[Ivana21246]

I’ve heard it, but only on televison. Black girls I’m friends with never told me anything like that, and I do play with and flip my hair, a lot. I saw it in a book and on Dateline before, and the reason given was that many black women cannot flip their hair like that, and that it’s like we (white women) do it to show off.

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Name : Ivana21246, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Lancaster, State : PA, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Social class : Middle class, 

[Nia20209]

I don’t understand how flipping one’s hair could be considered a ‘prejudiced action.’ If a girl’s hair is in the way, it’s got to be put out of the way, somehow. Maybe she was mad about you touching your hair in a place that serves food or something and didn’t know how to express that. To me, her statement makes about as much sense as saying brushing your teeth makes you a racist!

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Name : Nia20209, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 22, City : Brooklyn, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : art student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

[N.D]

I agree with you on this. I’m a mulato female and grew up around black people only. Some of you reading this might find it strange, but over the years I’ve developed a habit of not letting my hair down because I always fear that some black female will think I’m better than them if I flip it. But if it’s in my way I need to flip it. I know what I’m talking about, and I know black women’s attitudes when it comes to hair flipping: most of them think you’re trying to rub the fact that you have ‘good hair’ in their faces.

Don’t get me wrong, all races of women have that “hatin’ ” reaction when they feel that somebody has something that they want or should have. A confident sista with short kinky hair that she loves would not have the same reaction.

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Name : N.D, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/White, Italian Father/Haitian( Black) Mother, Religion : Christian, Age : 17, City : brooklyn, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : H.S Student/Columnist, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Upper class, 

[JAMARA]

Why DO white girls do that flip thing? Even black women who have long hair manage to move their hair from their face in a normal way, without the “flip.” Explanations?

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Name : JAMARA, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 32, City : hampton, State : VA, Country : United States, Occupation : exec asst, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Dominique]

I have never heard of such. I used to work in fast food, and the only problem I could see with you flipping your hair is that it could get into the food, and create a bigger problem among customers.

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Name : Dominique, Gender : F, Age : 20, City : Houston, State : TX, Country : United States, Occupation : Scientist, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Frit]

Flipping hair in and of itself is not a prejudiced action. Many people of non-black descent assume black people want long, stringy hair, especially when they see black chicks with hair weaves. What I have noticed accompanying the hair flipping at any given time is eye rolling, sighing, a negative attitude, etc. Some of these chicks even go as far as to flip their hair at or on you before walking away. Granted some just need to get the hair out of the way; no prob. But what one should be looking at is the attitude, the conscious and unconscious intent of the action. In my experience, there are many things that white people do that offend minorities across the board due to unearned privilege and lack of empathy. In the end, often the situation is trivialized into something that everyone else is too uptight about., i.e. the simple action of flipping hair, when that is really the surface issue and the result of being inconsiderate.

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Name : Frit, City : Richmond, State : VA, Country : United States, 

[JAMARA]

Taunted by their beauty? I think not. You should have put the word beauty in quotation marks, chick.

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Name : JAMARA, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 32, City : hampton, State : VA, Country : United States, Occupation : exec asst, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[conny]

Again, this is so frustrating. Do you really think black people are so much different than whites or any other ethnicity? It is not that black people are incapable of growing their hair. there are a lot of black people who have long hair (not weave). you really need to stop buying into stereotypes. Many black people put all those chemicals in their hair to live up to white Amercia’s standards, and in doing so those chemicals break their hair off. Black people who refuse to put those chemicals in their hair have long flowing hair once it gets straightning.

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Name : conny, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : detroit, State : MI, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Sheri R.]

I don’t believe a white woman flipping her hair is a sign of prejudice, unless the woman is flipping her hair because she knows that the average African American’s hair will not flip in the same manner. This has a history. A white woman flipping her hair around was seen as a sign of beauty and because African American hair is less likely to ‘bounce and behave,’ and African Americans have been constantly told that their hair is ugly because of this, many blacks feel offense when they see white women constantly flipping their hair. Personally, I just think it’s not a good idea to flip one’s hair around food products. If i were your manager, I would have asked you to wear a hair net of put your hair in a ponytail to avoid the flipping altogether. But no, I do not think you were being prejudiced, just unaware of the history.

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Name : Sheri R., Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 41, City : san francisco, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[RhondaOutlaw]

William, fortunately your statement does not apply to every African-American woman. I am an African-American woman who in 2000 cut off my relaxed, shoulder-length ‘bouncin’ & behavin’ hair because I was sick and tired of white society dictating to me what is beautiful and what is not. I decided that my natural hair was just as beautiful and acceptable as anyone else’s. Almost three years later, I have a headful of thick, beautiful African-textured hair, and I feel I have come full circle as an African-American woman. And I am happy. Bottom line: I am no longer interested in being ‘acceptable’ to white America, or black America, for that matter, with respect to my hair. White and black America must accept me, exactly as I am, in all my beautiful black glory.

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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, 

[D. Murray]

I’m black and have been smacked in the face too many times to count by people swinging their hair. Not just whites. I think hair should be kept in place, especially if it hinders anyone else. Also, I dont think anyone has to envy hair (If they do they’re stupid!) Thirdly I hardly think that a fast food restaurant is any place for anyone to be playing with their hair.

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Name : D. Murray, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 21, City : Richmond, State : VA, Country : United States, Occupation : Student/ Literacy Tutor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

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