Chris Rock’s Good Hair
Starring Chris Rock (probably my favorite comedian), Good Hair is a documentary inspired by his concern over the self-image of his 7 year-old daughter Lola. Apparently hurt by the notion that she didn’t have “good hair,” Rock set out on a journey into black culture to figure out who (or what) planted the seed in his daughter’s mind.
This is definitely something I want to check out (scheduled for a October 9, 2009 release). But as for the issue at hand, I’m surprised that Lola even made it out of the house. Many black girls don’t even get that luxury. Growing up closely with several female cousins, I remember the household politics whenever the brushes and combs would come out. The ones with nappier hair would dread having their hair done. After being accidentally burned with hotcombs, having their scalps violently tugged on, or just downright being made fun of or yelled at, tears usually weren’t hard to come by. They were treated as defective, in a sense. Meanwhile, the girls praised by the adults as having a “good grade of hair” always seemed to take a bit of pride in being less of a hassle. If asked today, I’m sure all parties involved would deny there being any sort of problem; but I can’t imagine things like these not having connections to where many black women end up in their attitudes towards their natural hair. For many, it’s almost treated as a rite of passage to receive their first perm. It’s unfortunate, too, because natural hair is my preference in a black woman. In fact, I usually won’t entertain anything less. Sadly, natural hair pretty-much fell off the map once chicks outgrew their barrettes. We still got a few holding it down, though:
Juices and berries FTW
I can understand why they don’t, but I really wish more black women would embrace who they truly are. I’d take these hairstyles any day over some piss-yellow Beyonce weave. That said, click here for a list of natural salons in your area. And click here to view the trailer for Good Hair.
