Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series about Lafayette Afro Rock Band, a highly influential French 1970s Funk Rock group that was first formed in the United States.
Part II presents my definition of an afro and my notes about the significance of afro hairstyles for African Americans in the 1960s and 1970s.
This post also documents selected comments from a YouTube discussion thread for Lafayette Afro Rock Band's record "Hihache". These comments focus on the album cover- a photograph of a young Black woman with a big afro (hair style)- which was mistakenly used for that YouTube sound file. That photograph was actually used as the cover for Lafayette Afro Rock Band's album entitled "Malik".
Brief explanatory notes are given after some of these comments.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/04/documenting-tremendous-influence-of.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents information about the American/French funk music band Lafayette Afro Rock Band that was formed in the United States in 1970. This post also showcases a YouTube sound file of that band's 1973 tune entitled "Hihache".
Selected comments from that YouTube sound file's discussion thread are included in this post. Most of these comments focus on the use of samples from the record "Hihache" can be found in songs from multiple United States music genres.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Lafayette Afro Rock Band for their musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this YouTube sound file.
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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLE (sound file)
Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Hihache
dravmasta, Published on Sep 26, 2010
Lafayette Afro Rock Band was a French funk rock band formed in Roosevelt, Long Island, New York in 1970. Though almost unknown in their native United States, they are now universally celebrated as one of the standout funk bands of the 1970s and admired for their use of break beats. Wiki.
Song: Hihache
Artist: Lafayette Afro Rock Band
Album: Soul Makossa
-snip-
Several commenters noted that the album cover that is used for this YouTube sound file is actually the cover for that band's album entitled "Malik". Click https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5893219718076521675#overview for a photograph of the cover for the band's "Soul Makossa" album.
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INFORMATION AND COMMENTS ABOUT THE "AFRO" HAIRSTYLE/S
Note #1 "The Psycho-social Implications For African Americans Of Natural Hair
written by Azizi Powell, pancocojams editor on 2012 From http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/06/videos-of-african-american-males-music.html "Videos of African American Males (Music & Natural Hairstyles), Part 1"
"I believe that the hairstyles worn by African American men, like the hairstyles worn by African American women, reflect how much African Americans in general agree with or reject the position that White standards of beauty are the only acceptable standards of beauty. This is definitely not to say that individual African Americans (or other Black people) don't like themselves or other Black people if they don't wear their hair in natural styles.* However, I believe that a greater acceptance of natural hair styles among African Americans and other Black people signifies more than an expansion of the definition of which hair styles Black people and also non-Black people might consider to be attractive.
It's my opinion, that a greater acceptance among African Americans and other Black people of natural hair styles signifies our increased acceptance of and increased valuing of ourselves. It was no coincidence that "afro" hairstyles became popular in the United States in the 1970s during the rise of the Black consciousness and afro-centric Black nationalist movement. Since the 1970s, apart from the jheri curl look of the 1970s and 1980s which will be the subject of a future post on this blog, it has become the standard practice for most African American men to wear their hair un-straightened and relatively un-processed. And most African American men wear their hair in a close cut natural style such as that worn by President Barack Obama, or they have a bald head.
Up to the age of seven years, I believe that most African American females wear their hair naturally. However, between the ages of seven and eighteen years old, it seems to me that most African American girls wear their hair chemically straightened. However, since the 1990s, an increasing number of African American women, appear to have chosen to wear their hair in natural hairstyles, though that is still a small percentage of that population. As a person who was a young adult in the 1970s, it's interesting to see the return in popularity of the "big afros" with Black females & Black men. I believe that the afro and other natural hair styles are legitimate general indicators of African American group esteem. By "group esteem" I mean how much African Americans see their group as capable of intrinsic attractiveness with regard to hair without the application of strategies which attempt to mimic what White people consider to be standards of beautiful hair such straight hair or lightly curled hair, and light hair color.**
That said, I also believe that African American females (and perhaps, other Black females) may be more accepting of and have a higher value toward females having mutiple ways they can wear their hair within short periods of time (i.e. having different hair styles) then other populations of females. In that regards, "natural hairstyles" may be just one of an increasing number of hair style possibilities that Black women may choose. But in my opinion, "natural hair styles" as a possible "neutral" choice (having neither positive or negative implications), is in and of itself a positive change for Black people, given the overwhelming beliefs in the pre-1960s that the only standards of beauty were those standards that fit some White people.
*By natural hair styles I mean the "tightly curled" hair texture which is characteristic of most sub-Saharan African people and most people of sub-Saharan African descent) are worn without chemical or hot comb processing. Other terms for naturally Black hair are "frizzy", "nappy", and "kinky". However, because of their historical and racist usage, some Black people (including African Americans) may find these terms to be loaded with negative connotations. Because of that, I tend to avoid using those terms.
**With regards to African American women (and other Black women), as to what constitutes White standards of beauty in hair, I would also add "long hair" to the previously given descriptors of "straight hair" or "lightly curled hair", and "light color hair" such as blond hair.
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Note #2 "What Is An Afro?"
written by Azizi Powell, pancocojams editor, April 15, 2018
An "afro" is one type of natural hairstyle that was popular with some African American males and females in the 1960s and particularly, in the 1970s. Prior to the 1960s, Black Americans women and men wore other natural hairstyles, but few rarely wore those hairstyles out in public.
Afros are formed when the kinky (tightly curled) hair that many Black people have is combed and styled without adding any heat (including hot combs) or any chemical straightening products. The natural hair is then cut, combed ("picked" with a wooden or a plastic afro comb), and periodically patted by hand in order to achieve and maintain a particular style.
The most popular afro style in the 1970s was a full (halo-like) evenly rounded form. The bigger (fuller) the afro was, the better. Writer, educator, and activist Angela Davis was the prototype of this type of afro hairstyle. Some African American females who wore their hair in large afros, sometimes also styled their hair in two afro puffs (a pony tail on both sides of their head.)
By the end of the 1970s, the full afro hair style was largely retired. Since the 1970s, although a small number of African Americans continued to wear this hairstyle, many more African Americans began to publicly wear their [our] hair in other natural hairstyles, including multiple braids, dreadlocks, short afros ("twas" - "teeny weeny afros), or very closely cropped "naturals". Since the 2000s, a number of African Americans-particularly African Americans have worn their natural hair in "free style" forms that have no apparent shape but emphasize the hair's curly textures (plural because a number of Black people have more than one hair texture in their head of hair).
-snip-
Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/11/excerpts-from-various-online-articles.html for a pancocojams post entitled "Excerpts From Various Online Articles & Discussion Threads About Afros And Afro Picks"
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Excerpt #1:
From https://www.curlcentric.com/natural-hair-movement/
..."Back in the 60s and 70s, racial relations in the United States were tense and strictly segregated. This time of political upheaval and African-American activism saw the rise of more natural hairstyles as a form of political awareness.
Angela Davis, a prominent member of the Black Panther movement and a human rights crusader, sported a famous Afro. The Afro, which was soon adopted by singers and other celebrities, came to symbolize cultural independence for African Americans.
The previous century, stretching back to the end of the Civil War, had been extremely challenging for Black Americans.
The thought that straight hair was beautiful hair was increasing gaining steam, leading many individuals to straighten their hair in order to be accepted. In many cases, employment was contingent on treating natural hair to change its appearance."...
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Excerpt #2:
From https://www.thecut.com/2014/10/21-feminists-with-really-great-hair.html
..."When Angela Davis appeared on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List in 1970, she was sporting an Afro so perfect that to this very day it remains the textbook example of the style. And with that mugshot, she changed the history of hair. The previously New York– and Chicago-based style became an international symbol of black pride and a means of taking back and taking up space. But fabulous though her Afro may have been, Davis has been known to express a certain wariness about it. Her name, which should call to mind a life of radical thought and action, is remembered by many in reference to a hairstyle alone.".
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD OF THIS YOUTUBE SOUND FILE
Pancocojams Editor's note: This compilation isn't all of the comments from that discussion thread about the album cover that was mistakenly used for this YouTube sound file of Lafayette Afro Rock Band's record entitled "Hihache".
I didn't read all of the comments in that discussion thread, but I did read A LOT of them.
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
1. mootbooxle. 2014
"Very pretty lady on the cover!!"
**
REPLY
2. Rafael R, 2014
"What's her name?"
**
REPLY
3, Timeless Funk, Soul & R&B, 2017
"Rafael R Goddess!"
**
REPLY
4. Big Nicky, 2017
"Looks like Angela Yvonne Davis .. American political activist"
**
REPLY
5. smartalek180, 2017
"I was going to ask if that was her -- sure looks like her.
https://alchetron.com/Angela-Davis
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REPLY
6. Jerboy Must Die!, 2017
"The pretty lady on the thumbnail brought me here. That the song sounds like some old porn background doesn't hurt either."
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REPLY
7. Louis Barnes, 2017
"Foxy Cleopatra! :P"
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REPLY
8. Skeksis Law, 2018
"except that she s light skin and wears an afro she doesn t look at all like Angela Davis....
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REPLY
9. Nasty Foxboy, 2018
"Very good music beyond this cover."
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REPLY
10. Marcel LAZZER, 2018
"Pretty & Proud!!"
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REPLY
11. EMAN, 2018
"much love to my brown skin afro beauties, and to all canela skinned mamis, too black too strong much love from Puerto rico."
-snip-
The "too" in the phrase "too black, too strong" means "very". Read my note after Comment #49 about the various meanings of "too + an adjective".
**
REPLY
12. Frank Shailes, 2018
"Why are you obsessed with skin colour? Enjoy the music!"
**
REPLY
13. Tanman_1107, 2019
"¡Esta mucho mucho mucho bonita!"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English
"She is very very very pretty".
**
14. rubbersole, 2014
"Michele Obama's college gig.........."
-snip-
This is only one of several comments that mention former United States First Lady Michelle Obama in reference to this Lafayette Afro Rock Band album cover. (Also read Comment #59 and Comment #67 for two more examples of these comments in this compilation. These comments could be construed as being complimentary or insulting since so many comments about the woman in the photograph are positive, but there are also a lot of negative online comments about Michelle Obama.
Given that this photograph was used as the cover of a 1973 music album, the woman in the photograph couldn't be Michelle Obama.
**
REPLY
15. Sophrosynicle, 2014
"Them eyebrows and lips for sure"
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16. Howard Miller II, 2015
"beautiful sista on that cover there now their hair is fried,dyed, and laid to the side."
-snip-
"Sista" ("sister") is a colloquial referent from African American Vernacular English for a Black female (usually a teen or a woman). This isn't the same usage in African American culture as "Sister + last name" (Note that the beginning letter in "sister" is capitalized). In that usage, "Sister" is a title that is used in some Black [non-Catholic] churches for women).
**
17. Daniel Fountain, 2016
"the sister in the photo is fire!"
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REPLY
18. ronald Williams, 2016
"Daniel fountain back in those days black women where very very sexy now in these days no way f&&k* no"
-snip-
*This word is completely spelled out in this comment.
