When it comes to our hair, We're our own worst enemy...

[kaymax]

Gabby Douglas is proudly representing her country in the Olympics. She's poised under pressure, performing gravity-defying athletic feats in front of an international audience. She's 16 and the second female African American U.S. gymnast to ever make the team. But instead of lauding her achievements, some people are slamming her for... not getting her hair done.

Really, People? Gimme a break!

 

[Candylecious]

I think that young lady is fierce...You know once in a while that amazing, dynamo kinda athlete just bursts on the scene from nowhere; and Gabby is that. She is calm, poised, very talented and oh so young. She has been "beasting" it up in London mehn and I am not surprised she's just won another gold in London. She makes me feel so pedestrian; I mean she is only 16.

 

[tunmi]

Black Americans sometimes need to shut up and enjoy this rare beauty. And here I am marveling at this young lady and wishing I had half her cajones to do and be so groundbreaking. I hope she doesn't see those damning tweets and if she does I hope she sees those condemning the stupid ones.

How the hell can you move forward when you're so damn busy pulling your own down?? She beat fucking China, Russia, Romania and the current reigning world champ...just go sit in a fucking corner. I wish Nigeria had a Gabby Douglas with Natural hair and everything this girl had to offer.

 

[kaymax]

Black Americans sometimes need to shut up and enjoy this rare beauty. And here I am marveling at this young lady and wishing I had half her cajones to do and be so groundbreaking. I hope she doesn't see those damning tweets and if she does I hope she sees those condemning the stupid ones.

How the hell can you move forward when you're so damn busy pulling your own down?? She beat fucking China, Russia, Romania and the current reigning world champ...just go sit in a fucking corner. I wish Nigeria had a Gabby Douglas with Natural hair and everything this girl had to offer.

I think that young lady is fierce...You know once in a while that amazing, dynamo kinda athlete just bursts on the scene from nowhere; and Gabby is that. She is calm, poised, very talented and oh so young. She has been "beasting" it up in London mehn and I am not surprised she's just won another gold in London. She makes me feel so pedestrian; I mean she is only 16.

Sometimes I marvel at some of these people O. Really, of all things, they're talking about her hair?

 

[toammyb]

Sometimes I marvel at some of these people O. Really, of all things, they're talking about her hair?

I cannot get my head round people that tie their heads with fake/other people's hair and have the guts to run their mouth when someone works the natural look. I'm seriously tryna see things from their point of view. Siddon dere dey yab the girl. She's doing her thing, doing her race/country proud and getting her fulfillment in life while ur busy spending ur hard earned money working hair that isn't even ur own, living everyday ashamed of who u are and living in a world of long hair fantasy smh!!!

 

[Thickmadam]

na wah o.
some things just leave one speechless.

i am a big advocate of natural hair, i sincerely hope that i don't go around beating up people who are not natural.

this 16 year old girl is now being held up as what? a role model for natural hair?
they should go and pick on somebody their own size, they should start with ....oh, i know! the first lady. but it's a 16 year old they'll pick on.

 

[Aust_nne]

I HATE natural hair Nazis..and they are getting very very annoying on twitter and forums.Gabby's performance and story to the olympics to me is beyond amazing and I wish I can raise someone like her. I stayed up last night till almost 11pm to watch her get her gold…Gosh, I didn’t know about this hair craze till I listened to the radio this morning. Gosh!!!!

 

[sidney]

But why don't we just ignore these ridiculous tweets? If the media does not make this a story then it is nothing...

There was hundreds of thousand great tweets full of pride, but it is more sensational to post one or two tweets from intellectually challenged nonentities.

 

[Thickmadam]

haha i like that term, natural hair nazis.
i can't stand them either

I HATE natural hair Nazis..and they are getting very very annoying on twitter and forums.Gabby's performance and story to the olympics to me is beyond amazing and I wish I can raise someone like her. I stayed up last night till almost 11pm to watch her get her gold…Gosh, I didn’t know about this hair craze till I listened to the radio this morning. Gosh!!!!

 

[kaymax]

But why don't we just ignore these ridiculous tweets? If the media does not make this a story then it is nothing...

There was hundreds of thousand great tweets full of pride, but it is more sensational to post one or two tweets from intellectually challenged nonentities.

Sidney, On many things your 'idealistic' social views are right on point, but not on this one. For centuries, black women all over the world have had to battle with bullshyt like this, whether it's for the color of their skin, texture of their hair, body image, all that, and all from our very own. Even in Nigeria, women bleach just to be lighter because in their eyes, lighter is better, the closer once appears to look european, the better one is. This hair thingy is just one facet, and on this one, it's not the media hyping or tweets, rather it's the tweets that are truly indicative of the screwed up psyche of black women all over the world and by our own hands in our own hands. When will we get a clue??!!!

