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talljournalist
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Meet talljournalist
by talljournalist 5th April 2010, 4:40 pm
I've been natural for 10 years, but I'm still a novice. My hair has been fried and dyed so much over the past decade that certain parts are always straight and
don't curl even when wet. Now I'm determined to grow healthy hair and treat my tresses gently.
How it began…
I knew I needed to make the change after reading an article about
medical students finding a green film under the scalps of black women cadavers
who had relaxers. That was scary. As a 13-year-old, I imagined green gunk
oozing around in my head, smothering my brain cells like some type of monster.
My transition was a one-year process of wearing braids. I had surgery on my
right hand and was unable to do my own hair for months, so the transition
period was coincidentally convenient. I never had a BC. Every time I took my
hair out of braids, I would get would two or so inches trimmed off before
having it braided again. So my hair always stayed its shoulder length.
Three years earlier in fifth grade, I begged my mom for a
"perm" because the other girls at school were teasing my frizzy
ponytails. Peer pressure is a b#&%$. I can't remember my first perm, but I
can remember being Mrs. Pageant greasing my ears, neck and forehead before
applying the stinky white chemical to my hair. I remember wondering why she
wore gloves to avoid touching the relaxer, but put it on my scalp. I remember
being moved to tears every few weeks when it was time for a "touch
up." I remember picking scabs off my scalp. None of these are good
memories, but I believed beauty is pain.
Hair horrors…
The era of relaxing my hair also marked when I began doing my own hair.
In elementary and middle school, that just meant gallons of gel and other
products and putting my hair in to a bun using an old sock. I high school,
after the transition, I was on the swim team and played sports year around, so
I washed my hair daily and always pulled it back into a pony tail with tucked
the ends under. I discovered heat around at age 15 and would get my hair
pressed for special occasions. That was also the first time that I cut my
shoulder-length hair into a bob. I can remember my Dad being upset when he
picked me up from the hair salon. I told him it was for a school project. It
had been my first time going alone. My quickly grew back. I continued to wash
it often and wait my tucked-under-ponytail-bun. That broke my hair off when the
bun would sit and I can remember Sheena - my high school friend turned licensed
cosmetologist - frequently lecturing me that the ponytail was a "no
no."
At 17, I began coloring my hair. Over the next two years I tried out
shades of chestnut brown, strawberry red, fire orange and platinum blonde. I
was always getting bored and trying something different. Right before I began
pledging at age 20, I went jet black. That same year I purchased a $100 ceramic
iron and began frying my hair almost daily for two years. After a horrible
fight with my ex at age 21, I cut my APL hair to barely touch my shoulder and
with bangs that barely reached my eye brows. It looked worst than the fight. It
quickly grew back by the time I graduated from college three months later. He
and I had a horrible break up in nine months later, and I cut my hair in an
inverted bob - less an a centimeter long in the back and gradually getting
longer just past cheeks. I felt good, and I looked fly - until my first
at-home wash a week later. I was so short, that I didn't know how to manage it.
The next week I was weaved up. I found a "weaveologist" and ordered
human hair from a New York supplier. I wore my sew-in for 48 weeks, getting it
taken out and redone three times. Now my hair is APL in the front and shoulder
length in the back because of the inverted cut from last year. The hair that
was braided during the sew-in looks great and is thick. But the part in the
front that was left out is breaking of really bad from the 400 degrees of heat
it was getting daily.
Epiphany…
My recent interest in my hair was birthed in November after my current boyfriend
took me to see Chris Rock's Good Hair. While the some parts of the movie were
funny and entertaining, I left yearning for a deeper understanding of my hair.
I wanted to know more about the history of black hair, the inventions of Madame
CJ Walker and the timeline our tightly curled tresses have traveled. During the
car ride home, my boyfriend started asking me questions about why I straighten
my hair every Friday morning and again before we go out. I was like,
"Because it's convenient."
"Convenient?" he asked. "C'mon now."
