This topic brings to mind a very hilarious and clever video that I watched once called, "Shit White girls say..... to black girls". While watching the video, I couldn't compose myself because I'm that black girl who white girls get comfortable with and say what's really on their mind. I'm not sure what it is about me or my personality but a lot of people not only "white girls" think it's appropriate to tell me exactly what they're thinking. (and sometimes it's too much information)….anywho…People always say to me "You're going to marry a white man." or " You're a white girl trapped in a black girl's body." So I guess that's why I'm the perfect confidant.
While having a late lunch with one of my friends the question came up "Why do you'll wear your hair like that?" (Scene: We were in a restaurant filled with black witnesses…all of whom were wearing lace front weaves.)
Mid way through a piece of lettuce, I stopped chewing to see what she was talking about and asked, "Wear our hair like what?"
She proceeded to say " You know what I'm talking about….like that…" Ok, I decided not to be the smart@$$ that I usually am and said, "Do you mean a weave?" Her response…."Yes"…."Well Tori." I said…."White women wear weave's too and who is you'll cause I wear my hair natural?"
Her response, "Yea, I think your hair is so cool. It looks much better than those lace fronts that all the girls are wearing."
I think you're hair is so cool is a common descriptor used by other races to describe natural hair. What exactly does the word "cool" mean when describing our hair? I pulled out my cell phone and decided to poll a number of my white, asian, and latina friends. Here is what I found.
#1- Cool means peculiar. It is quite different. We love it and it looks great on you.
#2- Well to be honest with you, my dad said your hair was cool. He used to date a girl back in the 60's that had an afro....weird I know lol.
#3- I have really curly hair but it isn't as curly as yours. I like my hair straight...my frizz is out of control.
#4- I wish I could grow an afro. That would be so cool. Maybe for halloween, you can dress up as an Asian girl and I'll dress up as an African American. Wouldn't that be cool?
#5- You're afro is cool but I like you better with straight hair. It suits your face shape better…just to be honest.
#6- (dating a black guy)- I love your hair girl. You know that. I will be bringing my little girls over to Auntie Terri's house because you know I can't do black hair.
The dictionary's meaning of cool is "the quality of being fashionably attractive or impressive."
I think I'll opt for the dictionary's version of cool.
By the way, I love all of my friends regardless of race so this post is not racial just meant to share what I've learned and humor in what some people think about our hair. Remember the only opinion that matters is your own.
How do your non-black friends describe your hair?
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I get this same "your hair is cool" comment. Sometimes I get why aren't other black girls hair like yours! WHAT? You only have to wash your hair once a week...LOLOL! The talks of "black" girls hair is very interesting when coming from another race. I like to know what they're thinking and don't mind the comments that I get. :-)
ReplyDeleteMelissa
www.melissachanel.com
I could care less about what anyone thinks about my hair least of all a white girl.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous, SAME AS ME.
ReplyDeleteI get more compliments from my non-black friends. They're always intrigued by the styles that I do and appreciate the versatility of my natural hair. Being able to wear it stretched out or straightened in the morning and have a compact little fro at night.
ReplyDeleteI always find it interesting though because unless the black person is natural as well, I usually don't hear much about it.