I mean seriously, Look at all this young lady has been able to achieve and of all things that can be said, it's 'why can't someone fly to London to do her hair?' If they got off their fat asses and put that fried chicken down and break a sweat in the gym, they'll know that no matter how 'laid' your hair is, it'll look less 'laid' if you sweat. I mean I see these women with 5 necks, 6 rolls of belly coming out of salons with their hair 'did' and nails done, yet they look like painted balloons.

 

[Thickmadam]

it really saddens me when i read and see things like this.

even if she got her hair "did", she's been sweating and competing for a week and so her hair is not going to be all fried, dyed and laid to the side.
and hair is the least of that girl's issues when she was eyeing the gold.

i remember when someone who used to be a close friend said something that took me aback, her hair wasn't done and she said, in my very face, that her hair looked like that of an African.
Lord have mercy. i swear.

*stepping off that soapbox before i get really wound up*

Sidney, On many things your 'idealistic' social views are right on point, but not on this one. For centuries, black women all over the world have had to battle with bullshyt like this, whether it's for the color of their skin, texture of their hair, body image, all that, and all from our very own. Even in Nigeria, women bleach just to be lighter because in their eyes, lighter is better, the closer once appears to look european, the better one is. This hair thingy is just one facet, and on this one, it's not the media hyping or tweets, rather it's the tweets that are truly indicative of the screwed up psyche of black women all over the world and by our own hands in our own hands. When will we get a clue??!!!

I mean seriously, Look at all this young lady has been able to achieve and of all things that can be said, it's 'why can't someone fly to London to do her hair?' If they got off their fat asses and put that fried chicken down and break a sweat in the gym, they'll know that no matter how 'laid' your hair is, it'll look less 'laid' if you sweat. I mean I see these women with 5 necks, 6 rolls of belly coming out of salons with their hair 'did' and nails done, yet they look like painted balloons.

 

[blackbutterfly]

The same idiots complaining about her hair would have plenty to say IF she were showing up with her head coifed and fell below expectation at her sport. This goes to show that no matter what you do in this world, you can and will never be able to please everyone! A person can find the cure for AIDS tomorrow and there will be an idiot noting that the person's teeth are crooked. This is the pettiness, cluelessness, mean spiritedness that is unavoidable in some homo sapiens. They would say why isn't she focused on the game instead of her looks?

They can say all they want about her hair, she is going down in history forever for what she has accomplished! She is only 16 with so much ahead of her yet. This girl no send dem, she is doing what she was annointed to do, all the rest na sto sto sto STORYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

 

[sidney]

Sidney, On many things your 'idealistic' social views are right on point, but not on this one. For centuries, black women all over the world have had to battle with bullshyt like this, whether it's for the color of their skin, texture of their hair, body image, all that, and all from our very own. Even in Nigeria, women bleach just to be lighter because in their eyes, lighter is better, the closer once appears to look european, the better one is. This hair thingy is just one facet, and on this one, it's not the media hyping or tweets, rather it's the tweets that are truly indicative of the screwed up psyche of black women all over the world and by our own hands in our own hands. When will we get a clue??!!!

I mean seriously, Look at all this young lady has been able to achieve and of all things that can be said, it's 'why can't someone fly to London to do her hair?' If they got off their fat asses and put that fried chicken down and break a sweat in the gym, they'll know that no matter how 'laid' your hair is, it'll look less 'laid' if you sweat. I mean I see these women with 5 necks, 6 rolls of belly coming out of salons with their hair 'did' and nails done, yet they look like painted balloons.

Yeah I guess you're right... The slight should not be ignored and this issue should be pointed out and addressed anytime it is brought up... It truly is ridiculous.

 

[sidney]

it really saddens me when i read and see things like this.

even if she got her hair "did", she's been sweating and competing for a week and so her hair is not going to be all fried, dyed and laid to the side.
and hair is the least of that girl's issues when she was eyeing the gold.

i remember when someone who used to be a close friend said something that took me aback, her hair wasn't done and she said, in my very face, that her hair looked like that of an African.
Lord have mercy. i swear.

*stepping off that soapbox before i get really wound up*

about 15 years ago I worked at a place with a Trini girl. I once said to her that she would look good with braided hair. She told me braided hair was not professional.. I lit into her.... We had it out... She said she had fought so hard in corporate American to fit in, that I can't start bringing up inserting our culture at the workplace. I told her that was her problem, she was trying to "fit in" instead of making the workplace "accept" you as you are....