I thought about how he is always so patient watching me in the mirror
and the many hours I spend straightening my hair and dealing with the
consequences of humidity. It was then that I realize that I don't know how to
manage my natural hair. I used heat because I believed it made my hair
manageable. The so-called solutions of a tucked-under-ponytail-bun and ceramic
iron had been more harmful than helpful.
Where do I go from here?
I want long and healthy natural hair using minimal products.
I am so grateful for the many blogs on this topic by women who look like me and
have had success with their hair. I've learned so much about my "tightly
curly" hair from testimonies, pictures, guides and how to videos.
I'm the kind of person that has to document everything in a journal, on
a post it note or a Word document. I write in pen on the back of my hair and in
dry erase board marker on my mirrors. So that's why I am writing about my
experiences about what has always been on top of my head but seems so foreign
to me. Writing helps me understand my thought process and allows me to reflect
on my growth.
I am a product junkie. If Oprah, HSN, a magazine or blog recommends a
certain product, I've probably tried it. I'm definitely a sucker for ladies
with long black hair holding a bottle of miracle product in print
advertisements and television commercials. The hardest part is that I don't
like to throw things away, because I see it as putting money in the trashcan.
In December, after discovering the ingredients dictionary on tightlycurly.com,
I raided my bathroom. I discovered most of what I used is OK, but I could use
better products. I learned that cone products aren't good, moisturizing is
critical, and protein should be used in moderation. Over weeks, a lot of things
went in the trash, like plastic combs I bought in a pack of 20 for $3 or so.
I've hidden my two hand held hair dryers and three ceramic irons.
This journey excites me because it means spending less
time in the hair salon. At one point I was getting my hair professionally
straightened every other week. That's a lot of cash when each visit is $40
to 60. Wearing weave put me back at least $1,500, but I think that was well
worth the cost because my real hair grew back as I wore long hair.
Going completely natural - without the aid of color, heat and weave - means that I will save hundreds of dollars a year. It means no more waiting hours at a hair shop. No more punctually retarded stylists. No more gossip. No more men pushing hot chicken plates, hot jewelry and bootleg Coach bags. No more getting my tender head ripped out. I can do this all by
myself.
Since December, I've learned that not everything in a fancy
bottle is healthy for my crown. I am ready to embrace my hair in its natural
state, sans colors and heat. I'm not the kind of woman that rocks an Afro and
holds her fist high, but I am ready to be comfortable who I am. I've read enough
blog posts and watched enough YouTube videos to be convinced my hair can be
natural, tamed, presentable, healthy and long. I'm ready to try the
twist-n-curl, bantu knots, curlformers, co-wash and all of these neat things
I've read about from beautiful black women who have stood where I am now. And
so my journey to finer womanhood, self-knowledge and good hair begins.
don't curl even when wet. Now I'm determined to grow healthy hair and treat my tresses gently.
How it began…
I knew I needed to make the change after reading an article about
medical students finding a green film under the scalps of black women cadavers
who had relaxers. That was scary. As a 13-year-old, I imagined green gunk
oozing around in my head, smothering my brain cells like some type of monster.
My transition was a one-year process of wearing braids. I had surgery on my
right hand and was unable to do my own hair for months, so the transition
period was coincidentally convenient. I never had a BC. Every time I took my
hair out of braids, I would get would two or so inches trimmed off before
having it braided again. So my hair always stayed its shoulder length.
Three years earlier in fifth grade, I begged my mom for a
"perm" because the other girls at school were teasing my frizzy
ponytails. Peer pressure is a b#&%$. I can't remember my first perm, but I
can remember being Mrs. Pageant greasing my ears, neck and forehead before
applying the stinky white chemical to my hair. I remember wondering why she
wore gloves to avoid touching the relaxer, but put it on my scalp. I remember
being moved to tears every few weeks when it was time for a "touch
up." I remember picking scabs off my scalp. None of these are good
memories, but I believed beauty is pain.
Hair horrors…
The era of relaxing my hair also marked when I began doing my own hair.
In elementary and middle school, that just meant gallons of gel and other
products and putting my hair in to a bun using an old sock. I high school,
after the transition, I was on the swim team and played sports year around, so
I washed my hair daily and always pulled it back into a pony tail with tucked
the ends under. I discovered heat around at age 15 and would get my hair
pressed for special occasions. That was also the first time that I cut my
shoulder-length hair into a bob. I can remember my Dad being upset when he
picked me up from the hair salon. I told him it was for a school project. It
had been my first time going alone. My quickly grew back. I continued to wash
it often and wait my tucked-under-ponytail-bun. That broke my hair off when the
bun would sit and I can remember Sheena - my high school friend turned licensed
cosmetologist - frequently lecturing me that the ponytail was a "no
no."
At 17, I began coloring my hair. Over the next two years I tried out
shades of chestnut brown, strawberry red, fire orange and platinum blonde. I
was always getting bored and trying something different. Right before I began
pledging at age 20, I went jet black. That same year I purchased a $100 ceramic
iron and began frying my hair almost daily for two years. After a horrible
fight with my ex at age 21, I cut my APL hair to barely touch my shoulder and
with bangs that barely reached my eye brows. It looked worst than the fight. It
quickly grew back by the time I graduated from college three months later. He
and I had a horrible break up in nine months later, and I cut my hair in an
inverted bob - less an a centimeter long in the back and gradually getting
longer just past cheeks. I felt good, and I looked fly - until my first
at-home wash a week later. I was so short, that I didn't know how to manage it.
The next week I was weaved up. I found a "weaveologist" and ordered
human hair from a New York supplier. I wore my sew-in for 48 weeks, getting it
taken out and redone three times. Now my hair is APL in the front and shoulder
length in the back because of the inverted cut from last year. The hair that
was braided during the sew-in looks great and is thick. But the part in the
front that was left out is breaking of really bad from the 400 degrees of heat
it was getting daily.
Epiphany…
My recent interest in my hair was birthed in November after my current boyfriend
took me to see Chris Rock's Good Hair. While the some parts of the movie were
funny and entertaining, I left yearning for a deeper understanding of my hair.
I wanted to know more about the history of black hair, the inventions of Madame
CJ Walker and the timeline our tightly curled tresses have traveled. During the
car ride home, my boyfriend started asking me questions about why I straighten
my hair every Friday morning and again before we go out. I was like,
"Because it's convenient."
"Convenient?" he asked. "C'mon now."
I thought about how he is always so patient watching me in the mirror
and the many hours I spend straightening my hair and dealing with the
consequences of humidity. It was then that I realize that I don't know how to
manage my natural hair. I used heat because I believed it made my hair
manageable. The so-called solutions of a tucked-under-ponytail-bun and ceramic
iron had been more harmful than helpful.
Where do I go from here?
I want long and healthy natural hair using minimal products.
I am so grateful for the many blogs on this topic by women who look like me and
have had success with their hair. I've learned so much about my "tightly
curly" hair from testimonies, pictures, guides and how to videos.
I'm the kind of person that has to document everything in a journal, on
a post it note or a Word document. I write in pen on the back of my hair and in
dry erase board marker on my mirrors. So that's why I am writing about my
experiences about what has always been on top of my head but seems so foreign
to me. Writing helps me understand my thought process and allows me to reflect
on my growth.
I am a product junkie. If Oprah, HSN, a magazine or blog recommends a
certain product, I've probably tried it. I'm definitely a sucker for ladies
with long black hair holding a bottle of miracle product in print
advertisements and television commercials. The hardest part is that I don't
like to throw things away, because I see it as putting money in the trashcan.
In December, after discovering the ingredients dictionary on tightlycurly.com,
I raided my bathroom. I discovered most of what I used is OK, but I could use
better products. I learned that cone products aren't good, moisturizing is
critical, and protein should be used in moderation. Over weeks, a lot of things
went in the trash, like plastic combs I bought in a pack of 20 for $3 or so.
I've hidden my two hand held hair dryers and three ceramic irons.
This journey excites me because it means spending less
time in the hair salon. At one point I was getting my hair professionally
straightened every other week. That's a lot of cash when each visit is $40
to 60. Wearing weave put me back at least $1,500, but I think that was well
worth the cost because my real hair grew back as I wore long hair.
Going completely natural - without the aid of color, heat and weave - means that I will save hundreds of dollars a year. It means no more waiting hours at a hair shop. No more punctually retarded stylists. No more gossip. No more men pushing hot chicken plates, hot jewelry and bootleg Coach bags. No more getting my tender head ripped out. I can do this all by
myself.
Since December, I've learned that not everything in a fancy
bottle is healthy for my crown. I am ready to embrace my hair in its natural
state, sans colors and heat. I'm not the kind of woman that rocks an Afro and
holds her fist high, but I am ready to be comfortable who I am. I've read enough
blog posts and watched enough YouTube videos to be convinced my hair can be
natural, tamed, presentable, healthy and long. I'm ready to try the
twist-n-curl, bantu knots, curlformers, co-wash and all of these neat things
I've read about from beautiful black women who have stood where I am now. And
so my journey to finer womanhood, self-knowledge and good hair begins.
Last edited by talljournalist on 23rd April 2010, 5:57 pm; edited 6 times in total
talljournalist- Posts : 24
Join date : 2010-03-18
Age : 37
Location : Nashville -
BlondeByDesire- Posts : 2865
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Location : Charlotte, NC
Re: Meet talljournalist
by bholmes87 5th April 2010, 5:13 pm
Wow what a story!! I'm glad you're joining the challenge 
bholmes87- Posts : 1850
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Re: Meet talljournalist
by talljournalist 6th April 2010, 2:55 pm
Happy lunch hour my naturalistas!
Thanks for being so welcoming. Since my journey to healthy
hair began, I’ve been using Curlformers for my staple style. Here are some pictures
from this morning:
1. Curlformers in.
2. Curlformers out.
3. Hair fluffed with puff peak bangs pinned back. I have no
idea what those thing are called).
4. Side view.
5. Rear view.
Thanks for being so welcoming. Since my journey to healthy
hair began, I’ve been using Curlformers for my staple style. Here are some pictures
from this morning:
1. Curlformers in.
2. Curlformers out.
3. Hair fluffed with puff peak bangs pinned back. I have no
idea what those thing are called).
4. Side view.
5. Rear view.
talljournalist- Posts : 24
Join date : 2010-03-18
Age : 37
Location : Nashville -
Re: Meet talljournalist
by sweetdrk1 6th April 2010, 2:57 pm
ooooo Me likey the curlformers. My first attempt failed! I will try again though, they are too expensive to give up.
sweetdrk1- Posts : 8126
Join date : 2009-10-23
Age : 57
Location : Cliffton, NJ -
Re: Meet talljournalist
by Nikcoils 6th April 2010, 3:38 pm
Welcome ...I love your story. It reminds me soo much of my own where I thought me spending 4+ hours pressing and flatironing my hair to make it more manageable. The things you learn through these blogs, Youtube, and trial and error and the lovely ladies here will be very encouraging. The product Junkie in me wants to purchase some curlformers soooo bad I keep stalking them at Sally's Beauty Supply... great turn out.
It reminds me soo much of my own where I thought me spending 4+ hours pressing and flatironing my hair to make it more manageable. The things you learn through these blogs, Youtube, and trial and error and the lovely ladies here will be very encouraging. The product Junkie in me wants to purchase some curlformers soooo bad I keep stalking them at Sally's Beauty Supply... great turn out.
Nikcoils- Posts : 1028
Join date : 2010-03-12
Age : 45
Location : Southern Cali
Re: Meet talljournalist
by CocoEuro 6th April 2010, 4:04 pm
Hey..loved your story! Green subtance under the scalp??? My goodness!!!!
CocoEuro- Posts : 859
Join date : 2009-10-25
Age : 47
Location : Germany -
Re: Meet talljournalist
by mochamoments 6th April 2010, 7:18 pm
Great results with the curlformers. I'm just hearing about them lately and seeing people on Youtube use them.
mochamoments- Posts : 132
Join date : 2010-02-22
Age : 51
Location : Austin, TX -
Re: Meet talljournalist
by KinkyNappyHappy 6th April 2010, 7:25 pm
WOW...what an awesome story! You are correct..Chris Rock's movie Good Hair covered how the relaxer penetrates our scalp and goes beneth the layers of our skin!!!
That alone should make very woman stop!!!
Welcome and I look forward to following your journey!!!
KNH
That alone should make very woman stop!!!
Welcome and I look forward to following your journey!!!
KNH
KinkyNappyHappy- Posts : 4947
Join date : 2010-01-02
Location : Houston
Re: Meet talljournalist
by talljournalist 7th April 2010, 4:40 pm
Wonder
Wednesday...
On my reading list right now are only books about black hair. This week my nose
is in "Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America,"
and I'm learning so much. It's written in chronological order, starting with
the role hair played in Africa before our people were kidnapped and sold each
other into slavery. Right now I'm on a chapter about the ideological and sociopolitical
hair debates between the growing black hair industry and civil rights leaders
like Marcus Garvey and Booker T. Washington during the early 1900s.
"Don't remove the kinks from your hair," said Marcus Garvey. "Remove
them from your brain."
His newspaper "The Negro World" and the NAACP's "Crisis"
magazine condemned straightening products in their editorial text yet carried
paid advertisements for these hair creams and hot combs. How did these contradictions convolute our relationships with our hair? Is part of the
reason we find it difficult to understand our hair because of the complex and contradictory
messages from our leaders decades ago? Your thoughts?
Wednesday...
On my reading list right now are only books about black hair. This week my nose
is in "Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America,"
and I'm learning so much. It's written in chronological order, starting with
the role hair played in Africa before our people were kidnapped and sold each
other into slavery. Right now I'm on a chapter about the ideological and sociopolitical
hair debates between the growing black hair industry and civil rights leaders
like Marcus Garvey and Booker T. Washington during the early 1900s.
"Don't remove the kinks from your hair," said Marcus Garvey. "Remove
them from your brain."
His newspaper "The Negro World" and the NAACP's "Crisis"
magazine condemned straightening products in their editorial text yet carried
paid advertisements for these hair creams and hot combs. How did these contradictions convolute our relationships with our hair? Is part of the
reason we find it difficult to understand our hair because of the complex and contradictory
messages from our leaders decades ago? Your thoughts?
talljournalist- Posts : 24
Join date : 2010-03-18
Age : 37
Location : Nashville -
Re: Meet talljournalist
by mstokes2008 7th April 2010, 5:12 pm
Welcome I loved your intro and look forward to reading more of your story!!! I remember those days of spending hours flat ironing my hair only to walk outside and it all go to waste! It sucked lol.
How is that book coming? I was looking into buying it but it's not available on my beloved Sony reader
Im currently reading The Politics of Black Hair but have not gotten very far because of school.
How is that book coming? I was looking into buying it but it's not available on my beloved Sony reader
Im currently reading The Politics of Black Hair but have not gotten very far because of school.
mstokes2008- Posts : 804
Join date : 2010-03-08
Age : 33
Location : San Marcos, Tx
Re: Meet talljournalist
by talljournalist 7th April 2010, 5:25 pm
mstokes2008 wrote:How is that book coming? I was looking into buying it but it's not available on my beloved Sony reader
Truth be told, I just started "Hair Story" last night and am only on page 48. That's just 10 pages after the Garvey quote. But I'm all about the free-ninety-nine so since this book isn't available on my Amazon Kindle, I just checked it out from the public library.
talljournalist- Posts : 24
Join date : 2010-03-18
Age : 37
Location : Nashville -
Re: Meet talljournalist
by Lynnieluve 7th April 2010, 6:32 pm
Your curlformers set came out cute!!
**I will not purchase curlformers, I will not purchase curlformers**
**I will not purchase curlformers, I will not purchase curlformers**
Lynnieluve- Posts : 8638
Join date : 2009-10-30
Age : 46
Location : Mississippi
DvaAuNaturel- Posts : 2425
Join date : 2010-01-31
Location : Maryland
Re: Meet talljournalist
by Intelligentbeauty 8th April 2010, 12:41 am
welcome and have fun here!!!!
Your curlformer style is cute!!!
Your curlformer style is cute!!!
Intelligentbeauty- Posts : 3482
Join date : 2009-11-01
Location : New Jersey/NYC
More on my Curlformer routine...
by talljournalist 8th April 2010, 3:03 pm
I don't have much to report to report today. I woke up this morning with my 3rd day curls looking dry and thirsty, so I sprayed with my leave-in conditioner mix (see below) and put in a messy high bun.
Here is my Curlformer routine, which I will probably do tonight: After
co-washing, I finger part my hair in two sections: the front section
includes the crown, hair around the ears and bangs; the rest is just
the back. Working in rows from the back to the front, I seal the ends
with Jane Carter Nourish & Shine, spray hair with a half-half mix
of water & whatever conditioner tickles my fancy and set one-inch sections in
Curlformers. This week it's Organix Cherry Blossom Ginseng Conditioner.
It takes about 30 minutes to get all 50ish rollers in. If I'm being
lazy or in a rush, I use bigger sections of hair in 30ish rollers. I
sleep with them in overnight, remove in the morning and fluff. The
result is curls that last about three days and grow in volume with time. They can be
stretched even longer in up-dos.
I'm still looking for a smell-good conditioner with lots of hold. Suggestions please.
Here is my Curlformer routine, which I will probably do tonight: After
co-washing, I finger part my hair in two sections: the front section
includes the crown, hair around the ears and bangs; the rest is just
the back. Working in rows from the back to the front, I seal the ends
with Jane Carter Nourish & Shine, spray hair with a half-half mix
of water & whatever conditioner tickles my fancy and set one-inch sections in
Curlformers. This week it's Organix Cherry Blossom Ginseng Conditioner.
It takes about 30 minutes to get all 50ish rollers in. If I'm being
lazy or in a rush, I use bigger sections of hair in 30ish rollers. I
sleep with them in overnight, remove in the morning and fluff. The
result is curls that last about three days and grow in volume with time. They can be
stretched even longer in up-dos.
I'm still looking for a smell-good conditioner with lots of hold. Suggestions please.
talljournalist- Posts : 24
Join date : 2010-03-18
Age : 37
Location : Nashville -
To brush or not to brush?
by talljournalist 9th April 2010, 1:06 pm
There's a thread on BGLH today about brushing. http://bglhonline.com/2010/04/brushing-under-what-circumstances-is-it-good/ I usually just finger detangle or use a wide-tooth comb. But when I'm putting wet hair into a bun, I do use a cushion brush with nylon pins to make the outer hair smooth. Should I switch to a Denman? What are your thoughts on brushing wet and dry hair?
Last edited by talljournalist on 9th April 2010, 4:41 pm; edited 1 time in total
talljournalist- Posts : 24
Join date : 2010-03-18
Age : 37
Location : Nashville -
SheeTacular- Posts : 1841
Join date : 2009-10-29
Age : 49
Location : Flint, MI -
Re: Meet talljournalist
by NubieNatty 9th April 2010, 4:39 pm
welcome! good story too!! u make those curlformers look too easy.
im interested in hearing thoughts of brushing too becuz i've yet to purchase one and i always stare at the denman LIKE brushes. for now i detangle with my fingers or a shower comb.
im interested in hearing thoughts of brushing too becuz i've yet to purchase one and i always stare at the denman LIKE brushes. for now i detangle with my fingers or a shower comb.
