Dealing With Negativity

I was just wondering if any of you have encountered negative reactions from others regarding your hair and how you have delt with it. I just happened to overhear two coworkers discussing my hair and one of them made the comment, "She could maybe get away with that if she were light skinned. She's just too dark for the natural look." The other coworker replied, "Some people just don't understand that they can't get away with what some of the rest of us can."

I continued to hold my head up high and do do my job. But I have to be honest and tell you that although I really tried to let it go...those comments really bothered me.

Girl, keep your head up. I have noticed that most comments come from people that have some sort of insecurity about themselves. It takes power and confidence to rock natural hair. Being natural is not for punks! What they were really saying was "Oh man, I wish I had the courage to wear my hair like that". Pretty soon, theywill be asking you for hair advice! It never fails, first you get the haters, then you get the hair stalkers wanting to know every little thing about your hair!

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i typically don't call people stupid, but that is the most stupid thing i have ever heard, and unfortunately it is heard too often!!!! first light skin does not guarantee a particular hair texture, nor does it make it okay for you to be natural because you have a certain skin tone!!!! people with this mentality should have their lips super glued together until they learn not to spew and spread ignorance!!!! i have learned that people that pull the skin tone card are threatened by your beauty, seeing someone of a chocolate tone that is beautiful and comfortable in her own skin makes their head hurt, because it challenge the theory that dark isn't beautiful and light is beautiful by default!!! they envy your courage, and it makes it impossible for them to deny the fact that they are too cowardly to accept themselves as they were created. it makes evident the fake, fraudulent, and deceptive nature of their own appearance, it bring to the forefront the African-ness that they are trying to hide behind what they deem an acceptable skin tone!!!!
now i don't want anyone to think i am bashing light-skinned women. my mother, grandmother, great grandmother, uncles, aunts, cousins, sisters, and various other family members are very light!!! my mother's family are multi-ethnic individuals of European decent!!! I inherited my father Haitian chocolate skin, with my maternal grandfather deep red Quapaw undertone and i LOVE IT, i wouldn't change it for the world!!!! i appreciate a very diverse range of beauty!!! however i do not appreciate ignorance, regardless of the shade of package in which it is delivered!!!! STUPIDITY IS NOT CUTE!!!!
SWEETHEART, I TYPICALLY ALSO DON'T ENCOURAGE THIS BEHAVIOR, BUT FEEL FREE TO CONSIDER THESE "COLLEGES" TOO INTELLECTUALLY INADEQUATE, TO EVEN LISTEN TO OR, CONSIDER YOUR EQUALS!! FEEL FREE TO TREAT THEM AS IF THEY WERE EXTREMELY INCOMPETENT(WHICH THEY ARE IN MY OPINION), AND SIMPLY BENEATH NORMAL, CIVILIZED HUMAN INTERACTION!!! I AM SORRY YOU HAVE TO WOK WITH THESE DUMB *SS, LITTLE GIRLS(THEY HAVE NOT EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE CONSIDERED WOMEN)!!!!
okay, other ladies may offer advise more realistic for your situation, after all you do have to work with these ladies, and work in general, but i just don't play when it comes to interacting with people of this sort. i have a very low tolerance for bull!!! keep you head up!! you know what they say, right??? if they're hatin' you must be doing something right!!!!!

and that is the gospel! Tell'em lexibugg004!! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

I second what Lexibugg004 said.

Your a better woman than me cause I wouldn't have been able to hold my tongue, and maybe you shouldn't. Now that the situation is over maybe you should in a professional was approach them and let them know you would be more than happy to educate them on the ignorance of natural black hair. Let them know that you did hear them and what they said is not acceptable, especially in the work place. Let them know it made you feel uncomfortable, but you understand they were scared to approach a REAL woman about the hair insecurities they have. And if it was me (and this is just me) I would say the exact same thing they said to you back to them.

ITA with Lexibugg. I was reading that getting pumped myself. Gives me that fire I need to BC when the time comes. I don't think you should say anything about it though because its over now. Just keep it pushing. If you confront them they will just make sure you don't hear them next time. People hate on you because they are just ignorant people. And probably continue to be that way.

I know exactly what you are going thru and I have a twist on what I expereinced, 2 out of 3 of my co-workers who are natural were totally negative and non-supportive when I cut my hair off....one had an attitude bc I didn't wear a wig that I showed her when I was still transitioning (wanted to take a break of taking the 2 textures) ...so when she saw my BC she just gave me a dirty look and was like "Oh I thought u were going to wear the wig"...I'm like no I didn't want to....(mind you she is wearing a wig to grow ou her natural hair again)....then the other who wears dreads...was like oh you should do ure hair this way and I'm like no I don't like that particular style and she was like oh well those knot things in ure hair are not hot!

So it just goes to show you that people are going to say negative things about you as a person, what you wear, how u wear ure make-up, how you talk and act, AND HOW YOU WEAR YOUR HAIR.....it's all about you darling...excuse my language...but scr** everyone else and the horse they rode in on!

ITA with what the ladies above me said. Ignore them and their naive comments. They are definitely not worth it in any way, shape or form. Just do you. They're just jealous that you rock it well. People who talk about others are just jealous of something they lack in themselves.

I'm glad you kept your head high.