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REPLY
19. PeekaBooo08, 2016
"ronald Williams they're still lots of beautiful women today; it's just that back then natural beauty reigned supreme. Now if your face isn't made up with pounds of makeup on your face, you're irrelevant."
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REPLY
20. eL shadaye, 2016
"PeekaBooo08 You hit it right on the head! Natural Beauty will ALWAYS reign Supreme!
**
REPLY
21. ronald Williams, 2016
"PeekaBooo08 i no i was there back then it was actually a lot better"
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REPLY
22. blake, 2017
"yo why you lookin at my queen, lmao"
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REPLY
23. Scott Matheson, 2017
"her 'fro (and the time period)reminds me of funk queen Betty Davis"
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REPLY
24. Rossi Ross, 2017
"Did you mean 'Betty Wright'?"
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REPLY
25. Scott Matheson, 2017
"nope Betty Davis who was married to Miles in the 60s. I dig Betty Wright as well though."
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REPLY
26. SG45 cal, 2017
"Daniel fountain True... She is."
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REPLY
27. steampump 1912, 2017
"So true, she has a natural sexiness....an' that fro,...man, so cool."
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REPLY
28. Neil Soulman Hagan, 2017
"yes sir #mothershipConnection #MaddNubianLove!"
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REPLY
29. mark buns, 2017
"Agree....she is one hot momma"
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30. BONZO KILBOURN, 2017
"Afro needs to make a comeback for the ladies."
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REPLY
31. Milan S, 2017
"PeekaBooo08 You couldn't be more wrong. Girls with 'pounds of makeup on their face' do exist, but they are the exception. People in the comment section of these kinds of videos really romanticize the past."
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REPLY
32. Richard Orahood, 2017
"Just like my wife. Natural hair. No makeup. Fine as can be."
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REPLY
33. bza069, 2017
"haha. in international pols, men rate black women at the bottom of the list behind whites/asians at top, then Latinas, then everything else and finally black women at the bottom. true."
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REPLY
34. M Zach, 2018
"Yep, they don't put ugly women on album covers, she is sexy!"
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REPLY
35. EwaldK, 2018
"Now probably in her seventies....sigh..."
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REPLY
36. Antonio Lott, 2018
"All these comments but I need a name!"
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REPLY
37. julian, 2018
"The origanal slingky KINKY Afro!!!"
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REPLY
38. big baby jesus, 2018
"when black women knew who they were and proud.
not trying to look and act like"Becky with the good hair". afros grow on the head of the royalty of the earth just as the trees and flowers grow on the Earth's Afro ✊😉"
-snip-
"Becky with the good hair" is a line from Beyoncé's song "Sorry" in her 2016 album "Lemonade". "Becky" is an (at least slightly negative) African American originated colloquial referent for a young White woman.
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REPLY
39. Daniel Elston, 2019
"She is beautiful."
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REPLY
40. mr1010 01, 2019
"does anybody know her name?"
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REPLY
41. Earl Halstead, 2019
"True to her heritage,(Smile)"
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REPLY
42. Raptor IX, 2019
"yo sista is fire"
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REPLY
43. Annetta77, 2019
"@PeekaBooo08 that's a shame. I was part of the 60s generation too and yes, we women (girls) were lucky to get to go au natural and still be beautiful. We wore very little makeup compared to today. It's shocking, and I'm sorry for you! If I were you, i'd cut way back on the makeup, just refuse to "do it" and make them like it! We did! It worked and it will always work, because men think you're beautiful no matter what. Sounds like the heavy hand of a misogynist society which apparently has way too much control over this day and age. Apparently we live in a more chauvinist and sexist society than ever! Stop wearing so much makeup! Rebel! Say no to an irrational, abusive culture. Makeup is fine for some women, I guess -- and can be good fun, on occasion, but it's not needed, or really wanted, by most men. A "painted face' is both a sign and method of subjugation still. Don't slather it on anymore just for society's sake!"
**
REPLY
44. Annetta77, 2019
"@eL shadaye that's what I been sayin'"
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REPLY
45. SOCOMJON, 2019
"Daniel Fountain She’s the reason I’m here ❤️"
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REPLY
46. btinsley1, 2019
"@Rossi Ross nope...look up betty davis "they say i'm different"...the world was NOT ready for betty..she was ahead of her time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKWPynScqgw. "
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47. saisiva bala, 2015
"She looks so hot"
-snip-
One slang connotation of the adjective "hot" is "sexy". The comments in this compilation that describe the photographed woman as "hot" probably include that connotation. However, in the United States since at least the early 2000s, "hot"/"fire" (also) may or only means "very good" without any connotations of sexiness. In the context of these comments "hot" and "fire" means "very attractive").
**
48. Ket Hohyh, 2016
"hot black mama on the cover"
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49. jimeas popoloiv, 2016
"that women in the picture. She is to beautiful. Who is she?"
-snip-
"to" = "too". "Too" + an adjective means "very". This adverb plus adjective combination is usually considered a negative in the United States (for example, too noisy). However, it appears that throughout many cultures in the world, "too" + an adjective is a positive descriptor.
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50. XXL-Bilder Mehmet Parmak, 2017
"Queen of Motherland"
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51. saisiva bala, 2017
"i came here for the cover once again she is somethimg else
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52. Zadur Zadur, 2017
"who's the girl on the cover?"
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53. Middy Mizzle, 2017
"who's that nameless beauty in the photo?...hot as jalapenos"
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54. Raider4life, 2017
"Damn if she ain’t Cookie’s(Taraji P Henson) Mama she shoulda been!!
-snip-
"Cookie" is a character in the hit American television series "Empire"."
**
55. Wafeeq Zarif, 2017
"But the sister on the album cover though..."
-snip-
Since at least 2013 "that...though" is a formation-probably from African American Vernacular English- that (now) indicates approval without comparing something or someone to another thing, person, or action which is considered less positively.
From http://mentalfloss.com/article/64323/evolution-noun-though
..."Urban Dictionary, for example, has "dat … doe" entries from late 2013 ("dat [blank] doe" from November 2013, for example) but the earliest "that … though" entry isn't until July 2014—almost a year later.
[...]
...the earlier Urban Dictionary entries for "dat booty doe" and similar expressions come with example scenarios which start with a negative comment about someone's face—a response like "but dat booty doe" or "dat smile tho" is clearly intended to express a mitigating factor.
But by a year later, it's become a general way of expressing approval without the initial setup of surprise or disappointment. A commenter on Reddit around the same time adds another contradiction-free example: "Watching a football game. Receiver makes great catch. 'That catch tho!'""...
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56. Benedict Beattie, 2017
"my girls got an afro too so happy :)"
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57. GBRL, 2017
"super dope and girls should wear afros more often these days"
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58. AV Young, 2017
"Who is the lady on the cover?"
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REPLY
59. Adam Yoohasz, 2017
"Sister on the cover is Michelle pre Obama"
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60. Makhete Fall, 2017
"THAT WOMAN IS SUPER PRETTY// WOWOOOW. I AM GOING TO ASK MY GIRLFRIEND TO GROW AFRO. YEAP..."
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61. Dini Dinika, 2017
"So nice "sistà"!!! La belle époque. ...😍😍😍"
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:
"The good times"
The commenter may have written "sista" in parenthesis because that spelling of the word "sister" isn't found in his (or her) language.
**
62. Night East, 2017
"Even Korean guy like me who has no information of 70s USA, that cover-lady is looks so charm and lovely."
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63. michael truthson, 2017
"Ok I always felt home girl on the cover lol was outta sight!!!!!"
-snip-
"home girl" - female version of "home boy". In this context, this is a positive referent for a Black female who looks like she is proud to be a Black woman from a Black "hood" (neighborhood).
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REPLY
64. grizz22604, 2018
"she sure is!!!"
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65. LADY HYDRO JEN, 2018
"What a beautiful Sista with an amazing fro. I love this. Bring back the 70s. OLD SCHOOL FOREVER.
💁🏾♀️💋🖤💎👊🏾"
-snip-
This comment was written on that discussion thread in bold font.
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66. scottjinx, 2018
"such awesome music & that funky girl is beautiful, i will never understand why African chicks straighten their hair n stuff, nothing more beautiful than that natural fuzzy fro hey :)"
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67. JustinNasty, 2018
"Anyone else think she looks like a young Michelle Obama in this picture? 😂"
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68. The_Ghost Tiger, 2019
"Why y'all sista can't rock natural like systagurly in the photo! Sick of this hair hat nation.
-snip-
"Hair hat" is one colloquial term for "wigs", or more generally speaking, "fake hair". "Fake hair" also includes hair extensions (also referred to as [hair] weaves)."
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This concludes Part II of this two part series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Showing posts with label African American hair. Show all posts
Showing posts with label African American hair. Show all posts
Monday, April 15, 2019
Friday, October 28, 2016
Changing Attitudes Among African Americans About Natural Hair & About The Word "Nappy"- Part I
Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision: July 2, 2019
This is Part I of a four part pancocojams series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, and Brazil. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/videos-of-black-natural-hairstyles-in.html for Part III of this series. Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/hip-hop-group-nappy-roots-song-po-folks.html for Part IV of this series. Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.
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The content of this post is presented for cultural and sociological purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this embedded video.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT [late October 2016]
In February 2013 I published a pancocojams post about "Good Hair & Bad Hair (Black Attitudes About Our Hair) http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/good-hair-bad-hair-black-attitudes.html in which I shared my memories about the terms "good and bad" hair as used by Black people in New Jersey in the 1950s and 1960s. I also commented in that post that few children and teenagers in my adopted hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania wore their hair in natural hairstyles.
Writing this in late October 2016, I definitely would say that there's been a large increase in the number of Black females wearing natural hairstyles. Wearing long natural (looking) braid extensions and curly/twist natural styles (where the non-straightened hair is braided at night, and the braids are eventually taken out [as early as the next morning, but usually days later] and the hair is worn that way without combing), and other natural hair styles have become the norm for a considerable number of African American females - particularly girls ages about six years old to women under fifty years of age - not just in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but apparently throughout the United States. Many of these styles are made by adding braids or twists made from synthetic hair to females's own hair. Dreadlocks (locs) and certain other natural hairstyles have also become relatively common for African American males (particularly teens and young adults). As noted by those different age ranges, it seems to me that natural hairstyles (including extensions) are worn more often by African American females than by African American males.
My interest in natural hairstyles in general and in the African American meaning of the word "nappy" was revived in October 2016 when I published a post on the latest Hip Hop dance craze "Juju On The Beat" http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/what-does-juju-on-that-beat-and-tm.html. In that record, the rapper talks about how he "Walked in this party/And these girls lookin' at me/Skinny jeans on and you know my hair nappy".
Those lyrics motivated me to find out when and how "nappy hair" become a part of African American young folk's urban swag. I therefore thank the singers/composers of "Juju On The Beat" Zay Hilfiger and Zayion McCall for inspiring this four part pancocojams post.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Sheryl Underwood goes natural & Apologizes For Calling Natural Hair "Nasty"
lovelyti2002 Published on Sep 20, 2015
On Monday’s premiere episode of the new season of The Talk, comedian Sheryl Underwood revealed her natural hair and apologized for disparaging comments she made regarding kinky hair.
-snip-
I'm highlighting this vlog because of the discussion about Black people's hair that it prompted and not to focus on the 2012 statements that Sheryl Underwood is apologizing for. However, to briefly summarize those statements, during a show featuring celebrity Heidi Klum as a guest, Ms. Klum (a White women who has adopted two mixed racial children who have some Black ancestry) shared that when she cut her children's hair for the first time, she saved their hair as mementos. Sheryl Underwood made disparaging comments about nappy hair, negatively comparing those hair textures with naturally straight hair.
As a correction that was made by several commenters, The Talk series on which Sheyrl Underwood is a co-host is on CBS and not ABC as the vlogger stated.
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THAT VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
These videos are given in chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest comments by year given first, except for replies. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order.
I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only. Brief explanatory comments are included after some of these quoted comments.
As per my policy on this blog, profanity (except for the word "damn") is given in amended form only.
2015
1. AshleyMorgan
"Some of these people forget the way they felt about their hair before they accepted their self whole heartedly. I know how much ignorant statements I made about black hair before I fell in love with it. So don't forget how you once were. Good for her!"
-snip-
"Some of these people" refers to those who are critical of the statements that Sheryl Underwood made about (most) Black people's natural hair. In the statement "Good for her!", "her" refers to Sheryl Underwood for apologizing and deciding to wear her hair natural (Note that Ms. Underwood indicated that she would also wear wigs because she likes to "change up" how she wears her hair.)
**
Reply
2. TheGanation
"right! a lot of us weren't raised to love our natural hair."
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Reply
3. ronniemonnie
"Not me! I always loved black natural hair."
**
Reply
4. AshleyMorgan
"+ronniemonnie You are one in a million. Thats awesome that it was like that for you but for many we were taught to use a perm because our hair isn't manageable. It was a process for many but fortunately for me it was a quick one when I began to see the acceptance. I will tell you this, going through the phases like the big chop and watching your hair grow, taking the time out to treat it, style it, and rock it, it helps you build your confidence and also makes you appreciate and love your hair. I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee my hair now and you can not tell me anything about it especially when the fro is picked out!!!!! MANNNNNNN LISTEN LMAOO"
-snip-
"Big chop"- "Big chop is the process of cutting off the relaxed or permed ends of one's hair when [a female] is transitioning from chemically processed hair to natural hair." http://www.naturallycurly.com/topics/view/big-chop-transitioning
'fro = afro (also called a "natural" in the USA since the 1960s). An afro ('fro) can be a hair style, or a number of natural hairstyles. But, people with afros can style their hair or have their hair styled in different ways that have their own names. Click http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/kinky-hair-type-4a/21-popular-natural-hairstyles/ for the article "21 Most Popular Natural Hair Styles"
**
Reply
5. Chanda Chansa
"+AshleyMorgan
Am African and I don't understand some things: Why is black hair a sensitive topic for black Americans?"
**
Reply
6. Chanda Chansa
"+Tiffany Williams
A lot of African women wear weaves as-well but black hair is not an issue there. Thanks for your explanation."
-snip-
Given the comments that I've read in various online YouTube (and other) discussion threads about the changing attitudes about natural hair in various African nations, I'm not sure that I agree with the blogger that
"black [people's natural] hair is not an issue" for "a lot of African women". I wish that the blogger had given the nation she was referring to.
"Weaves" = females wearing usually synthetic hair that is attached to their hair by braiding, sewing, glue or other ways
**
Reply
7. AshleyMorgan, 2016
"+Chanda Chansa I feel it is such a sensitive topic not only because of the history but in modern day america we are told on a daily basis that out hair is not professional, it looks unkept, it looks nappy, etc. There are some companies and people that will not hire you solely based on your hair. We have been told that in order to fit in we have to conform to their standard of beauty because that is the only standard. Now many of us have taken measures to embrace and whole heartedly love ourself for who we are but then you have others who still haven't fully embraced who they are. …because …not all of us grew up being told that our hair is beautiful. Many of us don't even remember having our natural hair as children. It's deeper then this but If I try to explain it we will be here all day! lol I hope you are having a great day though!"
-snip-
This comment included the ...'s.
**
Reply
8. coolingwinds, 2016
"I agree with pretty much everything you said. Back when the natural hair movement was just getting started, I was hanging on to my relaxer with both hands and all my might! Now I am happy to report that I've been natural since roughly 2007. It took me a long time to embrace it in myself let alone others because I came from that generation of relaxing, weaving, wig wearing black women. I recognize myself in her, and it's all good now that she's gone through her transition. People have to remember that's how many of us came up. As far as I'm concerned, all is forgiven. I'm just so glad that she now loves what God gave us, and she is beautiful!
-snip-
"going through her transition" = changing from wearing one's hair chemically treated or straightened (also known as "relaxed"; "permed", "done") with heat (a hot comb placed in fire or an electric iron) to wearing one's hair naturally.
**
9. Nita Carter
"Omg this make me want to cry, cause I struggle with a lot with my hair. All my life my hair was always short, I'm not ashamed of my beautiful nappy natural hair, It's just I'm a big fan of weave so much that I forgot how beautiful natural nappy black hair is. I was never a girl who say disrespectful things about my race hair, I actually love seeing black woman wearing and showing their hair out no matter how it is or look, I love my race hair, cause we can do soooooo much with it. (And for the people that think black woman hair don't grow or say disrespectful things is crazy and f&&king* stupid cause it does grow and we actually have beautiful hair it's different), my hair today is near my neck and I love it, the other day I was thinking about taking my weave out but seeing this video got me like what m'I doing. If we see more videos like this, it will courage more black woman as myself to appreciate a lot of things about black beauty. By the way we shouldn't get defended if people say our hair is nappy because we have beautiful nappy hair that's just how our hair is and I love it. so f&&k* thoses who think nappy hair is a disgrace."
-snip-
* These words were fully spelled out in this comment.
**
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10. Jada Lee, 2016
"yes! ppl dont understand why im proud to say i have nappy hair. "nappy" is only as insulting as you make it. stay strong girl!"
**
11. shortmonee 312
"Unfortunately, most (over 50%) of black American women hate their hair. I've noticed lately though a lot of sistas are going natural, and I hope the trend continues"
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12. imshrrj
"+shortmonee 312 This is true, but we're taught to hate our hair...By guess who??? grandma and aunties.. The things my family use to say about hair..just terrible"
-snip-
This is an excerpt of that comment.
**
13. O-Ren Ishii
...[screen name of person this comment was written in response to] "everybody can't rock every natural hairstyle but I think everybody can pull off at least one of them. Everybody can't pull off the natural baby bush like Sheryl."
-snip-
"Bush" is a term that I remember being used in the mid 1960s (in Atlantic city, N.J) for short round shaped afros that Black male and Black females had. Since at least the 1990s, a much more widely used referent for a short afro ('fro) is "TWA" ("teeny weeny afro"). Women who do the "big chop" (read above) usually end up with a TWA. A number of women who have their chemically/heat permed hair chopped off, "rock" (wear) wigs until their natural hair grows a little longer than "twa" or until they learn to do different hairstyles with their short natural.
**
14. Sharon Reid Robinson
...[screen name of person this comment was written in response to] "FREE COUTRY....NO PERSON CAN TELL ANOTHER HOW THEY SHOULD WEAR THEIR HAIR. IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT. SHE MADE A MISTAKE IBY SAYING WHAT SHE SAID. I AM PRESENTLY WEARING MY OWN HAIR. I WEAR PERM, WIG, WEVE BECAUSE I LIKE VARIETY. MY HAIR CAME OUT BECAUSE OF SOME MED I HAD TO TAKE...I WORE A WIG...LOVED IT!!! WILL WEAR MY HAIR AS I WISH...DON'T THINK BLACK HAIR IS NASTY...I HAVE WHAT I CALL NAPPY PRIDE NO MATTER HOW I WEAR MY HEAR."
**
15. MzVan21
"Wish more black women wear their natural hair...don't get wrong I like a sew in every now and then but Nothing like my hair that I was born with.yes I get tired of it sometimes,yes it takes a while to style etc but I wouldn't change it. its curly,thick, course.Black hair is DIFFERENT from any other texture..to me that's a great blessing. that we should embrace."
-snip-
"a sew in" - one way to attach synthetic or real hair to your hair
**
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16. Paris OfPhrance
"I'm on YouTube everyday it's not that different anymore lol follow naturallyshesdope on ig....very common"
-snip-
This is the complete comment.
"ig" = instagram (social media)
**
Reply
17. Edward Lewis
"+MzVan21 Actually is getting more and more common everyday I mean literally my mom, two aunts and grandmother are natural."
**
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18. MzVan21
"+Edward Lewis I feel like it is definitely trending which is great,just hopes it sticks"
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19. NatuRealistic87 VeryKinkyCurl
"Also trending for white ppl to try to mock the afro & swear up and down that they have "black ppl hair"...but I do agree with u it is different & very unique."
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20. natrulyvivacious
"I don't have kinky hair but if I did I would be proud as Jesus has the same kind of hair biblically written even though they try to portray him with straight white people hair.
-snip-
"Kinky" is often used as a synonym for "nappy". However, some people in the natural hair care movement indicate that "kinky" is a different type of hair pattern than "nappy".
**
21. TheKendroShow
"sadly the negative attitude towards natural hair is active and has a lengthy history. it takes some people time to wake up and I'm glad she did. fro looks real nice on her. all is forgiven"
**
22. mashonda Knight
"As a black women I'm so tired about the whole hair debate people need to stop shaming people for how and what they do to their hair if they want to wear their natural, perm,weave, braids, fine I wish everyone would stop telling everyone what to do with their hair I say as long as it looks great so what I don't wear wigs, braids or weave and those things are nice I've seen people look nice in them and that's their choice but I do perm my hair and I like it ,I just think when it comes to hair that topic should be off limits! !"
**
23. AmethystUniverse
"She looks gorgeous with her TWA :) and she seems really sincere this time around and I forgive her as well! #naturalhairrocks"
-snip-
Sheryl Underwood had apologized for her remarks disparaging Black natural hair in 2012 shortly after she made those remarks. This second apology was given during the nationally televised talk show where she is co-hosts with four other women.
**
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24. Africa Love
"I agree she seems more sincere "this time""
**
25. Jamaican Diaspora
"I am happy to be nappy! No Korean is going to feed and cloth their children with my money from those nasty beauty supply stores in Black communities.
-snip-
Throughout the USA, for some reason/s, Koreans a have monopoly on Black hair care salons.
"I'm happy to be nappy" is a rather widely used saying, particularly among "naturalistas" (Black natural hair adherents). That saying was coined by bell hooks in her 1999 children's book with that title.
**
26. patricia pritchett
"It's so crazy to me how 'my people' (not all, but many) think our hair is 'nappy', 'nasty', 'ugly', ect... I cant tell you HOW MUCH other races think that it's beautiful! Can't tell you how many times in a day they want to touch it, and compliment its beauty. I love mine!!! Hope that she is really embracing its UNIQUENESS..."
**
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27. Morris Pitts
"When did it become" brave" for Black women to wear they're natural hair ? I think you have to be brave to wear some of these F&&ked* Up wigs and weaves I see everyday."...
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this post. This is an excerpt of that comment.
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28. Dark Witch
"+Morris Pitts Not all wigs and weaves look f&&ked up, unless you can not afford better or your ghetto as all out doors! I wear my hair natural but I like variety too. I would prefer that all black women go natural but they do not need to be limited, especially when many jobs frown on natural hair. We have to be versatile and wear many faces in this society. But yes, underneath it all a women hair should be natural and we should feel just as comfortable wearing it that way too."
-snip-
*This word was fully spelled out in that comment.
**
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29. Summers Journey
"+Morris Pitts I have natural hair, but why must a woman keep the same hairstyle? I find that boring. Part of the reason why I like natural hair is because it's so versatile. Sometimes I like to wear my hair in a fro, at other times I prefer more defined curls, and sometime I like to wear it straight. If I'm not in the mood to do my hair, I may throw on a wig, or get braids/twists."
**
30. 827honey1
"She looks 100% prettier than she ever did wearing a weave or wig."
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31. sharp-jagger
"+827honey1 agreed. I did not criticize her in the past for VOLUNTARILY choosing to rock wigs, but I was shocked at her comments regarding natural hair. It seemed that there was this universal agreement that natural hair was synonymous with nappy and unkept. I think it took her some time to overcome the disparaging pre-programmed mindset of natural hair. She looks comfortable now."
**
32. y tyler
"Thank you for uploading this video of Sheryl apologizing. As for her natural hair (the way she has it styled) looks uneven, some parts looks as if she tried twist it, some parts looks like she picked it out. This is not a TWA (teeny weeny afro), this is a mess.
Afros were in style when I (and Sheryl) was growing up and I never saw anyone at school, church, work, the supermarket or walking down the street, with an afro that wasn't perfect. Men would go to the barber shop and sit in that chair (for what seemed like an eternity) while the barber cut and snipped until the hair was in a perfect circle. Finally, he would spray the Afro Sheen on, and you knew you were ready for anything.
The girls, would plait their hair in four big plaits (or more if their hair was shorter) at night and then would take it out in the morning, tease it with a comb and then pick it out with a pick or pack it down into an even circular shape. Afro Sheen was sprayed on, and a thin layer of hair spray if needed. We looked so well-groomed. We even wore the pick in our hair so, if it got messed up, we could pick it back out to perfection. We took so much pride in our Afros, that non-black people wore their hair in afros, too.
I have never seen Sheryl wearing a wig that was cut, as uneven as her real hair is. So, she should come to the conclusion, that an even cut will make her natural hair look much better."...
-snip-
This is an excerpt of that comment. The blogger continued with off topic criticism about Sheryl’s weight and how the blogger thinks she acts on air.
"picked [her natural hair] out= used a wide tooth comb called an "afro pic" to comb out her natural
While I don't agree with the blogger's assessment that Sheryl Underwood's afro looks a mess, the blogger's comments about how people wore afros back in the day and plaited (braided) their hair at night etc. completely matches my memories of how African American females and males wore afros in the mid to late 1960s.
It seems to me that one of the greatest differences between afro hair styles in the late 1960s/1970s and afro styles in the 2000s is that it's considered stylish nowadays to wear afros out in public without combing the natural hair out while back in the day Black women (like me) who wore our hair in 'fros would always braid it at night so that the fro could be fuller, and not matted and then we'd take the braids out and "pic" (comb out) our hair before being seen in public- either outdoors or inside.
**
33. Deborah Atkins-Denmark
"I forgive her, wholeheartedly. For a lot of us, the natural hair decision is a process, especially for us older sisters who were, from birth, taught to hate our hair. I believe she was both sincere and courageous. We should forgive her and embrace a new naturalista!!!"
**
34. infinite1
"Why is everyone acting like we didn't go through hundreds of years of conditioning first? Our ancestors in this country had to adapt and conform to get us to a place today where we are alive and breathing. I never hated myself when I had a perm, it was what I knew because it was passed down from the former generations. I loved weave because it offered variety. As an older woman, it is the young who have really brought the natural hair forth and it is beautiful. Older woman like myself are still on a learning curve taking care of natural hair. Just 10 years ago, black men and women still shunned women with natural hair just like white people, so why in the hell, now that it is accepted everyone want to jumpn up and say you hate yourself for wearing your hair the only way you've known how for ages?"...
-snip-
This is an excerpt of this comment. The blogger continues by writing about how Black men need to stop hating each other and stop killing each other.
**
35. kittenhoodie
"to be honest, a lot of African American women had the same negative views about natural hair. I can even say that I had negative views about natural hair for most of my life until about 6 years ago when I decided to transition. she was entitled to her opinion about it. I thought she was rude to Heidi Klum about her decision to hold onto her children's hair. if anything, she owed a huge apology to Heidi Klum because she was basically questioning aspects of her parenting. the women on "the talk" are very abrasive, and I wasn't interested in their views or that show way before underwood's natural hair controversy. the show is about differing views on current topics. we just aren't gonna agree with each other completely, and why would should we? some people question why it took her so long to basically come around to seeing how amazing our natural beauty is, and I think we should just appreciate that she in fact changed how she felt on the subject and move on. hell, raven-Symone says stuff on the view that it way more offensive and ignorant."
**
36. kai kai
"i think her apology was full of sh&t!* saying black people hair is nasty is not a joke! i think she really felt that way why do you think black women wear tons of artificial white woman hair today...grown ass black woman all ways tell they children "yo hair so nappy! go flat earn it! ya head lookin a hot ass mess" for example blue ivy! black woman are dragging blue ivy through the mud just because they think her natural beautiful hair is "nappy". also why do 98.9% of black people think if a you have long curly hair that your mixed? why do i have to be mixed in order to have long hair? this also stems to why black people think mixed or "redbone" look best. all of this stuff have a deeper meaning!
-snip-
*This word was fully spelled out in this comment.
“flat earn it” = flat iron it” [iron hair= straighten [press] hair with a hot comb; a flat iron is a type of hot comb
"Blue Ivy" = Pop star Beyonce & Hip Hop star Jay Z's daughter
redbone = Black people who have a reddish hue to their light brown or "medium" brown skin color, usually because of racial mixture at some point in their ancestry
**
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37. Dark Witch
"+kai kai People need to forgive her because we all make mistakes, let's be f&&king* real! Blacks (with the exception of those who have always been natural)act as if they have always worn there hair natural knowing damn well that it is a self reflective process. Like you said, we should give our own people a chance to redeem themselves and forgive! The point is to lift our people up not tear them down ESPECIALLY if they are on the road to success. As a natural women, I can not stand when people tear down women who do wear weaves, and wigs or chemicals. We can be so unforgiving to our own people yet get made when other races are the same. That is called HYPOCRISY PEOPLE"
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
**
38. LuvJezula
"I forgive her, I think she's sincere. I see a lot of black women nowadays are embracing their natural hair or buying afro kinky textured weave. I hope that trend continues. yeah you are right when it comes to apologies. black people are quick to forgive white people when they say or do something racist but will be quick call a black person an uncle tom or coon, not forgive them and hold a grudge. personally I believe she hadn't made those comments and went natural anyways people would've made fun of her natural hair and say she looks like a slave, then these same black people would get mad at a non black person for trying to mimick natural hair and scream appropriation"
**
39. Morgan :)
"didn't know she even said something bad about Natural hair and I forgive her. I do find it surprising because her Sorors and other ladies of the NPHC are natural so it was pretty shocking when she said that but as I digress I forgive her, she's my favorite comedian 💋💋 #TeamNatural #3YearsStrong"
-snip-
Sorors = a term used by members of historically Black Greek lettered sororities to mean "a sorority sister; a member of your sorority; members of other [historically Black Greek lettered] sororities; Note this term isn't used by historically predominately White sororities
NPHC= National Pan Hellenic Council - the governing body for the nine historically Black Greek lettered fraternities and sororities which are colloquially known as "the divine nine".
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2016
40. honey bebe
"I don't understand why people are trippin over the fact that it took her two years to apologize. Do they not understand that most people don't fall in love with their natural hair as soon as they do the 'big chop'? My mother went natural seven years ago. For the first four years she wore wigs. It took her a long time to accept her hair. After learning how to care for and style it, she came to ADORE it! Appreciate the fact that she was big enough to apologize in public. Most wouldn't even do it in private -let alone at all."
-snip-
"trippin" = African American Vernacular English term meaning "getting upset about", "going crazy about"
**
41. Kay-Marie
"Why is it cool when some of us wearing natural but it's not cool when we wear relaxed or weaved hair?"
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42. Shon Hubble
"Some people are too narrow-minded and think that weaves and relaxers contribute to some identity crisis or self esteem issue. Weaves are beautiful, natural is beautiful, everything! As long as you have love for yourself, you will always be real no matter what is altered or added on.
**
Reply
43. Kay-Marie
"+Shon Hubble Well Said! I relax my hair and I love being black."
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44. AWizardMummyandMartian ImUnique
"It's funny because black girls are buying afro texture hair now too. I thought of it but it feels so rough."
**
45. AWizardMummyandMartian ImUnique
"Please stopl calling them European textured wigs, most hair comes from Asians or Native American women."
**
46. PanamericanistaM0R3Na
"There is nothing wrong with the way our hair curls and coils.
Embrace it."
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This concludes Part I of this four part series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Latest Revision: July 2, 2019
This is Part I of a four part pancocojams series about current (as of October 2016) attitudes among African Americans about the word "nappy".
Part I highlights a 2015 vlog (video blog) about a second apology that African American comedian Sheryl Underwood made on a CBS talk show where she is co-host about comments that she had made on that show in 2012 disparaging "nappy" hair. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also included in this post.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/articles-about-black-natural-hair.html for Part II of this series. Part II provides information about the Black natural hair movement in the United States, France, Ivory Coast, and Brazil. Information about the Black natural hair type classification system that appears to be widely used by African American natural hair care professionals and African Americans with natural hair styles is also included in one of these articles.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/videos-of-black-natural-hairstyles-in.html for Part III of this series. Part III features several videos that showcase various Black natural hairstyles in the United States and elsewhere.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/hip-hop-group-nappy-roots-song-po-folks.html for Part IV of this series. Part IV highlights the Hip Hop group Nappy Roots and their 2002 hit song "Po' Folks"'. Selected comments from the discussion thread of a video of that song are included in that post.
-snip-
Other pancocojams posts on the word "nappy" will be published periodically. Click the tag "nappy" or "natural hair" for links to previous posts and new posts.
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The content of this post is presented for cultural and sociological purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this embedded video.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S COMMENT [late October 2016]
In February 2013 I published a pancocojams post about "Good Hair & Bad Hair (Black Attitudes About Our Hair) http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/good-hair-bad-hair-black-attitudes.html in which I shared my memories about the terms "good and bad" hair as used by Black people in New Jersey in the 1950s and 1960s. I also commented in that post that few children and teenagers in my adopted hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania wore their hair in natural hairstyles.
Writing this in late October 2016, I definitely would say that there's been a large increase in the number of Black females wearing natural hairstyles. Wearing long natural (looking) braid extensions and curly/twist natural styles (where the non-straightened hair is braided at night, and the braids are eventually taken out [as early as the next morning, but usually days later] and the hair is worn that way without combing), and other natural hair styles have become the norm for a considerable number of African American females - particularly girls ages about six years old to women under fifty years of age - not just in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but apparently throughout the United States. Many of these styles are made by adding braids or twists made from synthetic hair to females's own hair. Dreadlocks (locs) and certain other natural hairstyles have also become relatively common for African American males (particularly teens and young adults). As noted by those different age ranges, it seems to me that natural hairstyles (including extensions) are worn more often by African American females than by African American males.
My interest in natural hairstyles in general and in the African American meaning of the word "nappy" was revived in October 2016 when I published a post on the latest Hip Hop dance craze "Juju On The Beat" http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/what-does-juju-on-that-beat-and-tm.html. In that record, the rapper talks about how he "Walked in this party/And these girls lookin' at me/Skinny jeans on and you know my hair nappy".
Those lyrics motivated me to find out when and how "nappy hair" become a part of African American young folk's urban swag. I therefore thank the singers/composers of "Juju On The Beat" Zay Hilfiger and Zayion McCall for inspiring this four part pancocojams post.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Sheryl Underwood goes natural & Apologizes For Calling Natural Hair "Nasty"
lovelyti2002 Published on Sep 20, 2015
On Monday’s premiere episode of the new season of The Talk, comedian Sheryl Underwood revealed her natural hair and apologized for disparaging comments she made regarding kinky hair.
-snip-
I'm highlighting this vlog because of the discussion about Black people's hair that it prompted and not to focus on the 2012 statements that Sheryl Underwood is apologizing for. However, to briefly summarize those statements, during a show featuring celebrity Heidi Klum as a guest, Ms. Klum (a White women who has adopted two mixed racial children who have some Black ancestry) shared that when she cut her children's hair for the first time, she saved their hair as mementos. Sheryl Underwood made disparaging comments about nappy hair, negatively comparing those hair textures with naturally straight hair.
As a correction that was made by several commenters, The Talk series on which Sheyrl Underwood is a co-host is on CBS and not ABC as the vlogger stated.
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THAT VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
These videos are given in chronological order based on their publishing date with the oldest comments by year given first, except for replies. However, these comments may not be in consecutive order.
I've assigned numbers to these comments for referencing purposes only. Brief explanatory comments are included after some of these quoted comments.
As per my policy on this blog, profanity (except for the word "damn") is given in amended form only.
2015
1. AshleyMorgan
"Some of these people forget the way they felt about their hair before they accepted their self whole heartedly. I know how much ignorant statements I made about black hair before I fell in love with it. So don't forget how you once were. Good for her!"
-snip-
"Some of these people" refers to those who are critical of the statements that Sheryl Underwood made about (most) Black people's natural hair. In the statement "Good for her!", "her" refers to Sheryl Underwood for apologizing and deciding to wear her hair natural (Note that Ms. Underwood indicated that she would also wear wigs because she likes to "change up" how she wears her hair.)
**
Reply
2. TheGanation
"right! a lot of us weren't raised to love our natural hair."
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3. ronniemonnie
"Not me! I always loved black natural hair."
**
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4. AshleyMorgan
"+ronniemonnie You are one in a million. Thats awesome that it was like that for you but for many we were taught to use a perm because our hair isn't manageable. It was a process for many but fortunately for me it was a quick one when I began to see the acceptance. I will tell you this, going through the phases like the big chop and watching your hair grow, taking the time out to treat it, style it, and rock it, it helps you build your confidence and also makes you appreciate and love your hair. I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee my hair now and you can not tell me anything about it especially when the fro is picked out!!!!! MANNNNNNN LISTEN LMAOO"
-snip-
"Big chop"- "Big chop is the process of cutting off the relaxed or permed ends of one's hair when [a female] is transitioning from chemically processed hair to natural hair." http://www.naturallycurly.com/topics/view/big-chop-transitioning
'fro = afro (also called a "natural" in the USA since the 1960s). An afro ('fro) can be a hair style, or a number of natural hairstyles. But, people with afros can style their hair or have their hair styled in different ways that have their own names. Click http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/kinky-hair-type-4a/21-popular-natural-hairstyles/ for the article "21 Most Popular Natural Hair Styles"
**
Reply
5. Chanda Chansa
"+AshleyMorgan
Am African and I don't understand some things: Why is black hair a sensitive topic for black Americans?"
**
Reply
6. Chanda Chansa
"+Tiffany Williams
A lot of African women wear weaves as-well but black hair is not an issue there. Thanks for your explanation."
-snip-
Given the comments that I've read in various online YouTube (and other) discussion threads about the changing attitudes about natural hair in various African nations, I'm not sure that I agree with the blogger that
"black [people's natural] hair is not an issue" for "a lot of African women". I wish that the blogger had given the nation she was referring to.
"Weaves" = females wearing usually synthetic hair that is attached to their hair by braiding, sewing, glue or other ways
**
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7. AshleyMorgan, 2016
"+Chanda Chansa I feel it is such a sensitive topic not only because of the history but in modern day america we are told on a daily basis that out hair is not professional, it looks unkept, it looks nappy, etc. There are some companies and people that will not hire you solely based on your hair. We have been told that in order to fit in we have to conform to their standard of beauty because that is the only standard. Now many of us have taken measures to embrace and whole heartedly love ourself for who we are but then you have others who still haven't fully embraced who they are. …because …not all of us grew up being told that our hair is beautiful. Many of us don't even remember having our natural hair as children. It's deeper then this but If I try to explain it we will be here all day! lol I hope you are having a great day though!"
-snip-
This comment included the ...'s.
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8. coolingwinds, 2016
"I agree with pretty much everything you said. Back when the natural hair movement was just getting started, I was hanging on to my relaxer with both hands and all my might! Now I am happy to report that I've been natural since roughly 2007. It took me a long time to embrace it in myself let alone others because I came from that generation of relaxing, weaving, wig wearing black women. I recognize myself in her, and it's all good now that she's gone through her transition. People have to remember that's how many of us came up. As far as I'm concerned, all is forgiven. I'm just so glad that she now loves what God gave us, and she is beautiful!
-snip-
"going through her transition" = changing from wearing one's hair chemically treated or straightened (also known as "relaxed"; "permed", "done") with heat (a hot comb placed in fire or an electric iron) to wearing one's hair naturally.
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9. Nita Carter
"Omg this make me want to cry, cause I struggle with a lot with my hair. All my life my hair was always short, I'm not ashamed of my beautiful nappy natural hair, It's just I'm a big fan of weave so much that I forgot how beautiful natural nappy black hair is. I was never a girl who say disrespectful things about my race hair, I actually love seeing black woman wearing and showing their hair out no matter how it is or look, I love my race hair, cause we can do soooooo much with it. (And for the people that think black woman hair don't grow or say disrespectful things is crazy and f&&king* stupid cause it does grow and we actually have beautiful hair it's different), my hair today is near my neck and I love it, the other day I was thinking about taking my weave out but seeing this video got me like what m'I doing. If we see more videos like this, it will courage more black woman as myself to appreciate a lot of things about black beauty. By the way we shouldn't get defended if people say our hair is nappy because we have beautiful nappy hair that's just how our hair is and I love it. so f&&k* thoses who think nappy hair is a disgrace."
-snip-
* These words were fully spelled out in this comment.
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10. Jada Lee, 2016
"yes! ppl dont understand why im proud to say i have nappy hair. "nappy" is only as insulting as you make it. stay strong girl!"
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11. shortmonee 312
"Unfortunately, most (over 50%) of black American women hate their hair. I've noticed lately though a lot of sistas are going natural, and I hope the trend continues"
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12. imshrrj
"+shortmonee 312 This is true, but we're taught to hate our hair...By guess who??? grandma and aunties.. The things my family use to say about hair..just terrible"
-snip-
This is an excerpt of that comment.
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13. O-Ren Ishii
...[screen name of person this comment was written in response to] "everybody can't rock every natural hairstyle but I think everybody can pull off at least one of them. Everybody can't pull off the natural baby bush like Sheryl."
-snip-
"Bush" is a term that I remember being used in the mid 1960s (in Atlantic city, N.J) for short round shaped afros that Black male and Black females had. Since at least the 1990s, a much more widely used referent for a short afro ('fro) is "TWA" ("teeny weeny afro"). Women who do the "big chop" (read above) usually end up with a TWA. A number of women who have their chemically/heat permed hair chopped off, "rock" (wear) wigs until their natural hair grows a little longer than "twa" or until they learn to do different hairstyles with their short natural.
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14. Sharon Reid Robinson
...[screen name of person this comment was written in response to] "FREE COUTRY....NO PERSON CAN TELL ANOTHER HOW THEY SHOULD WEAR THEIR HAIR. IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT. SHE MADE A MISTAKE IBY SAYING WHAT SHE SAID. I AM PRESENTLY WEARING MY OWN HAIR. I WEAR PERM, WIG, WEVE BECAUSE I LIKE VARIETY. MY HAIR CAME OUT BECAUSE OF SOME MED I HAD TO TAKE...I WORE A WIG...LOVED IT!!! WILL WEAR MY HAIR AS I WISH...DON'T THINK BLACK HAIR IS NASTY...I HAVE WHAT I CALL NAPPY PRIDE NO MATTER HOW I WEAR MY HEAR."
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15. MzVan21
"Wish more black women wear their natural hair...don't get wrong I like a sew in every now and then but Nothing like my hair that I was born with.yes I get tired of it sometimes,yes it takes a while to style etc but I wouldn't change it. its curly,thick, course.Black hair is DIFFERENT from any other texture..to me that's a great blessing. that we should embrace."
-snip-
"a sew in" - one way to attach synthetic or real hair to your hair
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16. Paris OfPhrance
"I'm on YouTube everyday it's not that different anymore lol follow naturallyshesdope on ig....very common"
-snip-
This is the complete comment.
"ig" = instagram (social media)
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17. Edward Lewis
"+MzVan21 Actually is getting more and more common everyday I mean literally my mom, two aunts and grandmother are natural."
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18. MzVan21
"+Edward Lewis I feel like it is definitely trending which is great,just hopes it sticks"
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19. NatuRealistic87 VeryKinkyCurl
"Also trending for white ppl to try to mock the afro & swear up and down that they have "black ppl hair"...but I do agree with u it is different & very unique."