Many years later, she is still my friend, she mentioned how right I was waaay back then.... But we are still struggling with this till today....

 

[Thickmadam]

yeah it's difficult sometimes in the workplace.
when i went natural this same woman gave me the hardest time. i just couldn't believe it.

and most times I get more compliments from the oyibo people at my job than the black people. two black women actually gave me a harder time than anybody about my hair until i decided it was in my best interest to cut ties with them.

some people have a different view of beauty and what is "corporate" and not. Barbarellanoir calls them exoticals, if you don't look exotical you don't fit in.

i'm going to try wearing afro puffs for the first time to work (possibly next week), if somebody finds that offensive oh well.

about 15 years ago I worked at a place with a Trini girl. I once said to her that she would look good with braided hair. She told me braided hair was not professional.. I lit into her.... We had it out... She said she had fought so hard in corporate American to fit in, that I can't start bringing up inserting our culture at the workplace. I told her that was her problem, she was trying to "fit in" instead of making the workplace "accept" you as you are....

Many years later, she is still my friend, she mentioned how right I was waaay back then.... But we are still struggling with this till today....

 

[Sifu]

My kids dad is so excited about her performance that this threw a damper on his mood. Aren't we our worst enemies. I am s proud of this young lady. Those people sitting their unachieving asses at home criticizing her can probably not accomplish in their whole life what this talented beautiful young woman has already accomplished at 16. Team Gabby!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Thickmadam]

at 16 o!!
she's 16 and has worked so hard to get to where she is and these people just reduce her entire life's work to her hair. they make it seem as if one just sneezes and a gold medal jumps in your lap
*SMH*

i hope she doesn't let these people get to her.

she has the most infectious smile. each time i see her smiling i automatically smile.
Great tremendous job Kiddo.
you are definitely more than your hair.

My kids dad is so excited about her performance that this threw a damper on his mood. Aren't we our worst enemies. I am s proud of this young lady. Those people sitting their unachieving asses at home criticizing her can probably not accomplish in their whole life what this talented beautiful young woman has already accomplished at 16. Team Gabby!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sifu]

at 16 o!!
she's 16 and has worked so hard to get to where she is and these people just reduce her entire life's work to her hair. they make it seem as if one just sneezes and a gold medal jumps in your lap
*SMH*

i hope she doesn't let these people get to her.

she has the most infectious smile. each time i see her smiling i automatically smile.
Great tremendous job Kiddo.
you are definitely more than your hair.

The one I read on yahoo yesterday said that most of her critics were african american. I just shook my head. You cannot tell me that she has not formed some sort of opinion at this point. I think the family she lives with are white also. I am sure no one has ever told her that she does not have "good hair" there.

 

[Aust_nne]

yeah it's difficult sometimes in the workplace.
when i went natural this same woman gave me the hardest time. i just couldn't believe it.

and most times I get more compliments from the oyibo people at my job than the black people. two black women actually gave me a harder time than anybody about my hair until i decided it was in my best interest to cut ties with them.

some people have a different view of beauty and what is "corporate" and not. Barbarellanoir calls them exoticals, if you don't look exotical you don't fit in.

i'm going to try wearing afro puffs for the first time to work (possibly next week), if somebody finds that offensive oh well.

I can relate. I work with alot of clients and as opposed to my job in Middle East, I have alot more face to face interaction...so whenever I go to see them, I let my hair in a bun trying to be 'exotical" (LOL, NR, thats a new one and I am gong to be using that!).

My turning point...Here is a client that I have been chatting with for almost 5 months planning a job and he is in my city and we decide to meet..I said to myself, Nah, I dont need to impress this person...I think with all the interactions, if he looks at me different because of how nappy my hair is, then he is the one that needs to grow up..I let my afro flow and somene at work (AA) asked me if I was going to the club or visiting a client telling me that I needed to look "educated", while everyother non-AA person complimented how I looked. one even said, you look like a "TV/billboard Ad girl" and the client would be asking for more visits. lol.

 

[sidney]

yeah it's difficult sometimes in the workplace.
when i went natural this same woman gave me the hardest time. i just couldn't believe it.

and most times I get more compliments from the oyibo people at my job than the black people. two black women actually gave me a harder time than anybody about my hair until i decided it was in my best interest to cut ties with them.

some people have a different view of beauty and what is "corporate" and not. Barbarellanoir calls them exoticals, if you don't look exotical you don't fit in.

i'm going to try wearing afro puffs for the first time to work (possibly next week), if somebody finds that offensive oh well.

Well only your bad breath is offensive...... smokin: