Comments on: Solange Knowles: “I Am Not The #TeamNatural Vice-President”

By: Double Click! | KRISS DID IT.

Double Click! | KRISS DID IT. — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:40:24 +0000

[...] Solange Knowles says “I Am Not The #TeamNatural Vice-President” [...]

By: cherese

cherese — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:22:35 +0000

I will begin by saying that I am natural and the reason I decided to go natural, 3 years ago was because I was tired of relaxing my hair and conforming to “white america” standards of hair. After reading this article and the tweets I must say that I am saddened by the abundance of ignorance. #1- Solange statements are not even worth commenting on, they’re too ignorant. #2- for the person who commented on type 4 hair; you need to do your research before you speak on any matter, because type 4 hair does have a NATURAL curl pattern, and with proper care and moisture IT LOOKS AMAZING!!! You may see someone on the street with natural hair and it may be so curly that you may think it is type 3 hair but it really is type 4! #3- Natural isn’t for everyone, thats fine. But if it isn’t for you, do not speak negatively about it, that’s just common courtesy. Lastly, how long are we as black women going to tear one another down???? ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!! We should be embracing one another’s differences as well as similarities! Isn’t it bad enough that other cultures don’t accept us for who we are?? BLACK WOMEN, GET IT TOGETHER!

By: Allie K

Allie K — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 04:04:55 +0000

Clearly, Solange is having a moment! To start things off, Solange is the spokesperson for Carols Daughter’s Transitioning Movement. She plays a huge role in the natural hair community off the strength of that alone. In addition, I am sure she is getting paid for endorsing the brand so her complaints are null and void to me…NEXT

I agree, initially Solange did have a hard time finding her own image outside of her sister, Beyonce. However she has truly blossomed into an independent, fierce young woman who can hold her own. Her sassy persona, funky style and undeniable beauty are simply amazing. I love the fact that her son Juelz is always by her side.

But the commentary on the hair is just ridiculous…”hair hypocrite” who twist and braid to avoid natural hair patterns or put on a pretense of good hair? Rubbish, garbage, foolishness! How about manageability? When a Caucasian woman takes out a curling wand flipping and twirling her strands to Farrah Faucet perfection is she concealing her natural texture? When a Latina blow dries and flat irons her tresses to a silky smooth state is she denying her natural texture? When a woman puts on concealer, powder, gloss, blush and mascara for work is she hiding herself or enhancing her beauty?

Real talk, ITS JUST HAIR!

By: Creatividual Workshops

Creatividual Workshops — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 22:24:07 +0000

yes!

By: FelicityR

FelicityR — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:50:29 +0000

I would just like to say that I don’t give a dang what anybody does to their head of hair. If you think it looks good, and you’re not killing yourself or anyone else in the process then I say, do you. These natural hair nazis make me sick, lol.

*fluffs twist out and flips hair*

By: Sparkle

Sparkle — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:10:58 +0000

@Pseudonym I totally agree. People spend so much time worrying about what the next person is doing instead of just doing them. SMH I have never understood anyone (natural or relaxed) who waste so much energy trying to project their ideals on others.

By: grow black hair

grow black hair — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 21:17:50 +0000

I feel her pain but she has to understand that if hair looks unkempt (whether relaxed or natural) which hers most of the time does, people will offer what they think are helpful tips which she can accept or reject

By: Taj

Taj — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 00:32:17 +0000

Everyone in the natural community has their reasons. Some went natural because they always wanted to, but it was never seen as acceptable until the momentum of the movement picked up. Others did it for financial reasons. For some it was political. Others, health. I would say a very small percentage of women did it to please a man- because when going natural, you never know what kind of hair is going to come out of that follicle. I was completely surprised when my hair exploded into a mosaic of tight, loose and frizzy curls and coils (at the same damn time).

Whatever your reasons, most #TeamNatural advocates can only hope that through transitioning, the woman of color in question discovers more about herself through the journey and is empowered enough to embrace who she is. If that doesn’t happen, it’s OK too. NOTHING WORKS FOR EVERYBODY.

You also have a good point about people who claim they are into embracing themselves naturally, but are “buttering, smoothing, defining and stretching” their hair to emulate a curl pattern it doesn’t naturally have. I have seen the obsession with “good hair” transition into the natural world- but that’s an understandable byproduct of the conditioning most black women had when they have perms. You don’t transition and all of a sudden become a conscious goddess. It’s a journey, and everybody don’t make it. However, I am an advocate of stretching. Very tightly curled hair can impede its own growth with tangles and knots if not detangled properly. Stretching allows your hair to stay detangled longer than it can in its natural state. A COMPLETELY NATURAL HEAD LOOKS LIKE UNFORMED DREADLOCKS. It mats. It gets nasty. You still have to groom and style your head, just like anyone else does. Braiding and twisting should only be a matter of aesthetics, just like any person with straight hair can put curls in it or throw it in a ponytail, shave one side whatever. It’s about versatility. When it becomes about trying to conform to another model of beauty, only then is there a problem.

By: Pseudonym

Pseudonym — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 23:46:05 +0000

No, you are not a hypocrite if you are natural and alter your own hair with twist-outs and the like. You are a hypocrite if you give people drama about alterations they make to their own hair (b/c those styles are alterations in themselves- not chemical alterations, but they are mechanical texture changers). There’s nothing wrong with twist-outs. There’s nothing wrong with straightening your hair. But if a woman is going to play the “natural police” over other people who alter their hair texture then she can’t be rocking a texture-altering style. Even then, no woman should be playing the natural police (Can a sista live?), but if you want to be annoying and judgmental, at least stand for what you claim to stand for. In other words, don’t be the anti-homophobic preacher on the down low with Deacon Mark Mark. That’s all we’re saying.

By: Sparkle

Sparkle — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 18:52:23 +0000

Wow, so now if you want to do twist outs for curly hair you are considered a hypocrite? Miss me with this holier-than thou attitude because you have a ‘fro or “more tightly curled hair”

When I first transitioned to natural hair, I didn’t do the big snip, I just stopped getting relaxers. The twist-out was an easy and convenient style for me during that transition period. Also I am a big no-fuss person, and not one to spend hours styling my hair.

I don’t know about the heiarcharcy or bias in the natural hair community because, quite frankly, I don’t spend a lot of time there. I just do me.