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20. natrulyvivacious
"I don't have kinky hair but if I did I would be proud as Jesus has the same kind of hair biblically written even though they try to portray him with straight white people hair.
-snip-
"Kinky" is often used as a synonym for "nappy". However, some people in the natural hair care movement indicate that "kinky" is a different type of hair pattern than "nappy".
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21. TheKendroShow
"sadly the negative attitude towards natural hair is active and has a lengthy history. it takes some people time to wake up and I'm glad she did. fro looks real nice on her. all is forgiven"
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22. mashonda Knight
"As a black women I'm so tired about the whole hair debate people need to stop shaming people for how and what they do to their hair if they want to wear their natural, perm,weave, braids, fine I wish everyone would stop telling everyone what to do with their hair I say as long as it looks great so what I don't wear wigs, braids or weave and those things are nice I've seen people look nice in them and that's their choice but I do perm my hair and I like it ,I just think when it comes to hair that topic should be off limits! !"
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23. AmethystUniverse
"She looks gorgeous with her TWA :) and she seems really sincere this time around and I forgive her as well! #naturalhairrocks"
-snip-
Sheryl Underwood had apologized for her remarks disparaging Black natural hair in 2012 shortly after she made those remarks. This second apology was given during the nationally televised talk show where she is co-hosts with four other women.
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24. Africa Love
"I agree she seems more sincere "this time""
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25. Jamaican Diaspora
"I am happy to be nappy! No Korean is going to feed and cloth their children with my money from those nasty beauty supply stores in Black communities.
-snip-
Throughout the USA, for some reason/s, Koreans a have monopoly on Black hair care salons.
"I'm happy to be nappy" is a rather widely used saying, particularly among "naturalistas" (Black natural hair adherents). That saying was coined by bell hooks in her 1999 children's book with that title.
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26. patricia pritchett
"It's so crazy to me how 'my people' (not all, but many) think our hair is 'nappy', 'nasty', 'ugly', ect... I cant tell you HOW MUCH other races think that it's beautiful! Can't tell you how many times in a day they want to touch it, and compliment its beauty. I love mine!!! Hope that she is really embracing its UNIQUENESS..."
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27. Morris Pitts
"When did it become" brave" for Black women to wear they're natural hair ? I think you have to be brave to wear some of these F&&ked* Up wigs and weaves I see everyday."...
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this post. This is an excerpt of that comment.
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28. Dark Witch
"+Morris Pitts Not all wigs and weaves look f&&ked up, unless you can not afford better or your ghetto as all out doors! I wear my hair natural but I like variety too. I would prefer that all black women go natural but they do not need to be limited, especially when many jobs frown on natural hair. We have to be versatile and wear many faces in this society. But yes, underneath it all a women hair should be natural and we should feel just as comfortable wearing it that way too."
-snip-
*This word was fully spelled out in that comment.
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29. Summers Journey
"+Morris Pitts I have natural hair, but why must a woman keep the same hairstyle? I find that boring. Part of the reason why I like natural hair is because it's so versatile. Sometimes I like to wear my hair in a fro, at other times I prefer more defined curls, and sometime I like to wear it straight. If I'm not in the mood to do my hair, I may throw on a wig, or get braids/twists."
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30. 827honey1
"She looks 100% prettier than she ever did wearing a weave or wig."
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31. sharp-jagger
"+827honey1 agreed. I did not criticize her in the past for VOLUNTARILY choosing to rock wigs, but I was shocked at her comments regarding natural hair. It seemed that there was this universal agreement that natural hair was synonymous with nappy and unkept. I think it took her some time to overcome the disparaging pre-programmed mindset of natural hair. She looks comfortable now."
**
32. y tyler
"Thank you for uploading this video of Sheryl apologizing. As for her natural hair (the way she has it styled) looks uneven, some parts looks as if she tried twist it, some parts looks like she picked it out. This is not a TWA (teeny weeny afro), this is a mess.
Afros were in style when I (and Sheryl) was growing up and I never saw anyone at school, church, work, the supermarket or walking down the street, with an afro that wasn't perfect. Men would go to the barber shop and sit in that chair (for what seemed like an eternity) while the barber cut and snipped until the hair was in a perfect circle. Finally, he would spray the Afro Sheen on, and you knew you were ready for anything.
The girls, would plait their hair in four big plaits (or more if their hair was shorter) at night and then would take it out in the morning, tease it with a comb and then pick it out with a pick or pack it down into an even circular shape. Afro Sheen was sprayed on, and a thin layer of hair spray if needed. We looked so well-groomed. We even wore the pick in our hair so, if it got messed up, we could pick it back out to perfection. We took so much pride in our Afros, that non-black people wore their hair in afros, too.
I have never seen Sheryl wearing a wig that was cut, as uneven as her real hair is. So, she should come to the conclusion, that an even cut will make her natural hair look much better."...
-snip-
This is an excerpt of that comment. The blogger continued with off topic criticism about Sheryl’s weight and how the blogger thinks she acts on air.
"picked [her natural hair] out= used a wide tooth comb called an "afro pic" to comb out her natural
While I don't agree with the blogger's assessment that Sheryl Underwood's afro looks a mess, the blogger's comments about how people wore afros back in the day and plaited (braided) their hair at night etc. completely matches my memories of how African American females and males wore afros in the mid to late 1960s.
It seems to me that one of the greatest differences between afro hair styles in the late 1960s/1970s and afro styles in the 2000s is that it's considered stylish nowadays to wear afros out in public without combing the natural hair out while back in the day Black women (like me) who wore our hair in 'fros would always braid it at night so that the fro could be fuller, and not matted and then we'd take the braids out and "pic" (comb out) our hair before being seen in public- either outdoors or inside.
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33. Deborah Atkins-Denmark
"I forgive her, wholeheartedly. For a lot of us, the natural hair decision is a process, especially for us older sisters who were, from birth, taught to hate our hair. I believe she was both sincere and courageous. We should forgive her and embrace a new naturalista!!!"
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34. infinite1
"Why is everyone acting like we didn't go through hundreds of years of conditioning first? Our ancestors in this country had to adapt and conform to get us to a place today where we are alive and breathing. I never hated myself when I had a perm, it was what I knew because it was passed down from the former generations. I loved weave because it offered variety. As an older woman, it is the young who have really brought the natural hair forth and it is beautiful. Older woman like myself are still on a learning curve taking care of natural hair. Just 10 years ago, black men and women still shunned women with natural hair just like white people, so why in the hell, now that it is accepted everyone want to jumpn up and say you hate yourself for wearing your hair the only way you've known how for ages?"...
-snip-
This is an excerpt of this comment. The blogger continues by writing about how Black men need to stop hating each other and stop killing each other.
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35. kittenhoodie
"to be honest, a lot of African American women had the same negative views about natural hair. I can even say that I had negative views about natural hair for most of my life until about 6 years ago when I decided to transition. she was entitled to her opinion about it. I thought she was rude to Heidi Klum about her decision to hold onto her children's hair. if anything, she owed a huge apology to Heidi Klum because she was basically questioning aspects of her parenting. the women on "the talk" are very abrasive, and I wasn't interested in their views or that show way before underwood's natural hair controversy. the show is about differing views on current topics. we just aren't gonna agree with each other completely, and why would should we? some people question why it took her so long to basically come around to seeing how amazing our natural beauty is, and I think we should just appreciate that she in fact changed how she felt on the subject and move on. hell, raven-Symone says stuff on the view that it way more offensive and ignorant."
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36. kai kai
"i think her apology was full of sh&t!* saying black people hair is nasty is not a joke! i think she really felt that way why do you think black women wear tons of artificial white woman hair today...grown ass black woman all ways tell they children "yo hair so nappy! go flat earn it! ya head lookin a hot ass mess" for example blue ivy! black woman are dragging blue ivy through the mud just because they think her natural beautiful hair is "nappy". also why do 98.9% of black people think if a you have long curly hair that your mixed? why do i have to be mixed in order to have long hair? this also stems to why black people think mixed or "redbone" look best. all of this stuff have a deeper meaning!
-snip-
*This word was fully spelled out in this comment.
“flat earn it” = flat iron it” [iron hair= straighten [press] hair with a hot comb; a flat iron is a type of hot comb
"Blue Ivy" = Pop star Beyonce & Hip Hop star Jay Z's daughter
redbone = Black people who have a reddish hue to their light brown or "medium" brown skin color, usually because of racial mixture at some point in their ancestry
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37. Dark Witch
"+kai kai People need to forgive her because we all make mistakes, let's be f&&king* real! Blacks (with the exception of those who have always been natural)act as if they have always worn there hair natural knowing damn well that it is a self reflective process. Like you said, we should give our own people a chance to redeem themselves and forgive! The point is to lift our people up not tear them down ESPECIALLY if they are on the road to success. As a natural women, I can not stand when people tear down women who do wear weaves, and wigs or chemicals. We can be so unforgiving to our own people yet get made when other races are the same. That is called HYPOCRISY PEOPLE"
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
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38. LuvJezula
"I forgive her, I think she's sincere. I see a lot of black women nowadays are embracing their natural hair or buying afro kinky textured weave. I hope that trend continues. yeah you are right when it comes to apologies. black people are quick to forgive white people when they say or do something racist but will be quick call a black person an uncle tom or coon, not forgive them and hold a grudge. personally I believe she hadn't made those comments and went natural anyways people would've made fun of her natural hair and say she looks like a slave, then these same black people would get mad at a non black person for trying to mimick natural hair and scream appropriation"
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39. Morgan :)
"didn't know she even said something bad about Natural hair and I forgive her. I do find it surprising because her Sorors and other ladies of the NPHC are natural so it was pretty shocking when she said that but as I digress I forgive her, she's my favorite comedian 💋💋 #TeamNatural #3YearsStrong"
-snip-
Sorors = a term used by members of historically Black Greek lettered sororities to mean "a sorority sister; a member of your sorority; members of other [historically Black Greek lettered] sororities; Note this term isn't used by historically predominately White sororities
NPHC= National Pan Hellenic Council - the governing body for the nine historically Black Greek lettered fraternities and sororities which are colloquially known as "the divine nine".
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2016
40. honey bebe
"I don't understand why people are trippin over the fact that it took her two years to apologize. Do they not understand that most people don't fall in love with their natural hair as soon as they do the 'big chop'? My mother went natural seven years ago. For the first four years she wore wigs. It took her a long time to accept her hair. After learning how to care for and style it, she came to ADORE it! Appreciate the fact that she was big enough to apologize in public. Most wouldn't even do it in private -let alone at all."
-snip-
"trippin" = African American Vernacular English term meaning "getting upset about", "going crazy about"
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41. Kay-Marie
"Why is it cool when some of us wearing natural but it's not cool when we wear relaxed or weaved hair?"
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42. Shon Hubble
"Some people are too narrow-minded and think that weaves and relaxers contribute to some identity crisis or self esteem issue. Weaves are beautiful, natural is beautiful, everything! As long as you have love for yourself, you will always be real no matter what is altered or added on.
