GOOD HAIR = HEALTHY HAIR

For those who know me I LOVE OPRAH!!! I hope to meet her one day in the near future or be a guest on her show before she retires in 2011.  Anywho, she focused a show to promote Chris Rock's new movie/documentary called "Good Hair." The premise for this movie is that Chris Rock's daughters thought that their friend who is white hair was better or they had good hair and he wanted to get to the root of what is "Good Hair." The movie trailer seems to follow different dynamics of the black hair industry including relaxers, perms, weaves, wigs, natural hair, etc...  Of course you know it has its comical twist as this is in the eyes of Chris Rock and some famous celebrities. 

Oprah made a point to show Chris that her hair was real although she has been know to wear weaves in the past.  He called it the "billion dollar hair" lol I thought the show was hilarious and I believe that everyone should watch it and take away that Good Hair = Healthy Hair.  Solange Knowles was also featured on the show discussing her "big chop" and the need be free from all the bondage of having hair.  She also said it was an addiction being she had a relaxer since she was 4 years old.  Oprah then goes to show her hair journey and she shows this fabulous picture of her FRO back in the day.  This FRO is to DIE FOR!!! Now look at hers and look at mine I would love to hair her texture of hair, but I ain't mad at what God gave me.  Chris made jokes on how she looked like a slave and was free from picture to picture and the audience was in tears.  One thing I want everyone to take from this show as well as this movie is that Good Hair = Healthy Hair.  And for us to really examine the root cause of why we straighten our hair and what it came from.  Not one time did I hear Chris or any of the celebrities he interviewed mention Madam C.J. Walker the first black woman millionaire aka "mixologist" who created the relaxer and straightening products for us to "fit in"  Is that what we are really trying to do now is fit in? We already stand out!  Look at me I am a black female ENGINEER in a male dominated field.  All of my counterparts are white and its never a time that I don't realize I'm the only black person let alone female in the room. So does straightening my hair make me more like them? I'm already different and I choose to stay NATURAL! I understand playing your part and being in the image, but I plan on changing that image.  Look at Ursula Burns the first black CEO of a Fortune 500 company she rocks her short TWA PROUDLY!  I want to change the image of African American females in corporate america.  We don't have to be weaved out to be successful.  Does our appearance really play a role in our success? Let alone the texture of my hair?  We have a deep rooted stigma in our culture that WHITE IS RIGHT and we need to break away from this subconscious desire to "FIT IN."

What are you going to do to help with this issue we woman have about our hair?

Always remember Good hair = healthy hair, however if we don't change the image of what mass media displays this is what generations and generations will continue to be held down by this same issue.

Keep the Faith!

Until next time,
~E