Interracial Adoptions and Hair...

Writer broaches the subject of Zahara Jolie-Pitt's "wild" hair... Thoughts?

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thehumancondition/archive/2009/10/09/Zahara-Jolie-Pitt-and-the-Politics-of-Uncombed-Hair.aspx

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asanterochelle

Have you seen this story?? Adoptive parents need to get like Clifton Green. As a matter of fact, biological and parents that are interracial or not need to get like him. lol

http://projects.ajc.com/gallery/view/living/braids/4.html

@mzbush - that link is just great! he really takes care of her hair (now we just gotta educate him as to why vaseline is a big no-no)

I am biracial AND adopted. My background is black and S. Korean and my adoptive parents are white. I really struggled HARD with my hair. I didn't even know until high school that after you got a relaxer you still had to style it (i.e. flat iron it). I really do think that parents of children with ethnic hair need to educate themselves. THEY wouldn't want to roll around looking crazy all the time. My mom and dad always conditioned my hair and took special care with it, however they didn't know the proper way to care for it. I had some crazy styles, man...when I was little before my hair was long enough to braid I rocked a fro and my mom would part it on the side or middle and put one or two plastic barrettes in the front!! I think the extent of moisturizing my hair was using no more tangles to comb it. Once it got longer she would put it in a ponytail or two and braid it. That was probably the safest and easiest thing to do. I don't think it is asking too much for parents to take the time to ask a friend or take their child to a salon that specializes in black hair and ask for some haircare knowledge. it will save the kid a lot of uneccessary self-esteem issues.

One of the things I've always done as a pediatrician with a lot of biracial kids is ask parents, especially the mothers, is who is doing the child's hair and if they have connected with someone professionalto work with their child's hair and then give them the name and number of a stylist I knew did good work with kids. Now that I've gone natural I give them the links to this site, Naturally Curly and Motown girl. So many of them never knew who they could ask and are thankful for the info.

mzbush i am so glad you put that link up!I had read about him and his adopted daughter.(i did not know how to post the link so glad you did.)I love that pix of him taking care of his daughters hair!

I don't see much wrong w/ Zahara's hair in that picture. It's her natural hair and it's beautiful. I'm pretty sure I have seen her rock braids before too. I don't think hair has to always be in braids or twists for it to look nice. (See my avatar picture) I love the au natural look.

I think ANY parent who has a child with a different hair texture than their own should educate themseleves and learn to properly care for their child's hair in its natural state.

I am all for interracial adoptions and people of other races raising black/biracial kids in general. I just think that if you are going to step into that boat you need to know what you are getting yourself into. You shoudnt expect a black/biracial child to have stick straight hair and treat it the same way a non curly/non black person would treat theirs. That is why i commend people like NikG20, she is embracing her daughters texture and not fighting it. I have seen so many people white, black what have you just give up and slap a texturizer/relaxer on it(...my family is a prime example [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] ) and expect that to be the end of it. That being said Zahara's hair is just fine...the people that are complaining about it and taking time out of their day to write about a 4 year old in a condescending manner are just showing how much they hate themselves and what god gave them.

I say - Go Mr. Green. He is right - it is a bonding experience and he has gotten really good at it! I admire people who don't just adopt the child and try to mold her to their standards. She is adorable and he is absolutely right - she is a reflection of her parents. I need to show my husband this!! He does not do hair. LOL!