Why do a lot of African-American women make their hair straight like white people's? Why don't they wear their naturally nappy hair? They don't have to sport white hair just to get a black man. If black men like our big, black a**es, they should like our black hair.
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Name : Laila-S26202, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Johannesburg, State : AR Country : United States, 
DHParticipant
We like to have alot of options with our hair. We like to have braids, extensions, wigs, afros, ponytails, relaxers, whatever - even shaved bald if we feel like it. We play with the colors and the textures, similar to the way we play with 'doing' our fingernails. We don't take hair as literally as our people did under Jim Crow. Back then, they tried to pretend that their hair was naturally straight. Oprah has spoken about this. Today, however, we don't worry about whether anybody knows we 'do' our hair. We have fun with it. Why do so many non-blacks want to have darker skin? (Tanning and such) Why do people want to modify their looks in general? I don't think you could find a culture (tribal or 'modern') who doesn't have body modification rituals. Some don't even remember why they have the rituals they have...
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Name : DH, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Pittsburgh, State : PA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Right on, Laila! I went natural the spring of my junior year in high school and rediscovered my roots in the process. That personal revolution still stands as the best thing I've ever done for myself. Though what I now believe (that natural black hair should be accepted as the norm) was not the reason I went natural, I later realized all the damage society has subconsciously done to me. All the while I was thinking as a black female that that was what you did: you permed your hair every so often, just like you brushed your teeth. I had no clue what I was really doing to myself or who I was really trying to emulate. Anyhow, anyone who does not accept me in my most natural state is not to be bothered with because I refuse to hate myself for no good reason.
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Name : Maria, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : not religious, Age : 18, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : student/mentor/tutor, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I can't get a comb through my hair unless it is relaxed and straightened with a flat iron or curling iron.
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Name : Jona29070, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Chantilly, State : VA Country : United States, I agree with you. I just decided to go natural. But I think most women perm there hair to fit in with the majority and white women are the majority.
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Name : Renee30148, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, City : Clinton, State : MD Country : United States, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Lower middle class, I'm a black woman and I just want to let you know that not all men like straight hair. Some men prefer women with their naturals, just like some women want men with Afros, while others want a man with a nice college cut fade. Why do you assume that when a black woman relaxes her hair that she's trying to be white? Maybe she just likes the way her hair is easy to maintain that way. It's just like using a computer to write a paper and using the old fashioned pen and paper. It's a lot easier, and you like the convenience of it.
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Name : Tasha, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 23, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I think black women look better with curly hair. When they straighten it, it looks like they got in a fight with their cat or something.
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Name : John29205, Gender : M, City : Rockland County, State : NY Country : United States, Black women have been told since our forced arrival to this country that there is something wrong with our hair, and like fools, we bought into it. Add to that the fact that the black hair care industry has made a killing off our foolishness. This industry has made billions of dollars off the shame and embarrassment black women have been taught to feel about their own hair. Thing is, many black women's hair, frankly, looks like stir-fried crap; not because of its natural texture, but because they've destroyed their hair with chemicals. The relaxed hair of the average black woman is thin, stiff, brittle, broken and uneven; in short, it is a mess. But these women would rather lose a limb than go and cut that awful hair off their heads and go natural. And someone should introduce legislation to ban those ridiculous ponytails and weaves. Sorry, ladies, but most of you look awful wearing this mess. I don't understand why some women would rather look ridiculous with some fake-ass hair when they would look great with their own, natural hair.
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Name : RhondaOutlaw, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 41, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Account Representative, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, You know what? It is 100 percent OK for a black woman to wear her hair as she sees fit. If a woman doesn't want to hassle with her hair in its natural state, why should that be a crime? White women straighten their hair all the time, so why can't black women? I don't apologize for wearing a relaxer. It makes my hair more manageable, and I like the way it looks on me. I don't like nappy hair.
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Name : CocoaMinx, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 25, City : Savannah, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, As a black man I love the natural look of a black woman's hair, but only when she combs or dreads it. I think we have been so conditioned to think that if we try to look like whites, they won't hate us as much. We won't suffer police brutality, pay, jobs, educational, etc., differences. Personally I'm turned on by a black woman who stays true to her blackness. A KKK woman once said on the Jenny Jones show years ago to a black woman who stood up trying to argue with her; 'Well, if you're so proud to be black and proud of your heritage then why are you standing up arguing with me, yet you've permed your hair straight as mine?' She left that black woman speechless, which I was happy to see. I hoped that black women all over America would have watched that show, because I believe some would have returned to their natural truth: nappy and beautiful.
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Name : Hermann21310, Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, City : Santa Clara, State : CA Country : United States, You know, CocoaMinx, you wasted a whole lot of words, instead of just stating what you stated at the end of your tirade...'I don't like nappy hair.' Why drag white women into it, or make claims that your hair is supposedly 'more manageable' with a perm? Perms are very high maintainence...very costly because they have to be done by a professional, and because of the various products needed to maintain it. And, you can't swim in the pool or in the ocean, because the chlorine and salt water will 'eat up' your hair. Not to mention the ducking and dodging of the elements, rain, wind, etc., that'll ruin your 'do'. How 'easy to maintain' is that? I wash my hair, do my own twisting, and go. That's it. Now THATS 'easy to manage'.
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Name : Rhonda-P-Outlaw29996, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 42, City : Laurelton, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Hermann, I've worn my hair natural for almost four years now, I've been with this company for more than eight years now, but still spruce up my resume and cover letter 'just in case'. Would you believe there are African American people who ask me what am I going to 'do' with my hair, if I have to ever look for another job?? There are people who think this is still a 'phase' I'm going through. I almost feel sorry for them and their ignorance.
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Name : RhondaOutlaw, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 41, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Account Representative, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, You are free to wear your hair as you like. But we both know why you don't like 'NATURAL' hair. And trust me...your hair is NOT more manageable than mine. Your hair in it's relaxed state requires alot more maintainence than mine, and I've got about eight inches of natural hair that I maintain. For those women who are in denial about WHY they relax their hair, there is an excellent book called 'Nappy Hair...Taming the Roots of African Hair in America'. The author doesn't lie, and the truth about the self hate that many Black women feel towards themselves and their hair is in the book. So Cocoa I know why you don't 'like' nappy hair...you've been taught that your hair is ugly. But I'll say this...there is nothing uglier, or sadder, than a Black woman with a perm...I screams I HATE MYSELF.
User Detail :
Name : RhondaOutlaw, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 41, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Account Representative, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, What's 'convenient' about having to put harsh chemicals in your hair every six to eight weeks, having to rinse the chemicals out, use a 'special' shampoo to 'lock' the straightness in, having to set your hair on rollers or use a hot curling iron, praying that it doesn't rain, or that it won't get humid, or that the wind won't blow and ruin your 'do'; what's convenient about going to a pool party and not being able to swim for fear of wetting your hair? I wash, twist my hair, and go. I can walk in the rain, I don't care how high the humidity gets, I can swim, and I don't duck and dodge the wind. Best of all, I'm not being ripped off by salons for $100 or more every visit. Best of all, there are no chemicals eating up my hair. Now THAT'S convenience.
User Detail :
Name : RhondaOutlaw, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 41, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Account Representative, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, How could you not like something that grows out of your own head? Sounds like you don't like yourself.
User Detail :
Name : Lis, Gender : F, Race : Multi-Racial, Age : 20, City : Brooklyn, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
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