"Good hair means curls and waves. Bad hair means you look like a slave"-India Arie (2)

“I am not my hair I am not this skin I am not your expectations’ (no). I am not my hair I am not this skin. I am a soul that lives within’” –India Arie

I can understand how for allot of people that aren't within the black community it’s very easy for them to think and say "they are over reacting" "there are being too sensitive" But the reason hair is such a "sensitive topic" concerning the words being used to describe black hair as well, are important for these reasons: Self hatred and Colorism. It’s when light skin black and dark skin blacks are made to feel superior or inferior based on who either more closely resembles people of European descent or who more closely resembles our African dependence. (Usually light skin blacks are the ones to feel superior because they have light eyes, long fine hair. The only time the tables are turned is when they are in a predominantly black community with darker skin black and they are made to feel "less authentically black" because they have more European features this mostly happens when they are longing to identify with their surroundings. And vice versa for biracial black person whose environment was predominately white. It is human nature to want to fit in with your surroundings, most especially your family.) This Ideology came about before slavery but manifested during slavery. Many of slave masters were sleeping with African slave woman and the result of this was fairer skin blacks and they were regarded as "house niggas" the ones who were dressed the best, ate the best and didn't have to work in the field. The darker skin slaves were regarded by them usually as "field niggas" this mutual distrust for one another turned into hatred. This was formulated because of the divide the Southern society and plantation owners put in place between the two groups. This rift can still be seen today. So when issues of who's hair is like what. Its boils down to whose hair is good and who's is bad. Behind these discussions I hear the essence of “who’s better then who” And as Don Imus in 2007 learned the word “Nappy” is not an ideal word that should be used in describing black hair. The history of Colorism still lingers today within our black communities. From brown bag parties to light skin vs. Dark skin parties. Smh so the hair discussion gets “Hairy” as I digress. please watch my related links post.