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43. Kay-Marie
"+Shon Hubble Well Said! I relax my hair and I love being black."
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44. AWizardMummyandMartian ImUnique
"It's funny because black girls are buying afro texture hair now too. I thought of it but it feels so rough."
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45. AWizardMummyandMartian ImUnique
"Please stopl calling them European textured wigs, most hair comes from Asians or Native American women."
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46. PanamericanistaM0R3Na
"There is nothing wrong with the way our hair curls and coils.
Embrace it."
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This concludes Part I of this four part series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
The Cultural Need For The "Happy To Be Nappy" Slogan
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post explores the cultural ramifications of the African American slogan "Happy to be Nappy". This post includes excerpt from books and online articles, examples of African American children's hair insult rhymes, and videos about the "happy to be nappy" slogan.
This post is presented for cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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GENERAL OVERVIEW
"Happy to be nappy" is an African American slogan that promotes acceptance and appreciation of the natural hair texture of many but not all African Americans and other people with Black African ancestry. That slogan, which is also given as "I'm happy to be nappy", has been used as the title of books, articles, and DVDs, and has been featured on t-shirts and other products.
I've not been able to identify who came up with the "happy to be nappy" slogan. Nor have I been able to determine the earliest documented date that it was used. However, author and activist bell hooks, indicated that that slogan predates her 1999 children's book Happy to Be Nappy (Jump at the Sun) which popularized that slogan. In that passage from her 2003 book Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem, bell hooks explains why that slogan was created:
...”When the issue of self-esteem was raised in relation to black people, it just assumed that racism was the primary factor creating low self-esteem. Consequently, when black public figures, most of whom were male at that time, began to address the issue of self-esteem, they focused on the impact of racism as a force that crippled our self-esteem.
Militant antiracist political struggles placed the issue of self-esteem for black people on the agenda. And it took the form of primarily discussing the need for positive images. The slogan “black is beautiful” was popularized in an effort to undo the negative racist iconography and representations of blackness that had been an accepted norm in visual culture. Natural hairstyles were offered to counter the negative stereotype that one could only be beautiful if one’s hair was straight and not kinky. “Happy to be nappy” was also a popular slogan among militant black liberation groups."
Source: Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem, bell hooks, [Google Books], page 2.
-snip-
A video of bell hooks' Happy To Be Nappy book is showcased as video example #1 below.
I'm not sure which "militant black liberation groups" used that saying or when. For what it's worth, from 1967-1969 I was a member of the Black cultural nationalist group, Committee For Unified Newark (CFUN). Members of that organization which was headed by Amiri Baraka for some of that time and subsequently chanted a number of slogans such as "It's nation time!" and "We are an African people. And while almost all the women and men in that group wore afros, I don't recall ever hearing or reading the slogan "happy to be nappy".
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SOME ATTITUDES AMONG BLACK PEOPLE ABOUT OUR NATURAL HAIR
Numerous online articles and blog posts have been written about Black people's attitudes about our hair. In a 2012 artice entitled "Nappy Hair – The Other “N” Word?" Dianne Shaddock wrote
"There’s more than one derogatory n-word in the English language. While “nappy” may not be quite as inflammatory as the other word, it still conjures up pain for too many African Americans...
Consider yourself fortunate if you grew up with a loving adult telling you that your natural hair was beautiful, and that kinky hair was to be admired. Unfortunately, too many black girls and boys have heard the term “nappy” in a different light; it’s hurled as an insult. As a result, it’s practically considered a fighting word for many.
When it comes out of the mouths of non-black people, it’s even worse. Don Imus called an entire women’s basketball team “nappy headed” and was swiftly fired from his radio show. An elementary school teacher read the book Nappy Hair to her class as a way to teach pride to her mostly minority students. A controversy ensued and the teacher ended up having to transfer to another school due to the negative publicity."
Source: http://www.naturalhaircarenews.com/2012/08/04/nappy-hair-the-other-n-word-happy-to-be-nappy/
-snip-
Click http://www.carolivia.org/nappyhair/ for information about Carolivia Herron's 1998 book Nappy Hair.
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Here's a link for "Young Black Nappy"'s Facebook page uhttps://www.facebook.com/youngblacknappy
"Young Black Nappy shared a link [about a photography exhibition about Black hair:
November 16, 2014.
“I’m talking about how difficult is it to be a woman of color and be accepted as beautiful in terms of our hair... It’s less about a divisive body of work, where I’m criticizing hair that’s a certain way. It’s more or less about embracing that hair comes in all textures and curl patterns and can be worn in any way. Black hair is a multiplicity of things.” - Artist Nakeya Brown via For Harriet
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EXAMPLES OF CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN'S HAIR INSULT RHYMES
Note: I've been collecting examples of African American playground rhymes since 1985. I've found very few references to hair in those rhymes. Excluding the "bald head" references* in "Yo mama, yo daddy, yo bald headed granny" and in "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes, and the mention of a baby with a curl in the latter rhymes, and excluding the mention of a girl with "strawberry curls" in the "My Boyfriend's Name Is" rhymes, I've only come across three examples of Black children's rhymes that mention hair. And those examples can clearly be considered taunting (insult) rhymes. Here are those examples:
*Read my comment after Example #2 about hair length preferences in the United States.
Example #1:
My husband actually taught my daughter's a song that he remembered as a child in the late 60s/early 70s.
Hey you, over there, with the nappy nappy hair.
My back is achin' my pants too tight, my bootie shakin' from the left to right
M' Gowa, Black Power, yo' mama needs a shower.
Destroy, little boys, soul sister number nine, sock it to me one more time.
Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!
-GUEST,Shamiere, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4300 "Children's Street Songs", March 24, 2004
-snip-
The verse "My back is achin' my pants too tight, my bootie shakin' from the left to right" is found in the now relatively widely known cheer or hand clap rhyme "Bang Bang Choo Choo Train".
"'Gowa" is a folk processed form of the word "Ungawa". That line and the next one are found in a number of African American children's rhymes. But they may be best known now because of their inclusion in the movie Big's version of the rhyme "Down Down Baby".
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Example #2:
All: Gaaaytors
Gaaaytors
Directions:
Clap two times and and then stomp four times. Repeat this entire sequence two more times.
This cheer starts with the group facing forward. The first time the word "Gaaaytors" [an elongated form of the word "Gators"] is said, the group turns to their right while clapping two times and stomping four times. The second time, the group turns to the back. The third time the group turns to their left. And the fourth time the group turns to face the front again.
While the group is facing the front the first soloist says a two line rhyming verse. Neither the group nor the soloist steps during that recitation.
Soloist: Gator’s aint wid it
So Homewood betta quit it
[Return to the "Gators “chorus” and begin doing the step moves again. Ideally, the next soloist would chant another verse with the same pattern and with the same theme. The chorus is always chanted after each verse.
Here are three other verses that the contributor of this cheer chanted for me:
Homewood betta chill out
cause I’ll put their tracks out [tracks= hair weaves]
Homewood betta chill out
before Sha’ona come and lay ‘em out
Or
Homewood betta laugh and cheer
But they can’t really got no hair
{Sha’ona said she learned this from hearing the cheerleaders do this in 2006]
-Sha'ona (African American girl, Fort Pitt Elementary School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, 2007
-snip-
This is an example of a confrontational (insult) foot stomping cheer that is chanted by the cheerleaders associated with that children's community based football team. "Foot stomping cheers" is my term for these cheers to distinguish them from mainstream cheerleader cheers.
The Garfield Gators" is the name of children's football teams which are based in the Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That neighborhood is predominately Black. One of the Gators' arch rivals -in football and otherwise -is "Homewood", a nereby Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhood that is also predominately Black.
Notice that it's considered an insult to say that a girl has no hair. The hair preference in the United States for females is
not just for straight or moderately curly hair, but also for long straight or moderately curly hair. That aesthetic preference results in the billon dollar hair industry for hair weaves and wigs. And, given the strong preference for and strong desire for long hair, I believe that references to "baldheaded granny" and "bald headed baby" in playground rhymes are meant to be insults and not just statements of facts. For example, here's an example that was posted to http://www.inthe00s.com/archive/inthe80s/smf/1109960765.shtml "Those clapping songs" on 03/04/05 by bratzdan78:
"hot shot baby
chicken and gravy
here comes a lady
with a bald head baby
*point to other person* THATS YOU"
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Example #3:
bald-head scallywag, ain't got no hair in da back
gelled up weaved up, yo hair is messed up.
perm and relaxer, you betta ask her
twist and turn, it's gonna burn.
-no name given, http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/how-many-of-you-can-recallold-school-chants_topic270052_page2.html "How many of you can recall...Old School Chants", Jul 15 2010
-snip-
"Perm [permanent] and relaxer" refers to ways to straighten tightly curled [nappy, kinky] hair using chemical products. Often those products burn.
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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These three videos were produced to counteract negative socialization about Black people's hair and help Black females in particular, but also Black males' accept and celebrate our hair. These examples are given in no particular order.
Example #1:Happy to Be Nappy
.
Scott Nagatani, Published on Aug 17, 2014
This video is a children's book, Happy to Be Nappy, set to music.
-snip-
This is the bell hooks book that is mentioned earlier in this post. Chris Raschka is the book's illustrator.
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Example #2: Happy to be Nappy / Sankofa Kids
Sankofa Kids, Published on Jun 4, 2012
Happy to be Nappy by Aset Brathwaite
www.sankofakids.com [no longer accessible]
-snip-
Here's that poem/affirmation as given in the sub-titles from this video:
They twist, join together and sometimes do what they want to do.
They’re not dreadful so don’t call them DREADS.
Of course they are long and grow really fast
When my mommy ties them up they always last.
I don’t need a comb or brush just catus never grease or moose* [
I love my natural hair and that’s what I choose.
What’s that?
Ohhhhhhh they are tight curls some call them naps.
I’m so amazed my hair can do that.
It’s cool to be free and to be ME!
I AM SO HAPPY TO BE NAPPY
-snip-
*moose = mouse
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_mousse
..."Hair mousse adds volume to hair and often provides both conditioning and hold, without any clumps or build-up. It is a hairstyling product which works by using synthetic resins to coat the hairs, and assist the hair in taking shape [3]. Hair mousse is purple while in the can and turns an off-white color upon coming in contact with the air."
-snip-
My guess is that the reference in this affirmation to "catus" means a type of natural oil from catus plants.
****
Example #3: Happy To Be Nappy! Natural Hairstyles
JahGydes, Uploaded on Oct 24, 2008
celebration of black hair, sistahs don't be ashamed of your hair, be happy to be nappy! one love
****
RELATED LINKS
Other self-esteem videos:
I really love my hair – Sesame Street 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpFde5rgmw
I Love My Beautiful Brown Skin by Sankofa Kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oNshv4WgQo
and
I Love My Beautiful Brown Skin by Sankofa Kids [not the same video as given above]
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdpbihtpEjs
-snip-
Pancocojams posts about the rhymes and cheers that are mentioned in this post can be found by putting that title in the internal search engine or by clicking the "children's rhymes and cheers"
tag below.
Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/good-hair-bad-hair-black-attitudes.html for a pancocojams post about
'Good Hair & Bad Hair (Black Attitudes About Our Hair)"
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post explores the cultural ramifications of the African American slogan "Happy to be Nappy". This post includes excerpt from books and online articles, examples of African American children's hair insult rhymes, and videos about the "happy to be nappy" slogan.
This post is presented for cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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GENERAL OVERVIEW
"Happy to be nappy" is an African American slogan that promotes acceptance and appreciation of the natural hair texture of many but not all African Americans and other people with Black African ancestry. That slogan, which is also given as "I'm happy to be nappy", has been used as the title of books, articles, and DVDs, and has been featured on t-shirts and other products.
I've not been able to identify who came up with the "happy to be nappy" slogan. Nor have I been able to determine the earliest documented date that it was used. However, author and activist bell hooks, indicated that that slogan predates her 1999 children's book Happy to Be Nappy (Jump at the Sun) which popularized that slogan. In that passage from her 2003 book Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem, bell hooks explains why that slogan was created:
...”When the issue of self-esteem was raised in relation to black people, it just assumed that racism was the primary factor creating low self-esteem. Consequently, when black public figures, most of whom were male at that time, began to address the issue of self-esteem, they focused on the impact of racism as a force that crippled our self-esteem.
Militant antiracist political struggles placed the issue of self-esteem for black people on the agenda. And it took the form of primarily discussing the need for positive images. The slogan “black is beautiful” was popularized in an effort to undo the negative racist iconography and representations of blackness that had been an accepted norm in visual culture. Natural hairstyles were offered to counter the negative stereotype that one could only be beautiful if one’s hair was straight and not kinky. “Happy to be nappy” was also a popular slogan among militant black liberation groups."
Source: Rock My Soul: Black People and Self-Esteem, bell hooks, [Google Books], page 2.
-snip-
A video of bell hooks' Happy To Be Nappy book is showcased as video example #1 below.
I'm not sure which "militant black liberation groups" used that saying or when. For what it's worth, from 1967-1969 I was a member of the Black cultural nationalist group, Committee For Unified Newark (CFUN). Members of that organization which was headed by Amiri Baraka for some of that time and subsequently chanted a number of slogans such as "It's nation time!" and "We are an African people. And while almost all the women and men in that group wore afros, I don't recall ever hearing or reading the slogan "happy to be nappy".
****
SOME ATTITUDES AMONG BLACK PEOPLE ABOUT OUR NATURAL HAIR
Numerous online articles and blog posts have been written about Black people's attitudes about our hair. In a 2012 artice entitled "Nappy Hair – The Other “N” Word?" Dianne Shaddock wrote
"There’s more than one derogatory n-word in the English language. While “nappy” may not be quite as inflammatory as the other word, it still conjures up pain for too many African Americans...
Consider yourself fortunate if you grew up with a loving adult telling you that your natural hair was beautiful, and that kinky hair was to be admired. Unfortunately, too many black girls and boys have heard the term “nappy” in a different light; it’s hurled as an insult. As a result, it’s practically considered a fighting word for many.
When it comes out of the mouths of non-black people, it’s even worse. Don Imus called an entire women’s basketball team “nappy headed” and was swiftly fired from his radio show. An elementary school teacher read the book Nappy Hair to her class as a way to teach pride to her mostly minority students. A controversy ensued and the teacher ended up having to transfer to another school due to the negative publicity."
Source: http://www.naturalhaircarenews.com/2012/08/04/nappy-hair-the-other-n-word-happy-to-be-nappy/
-snip-
Click http://www.carolivia.org/nappyhair/ for information about Carolivia Herron's 1998 book Nappy Hair.
****
Here's a link for "Young Black Nappy"'s Facebook page uhttps://www.facebook.com/youngblacknappy
"Young Black Nappy shared a link [about a photography exhibition about Black hair:
November 16, 2014.
“I’m talking about how difficult is it to be a woman of color and be accepted as beautiful in terms of our hair... It’s less about a divisive body of work, where I’m criticizing hair that’s a certain way. It’s more or less about embracing that hair comes in all textures and curl patterns and can be worn in any way. Black hair is a multiplicity of things.” - Artist Nakeya Brown via For Harriet
****
EXAMPLES OF CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN'S HAIR INSULT RHYMES
Note: I've been collecting examples of African American playground rhymes since 1985. I've found very few references to hair in those rhymes. Excluding the "bald head" references* in "Yo mama, yo daddy, yo bald headed granny" and in "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" rhymes, and the mention of a baby with a curl in the latter rhymes, and excluding the mention of a girl with "strawberry curls" in the "My Boyfriend's Name Is" rhymes, I've only come across three examples of Black children's rhymes that mention hair. And those examples can clearly be considered taunting (insult) rhymes. Here are those examples:
*Read my comment after Example #2 about hair length preferences in the United States.
Example #1:
My husband actually taught my daughter's a song that he remembered as a child in the late 60s/early 70s.
Hey you, over there, with the nappy nappy hair.
My back is achin' my pants too tight, my bootie shakin' from the left to right
M' Gowa, Black Power, yo' mama needs a shower.
Destroy, little boys, soul sister number nine, sock it to me one more time.
Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!
-GUEST,Shamiere, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4300 "Children's Street Songs", March 24, 2004
-snip-
The verse "My back is achin' my pants too tight, my bootie shakin' from the left to right" is found in the now relatively widely known cheer or hand clap rhyme "Bang Bang Choo Choo Train".
"'Gowa" is a folk processed form of the word "Ungawa". That line and the next one are found in a number of African American children's rhymes. But they may be best known now because of their inclusion in the movie Big's version of the rhyme "Down Down Baby".
****
Example #2:
All: Gaaaytors
Gaaaytors
Directions:
Clap two times and and then stomp four times. Repeat this entire sequence two more times.
This cheer starts with the group facing forward. The first time the word "Gaaaytors" [an elongated form of the word "Gators"] is said, the group turns to their right while clapping two times and stomping four times. The second time, the group turns to the back. The third time the group turns to their left. And the fourth time the group turns to face the front again.
While the group is facing the front the first soloist says a two line rhyming verse. Neither the group nor the soloist steps during that recitation.
Soloist: Gator’s aint wid it
So Homewood betta quit it
[Return to the "Gators “chorus” and begin doing the step moves again. Ideally, the next soloist would chant another verse with the same pattern and with the same theme. The chorus is always chanted after each verse.
Here are three other verses that the contributor of this cheer chanted for me:
Homewood betta chill out
cause I’ll put their tracks out [tracks= hair weaves]
Homewood betta chill out
before Sha’ona come and lay ‘em out
Or
Homewood betta laugh and cheer
But they can’t really got no hair
{Sha’ona said she learned this from hearing the cheerleaders do this in 2006]
-Sha'ona (African American girl, Fort Pitt Elementary School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, collected by Azizi Powell, 2007
-snip-
This is an example of a confrontational (insult) foot stomping cheer that is chanted by the cheerleaders associated with that children's community based football team. "Foot stomping cheers" is my term for these cheers to distinguish them from mainstream cheerleader cheers.
The Garfield Gators" is the name of children's football teams which are based in the Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That neighborhood is predominately Black. One of the Gators' arch rivals -in football and otherwise -is "Homewood", a nereby Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhood that is also predominately Black.
Notice that it's considered an insult to say that a girl has no hair. The hair preference in the United States for females is
not just for straight or moderately curly hair, but also for long straight or moderately curly hair. That aesthetic preference results in the billon dollar hair industry for hair weaves and wigs. And, given the strong preference for and strong desire for long hair, I believe that references to "baldheaded granny" and "bald headed baby" in playground rhymes are meant to be insults and not just statements of facts. For example, here's an example that was posted to http://www.inthe00s.com/archive/inthe80s/smf/1109960765.shtml "Those clapping songs" on 03/04/05 by bratzdan78:
"hot shot baby
chicken and gravy
here comes a lady
with a bald head baby
*point to other person* THATS YOU"
****
Example #3:
bald-head scallywag, ain't got no hair in da back
gelled up weaved up, yo hair is messed up.
perm and relaxer, you betta ask her
twist and turn, it's gonna burn.
-no name given, http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/how-many-of-you-can-recallold-school-chants_topic270052_page2.html "How many of you can recall...Old School Chants", Jul 15 2010
-snip-
"Perm [permanent] and relaxer" refers to ways to straighten tightly curled [nappy, kinky] hair using chemical products. Often those products burn.
****
SHOWCASE VIDEOS
These three videos were produced to counteract negative socialization about Black people's hair and help Black females in particular, but also Black males' accept and celebrate our hair. These examples are given in no particular order.
Example #1:Happy to Be Nappy
.
Scott Nagatani, Published on Aug 17, 2014
This video is a children's book, Happy to Be Nappy, set to music.
-snip-
This is the bell hooks book that is mentioned earlier in this post. Chris Raschka is the book's illustrator.
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Example #2: Happy to be Nappy / Sankofa Kids
Sankofa Kids, Published on Jun 4, 2012
Happy to be Nappy by Aset Brathwaite
www.sankofakids.com [no longer accessible]
-snip-
Here's that poem/affirmation as given in the sub-titles from this video:
They twist, join together and sometimes do what they want to do.
They’re not dreadful so don’t call them DREADS.
Of course they are long and grow really fast
When my mommy ties them up they always last.
I don’t need a comb or brush just catus never grease or moose* [
I love my natural hair and that’s what I choose.
What’s that?
Ohhhhhhh they are tight curls some call them naps.
I’m so amazed my hair can do that.
It’s cool to be free and to be ME!
I AM SO HAPPY TO BE NAPPY
-snip-
*moose = mouse
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_mousse
..."Hair mousse adds volume to hair and often provides both conditioning and hold, without any clumps or build-up. It is a hairstyling product which works by using synthetic resins to coat the hairs, and assist the hair in taking shape [3]. Hair mousse is purple while in the can and turns an off-white color upon coming in contact with the air."
-snip-
My guess is that the reference in this affirmation to "catus" means a type of natural oil from catus plants.
****
Example #3: Happy To Be Nappy! Natural Hairstyles
JahGydes, Uploaded on Oct 24, 2008
celebration of black hair, sistahs don't be ashamed of your hair, be happy to be nappy! one love
****
RELATED LINKS
Other self-esteem videos:
I really love my hair – Sesame Street 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpFde5rgmw
I Love My Beautiful Brown Skin by Sankofa Kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oNshv4WgQo
and
I Love My Beautiful Brown Skin by Sankofa Kids [not the same video as given above]
ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdpbihtpEjs
-snip-
Pancocojams posts about the rhymes and cheers that are mentioned in this post can be found by putting that title in the internal search engine or by clicking the "children's rhymes and cheers"
tag below.
Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/02/good-hair-bad-hair-black-attitudes.html for a pancocojams post about
'Good Hair & Bad Hair (Black Attitudes About Our Hair)"
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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