NubieNatty- Posts : 3494
Join date : 2009-11-05
Age : 43
Location : pg county, md
Re: Meet talljournalist
by bholmes87 9th April 2010, 5:07 pm
I think that's definitely part of it. There are so many contradictions in our community! We wanted to be counted as a full American citizen and not just 3/4 (that law, by the way, still has to be voted on!!! CRAZINESS!), but at times we separate ourselves as different from everyone else. We want to fit in with society because we're all just people with different skin colors, but within the black community there are problems with lighter skinned people and darker skinned people. We tell our children to love what they see in the mirror but the people on television are bleaching their skin, lightening their hair and having surgery on our noses to make them more "European".talljournalist wrote:Wonder
Wednesday...
On my reading list right now are only books about black hair. This week my nose
is in "Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America,"
and I'm learning so much. It's written in chronological order, starting with
the role hair played in Africa before our people were kidnapped and sold each
other into slavery. Right now I'm on a chapter about the ideological and sociopolitical
hair debates between the growing black hair industry and civil rights leaders
like Marcus Garvey and Booker T. Washington during the early 1900s.
"Don't remove the kinks from your hair," said Marcus Garvey. "Remove
them from your brain."
His newspaper "The Negro World" and the NAACP's "Crisis"
magazine condemned straightening products in their editorial text yet carried
paid advertisements for these hair creams and hot combs. How did these contradictions convolute our relationships with our hair? Is part of the
reason we find it difficult to understand our hair because of the complex and contradictory
messages from our leaders decades ago? Your thoughts?
And at the same time that we're confusing our own minds, the rest of the whole seems to be in love with all the black features that we're trying to change!!! Everyone gushes over Angelina Jolie's lips but they ain't NOTHING compared to the juicy lips we were born with! Some people complain about having too much "junk in the trunk" but other women are getting butt implants and creating special workouts to get all this junk!
But I digress ...
I didn't stay on topic for too long but it's definitely time to love ourselves as who we are. Too often we let other people tell us what's beautiful. And on top of that, some women after going natural don't share the knowledge of the health benefits that being natural contain. But rather they bash on women with relaxers as if they didn't just spend 8 months growing a relaxer out of their own head!! SMH I think black people as a whole need to start challenging notions of beauty and not taking everything at face value. Think about the information we are given and then process it before taking it as the truth. There's so much more to be said but I feel like I'm rambling in an unorganized way right now. lol
bholmes87- Posts : 1850
Join date : 2010-02-07
Age : 36
Location : Southern California -
my reading list
by talljournalist 13th April 2010, 5:37 pm
I'm experimenting with new styles and am loving the results of a flat twist out. I'll probably do it again tonight and show photos tomorrow. Meanwhile, here's my reading list as I try to learn more about natural hair and how it relates to our self esteem. I'm hoping to finish Hair Story before the weekend. Any suggestions on books I should add?
1. Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey
2. Naked by Ayana Byrd & Akiba Solomon
3. Why Are Black Women Losing Their Hair? by Barry Fletcher
4. Hair Story by Ayana Bryd & Lori Tharps
5. The Politics of Black Women’s Hair by Althea Prince
6. The Black Woman’s Guide to Beautiful Hair by Lisa Akbari
7. Let’s Talk Hair by Pamela Ferrell
2. Naked by Ayana Byrd & Akiba Solomon
3. Why Are Black Women Losing Their Hair? by Barry
4. Hair Story by Ayana Bryd & Lori Tharps
5. The Politics of Black Women’s Hair by Althea Prince
6. The Black Woman’s Guide to Beautiful Hair by Lisa Akbari
7. Let’s Talk Hair by Pamela Ferrell
talljournalist- Posts : 24
Join date : 2010-03-18
Age : 37
Location : Nashville -
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