[ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 7/15/03 ]

Going natural turns heads

By CHARLOTTE MOORE
Atlanta Journal-Constitution


JOEY IVANSCO / Staff
AJC features writer Charlotte Moore with her new hairstyle.

You know the phenomenon: You get a new car -- let's say a Toyota Tercel -- and suddenly you begin to notice every Toyota Tercel on the road.

That's what happened to me a few weeks ago after I got my new 1970s Afro. When I emerged from the downtown Atlanta beauty salon behind the virtual wheel of my 1-inch, gravity-defying hairdo, I was surprised to find that other African-American women had apparently opted to go the same route.

And why, I wondered, should this surprise me?

Like any other race of women, our natural hairstyles make us feel like natural women. And nature . . . well . . . what could be more appropriate than that? But ever since I've gone to the 'fro, it seems that inquiring minds want to know: Is she making a "black power" statement? Is the '70s disco look coming back? Does she know that the Halle Berry straight flips and the Beyoncé superweaves are all the rage right now?

My 10-year-old daughter, Hayley -- who thinks her Barbie dolls' long, straight tresses are the gold standard for hair appeal -- was also critical of my Afro, dismissing it with a funny frown and a disparaging, "Oh God, Mommy, what did you do to your head?"

The truth is, I got fed up with all the hair appointments -- the foul-smelling, scalp-burning chemical straighteners, the sizzling-hot, ear-charring curling irons, and the exorbitant amounts of time and money it took to keep me resembling a fine-haired woman from Europe when my roots have always been from the kinkiest Africa. No political statements. No bringing back the boogie. Going natural with my hair was simply a matter of convenience and preference.

The look worked 30 years ago when it was deemed va-va-voom sexy on political activist Angela Davis and actress Pam Grier. And some celebrities today -- including recording artists Macy Gray, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and Lauryn Hill and actresses Jada Pinkett Smith and N'Bushe Wright -- have at some recent point gotten fluffy with their hair.

But workaday women like myself who sport natural hairdos have to be prepared to brave societal criticism.

"Believe it or not, I catch hell from black women, particularly older black women," said WSB-TV news anchor Monica Kaufman, whose short, natural cut has been met with an assortment of viewer responses.

"White people tend to say positive things," Kaufman said. "But black women, they'll say, 'You need to put a wig on' or 'Get a weave, girl.' You'd think I'd done the worst thing in the world. But for me, this is just so much easier, and I feel beautiful."

And there's Georgia Supreme Court Presiding Justice Leah Ward Sears. She hasn't had her hair chemically straightened in years and takes great pride in alternately wearing cornrows and a short Afro. "God gave us our hair not as a curse but as something to celebrate," Sears said.

As far back as the early 1900s, black entrepreneur Madame C.J. Walker was pushing utensils she created that enabled African-American women to straighten their kinky hair. Spike Lee's 1988 movie "School Daze" brought the issue to the fore in a comical but poignant look at good black hair -- long, straight, fine, silky or wavy -- vs. bad black hair -- the kinky stuff you'd find on Little Black Sambo or beneath Aunt Jemima's head scarf.

Great article,

                    Alot of my clients in the salon have opted to go natural. I think that it is a good thing for some clients, and a not so good thing for others. What I have noticed is that, even though natural hairstyles (for today's woman) seem to be a more "healthier choise" for your hair, you need a certain level of self esteem to wear a natural. You will get feedback from co-workers, girlfriends, hairstylists, and even people you don't know! I say good going, and here's wishing you the best,

Dwayne
Publisher Askdwayne.com
http://www.askdwayne.com

I learned that chemicals do not go well with my hair, but I think my daughter's hair will fair better WITH them. She's VERY tender-headed. No matter how gently I detangled her natural hair, no matter how many hours we spent on her hair, she cried. Now, at least, I can comb her hair with no problems. Dwayne is right about that. Natural styles work for some, not for others.

I only decided to put a relaxer in my ten yr old's hair AFTER reading as much as I could on other hair boards about proper hair care. There are a lot of AA women who know how to take very good care of their chemically-treated hair. (You should see their pictures!)

I don't plan to ever chemically treat my hair again. I think my hair type is 3c and I know how to manage it now. People always want to know if I'm mixed with anything when they see my natural waves parted into two braids. (That's such a touchy topic, I'm not even going to go there. )

Ah, well. Different strokes for different folks, right? I do find it disturbing when AA's give each other grief about changing our hair-styles. (That's just one of my little pet peeves.)

There's no doubt about it:  Going natural is very acceptable nowadays, and I'm happy that it is.  As for myself, I relax my hair, and I'm happy with that.  I think that whatever a person chooses to do with their hair is exactly that: a choice.  A person shouldn't look down at a black woman that has natural hair or a black woman that has relaxed hair.  Beautiful hair is healthy hair, and as long as you keep your hair moisturized and looking it's best, any hair type is beautiful.  As for you, don't let the people who criticize you about going natural get you down.  I think that there's nothing more attractive than someone who is confident being exactly who they are.