.
I went natural for many of the same reasons your did. I figured it would be hard for me to preach to my daugther that she is perfect just as she is when mommy is relaxing her hair. Also I don't want her to buy into that whole god and bad hair, light skin and dark skin thing. Right now we are both curly girls...mama with tight coily curls and kendall with big looping curls...Curly Girls are We :)
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