I'm confused. I was just watching Motorcitymoxie (Nappy comments) and she was talking about Nappy having negative connotations and not approving of ppl calling themselves Nappy. Then she was like "what next, we gonna walk around calling ourselves darkie?" Um. LMAO. Anybody who knows me knows I'm guilty of calling myself both. LMAO. It got me thinking. I honestly don't see what the negative is with being nappy headed or a darkie for that matter and calling oneself such. lol. That's the head u got so embrace it. Maybe I'm missing something so please fill me in if I am.
I guess this attitude might help explain why some ppl walk around worrying about their curls and trying to get waves and shit and are all obsessed with growth. Even though ppl are going natural and some are all political about it, they still trying to fight what they got. Just accept what u have, love it and take care of it. I personally couldn't care less if u want to harangue urself trying to get curls and waves, just as I couldn't give a rats tail if u wanna rock some weave, get a perm, go bald, wateva. To each his/her own. I just think it's hilarious that going/being natural is made into such a big deal, getting away from european standards of beauty and all that good stuff and yet we imposing false standards of beauty and nomenclature on ourselves!
Matted hair might be ugly to u but encompass the world of beauty for someone else. What gives anyone the right to think that curls are elevated over matted/ locked or vice versa. Fact is, not everybody got curls to rock, some ppl just got that cotton texture where it just aint never gonna get no curl in it and may always look matted (or as they say in the Caribbean, yuh head look hard. LMAO) even though it feel soft, its' healthy and well maintained. Aint nothing wrong with being a nappy head, a natty dread or wateva. Ppl need to get over the labels and the words. Its just hair for Christ sake! Why we trying to self segregate again over some hair man? To each his own, don't let what other ppl do to themselves bother u. lol. I am one nappy headed darkie and I'm proud! LMAO
On that note, this tune goes out to all the sexy darkies! lol
Enslavement, rape, torture, utter disrespect of Black people was not only encouraged but legal simply because of our darker skin. Our hair, a byproduct of our African ancestry and a huge indicator of our blackness, has and is often deemed as anything but beautiful. Having nappy hair was seen and still is viewed as something to be ashamed of because of what it represents, our blackness. Images of “good” hair have always promoted and glorified straight hair and even curly hair, but course hair has never been viewed via mainstream media as beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSo to answer your question, the term nappy can definitely have negative connotations. That is why those who do embrace nappyness fight so hard to claim it as beautiful. If it didn’t have a negative connotation, I doubt this question would need to be asked. ( No offense to you)
Hair helps to identify ethnicity which in turn lends a hand to identifying one’s race. For so long many Black women have tried to find ways to ‘lessen their blackness’ by attempting to not look identifiably Black and hair plays a huge role in that. Applying dangerous chemicals that burn your scalp and have dire consequences is something that is done everyday in Black communities. Many Black women have grown up to believe that nappy hair is something to be ashamed of. That alone affects our self esteem, which affects our performance level and trickles down effecting our participation level within society. The promotion of nappy hair as ugly or something to rid yourself of is something I believe will continue as long as racism does.
I embrace and adore nappy hair. I make sure that I tell my two beautiful nieces that their afro’s are gorgeous. I make sure to compliment them after they have finished washing their hair and its one big puff. LOL. I want them to always appreciate their natural hair.
I love my course and thick locks. They are a part of my identity as a Black woman. They serve a purpose in my life and hold a great deal of meaning to me. I would never cut them off.
LC
hear hear! Thanks so much for this insightful comment. I guess the confusion for me lies herein. Are we to disown our own characteristics because society at large may have deemed them as negative? Are we supposed to euphemise and thus validate their qualification of our features and the words used to describe them? For me, even though I may acknowledge the history and the connotations, I won't empower it by resigning descriptors like nappy and darkie to the annals of history. I'll own it as apt descriptions of myself and if you want to judge me negatively for it so be it! lol
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