Tefnut
Well-Known Member
Do you consider long hair to be a beauty standard that is nonblack?
No, I don't consider long hair to be a nonblack beauty standard. But that doesn't mean that many black women don't desire longer hair based on non-black beauty standards or to prove that having long hair isn't just for nonblacks. This also doesn't mean that many black men don't desire black women with long hair (even if it's a weave that's destroying her real hair) based on non-black beauty standards.
Or, is that one of those misconceptions?
I think it's a misconception overall.
Every time a black woman is aiming for long hair, is it somewhat because she's trying to have white beauty?
I won't propose to say what every black woman does because I don't know every black woman. I was just pointing out things I observed and have even been told while discussing hair with various black women over the years. And, IMHO, it would be foolish for any of us, regardless of how conscious one may feel they are, to believe that we aren't affected by white beauty.
Or, is long hair a universal beauty thing?
As I said earlier, it's universal depending on particular ethnic clans.
Does beauty-from-long-hair belong NATURALLY to nonblack woman and ONLY UNNATURALLY or by COPYCAT "belong" to black women?
No, I don't believe this, generally. I specifically addressed the motivations for some black women based on growing up in the world post-colonialism and post-Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Some women won't readily admit this out of fear of being ostracized (this wouldn't be popular in this black girl magic era) or won't say in mixed company. But when you really talk to people, the truth always surfaces. Some women want to flip their hair around like the longer-haired women they saw growing up. Some of those same women also expressed how they felt when they were children or how boys responded to longer vs shorter hair. It's pretty interesting.
I love that myself and other black women are having longer and longer hair and I thought I was glad because we are no longer letting unhealthy hair care practices eat up our hair and are attaining what is universally a beautiful thing (not that short hair isn't also), not because I was thinking, "We're getting to be like white women now. Yay." But I could be misunderstanding myself.
Absolutely. I think black women starting to take control of their hair and doing what they want to do with it whether it's wearing it short, long, relaxed, blond or chemical-free is great. I'm glad they're finally moving in that direction though there's a lot of cult-like ideas about natural hair and such. Hopefully, that'll pass.
Maybe some people think long hair is mainly beautiful because they associate long hair with whiteness . . . and if white women only had short hair, they would not want long hair. That doesn't sound correct to me, but I could be wrong.
Unsure what you meant to say here. Could you please clarify?
ETA: I am indeed glad when I see young black girls with their hair thriving, and part of that gladness is that they don't erroneously believe long hair is not for them and only for others.
Sure. I don't see anything wrong with this either. But the fact they have to course-correct and reteach themselves that they can have long hair is another result of slavery and colonialism, IMHO. Such limiting ideas about and attacks on black hair shouldn't have even existed. But everything happens as it should so here we are.
Again, I wasn't pointing out a right or wrong. I was sharing my thoughts on my observations, conversations and own introspection.
No, I don't consider long hair to be a nonblack beauty standard. But that doesn't mean that many black women don't desire longer hair based on non-black beauty standards or to prove that having long hair isn't just for nonblacks. This also doesn't mean that many black men don't desire black women with long hair (even if it's a weave that's destroying her real hair) based on non-black beauty standards.
Or, is that one of those misconceptions?
I think it's a misconception overall.
Every time a black woman is aiming for long hair, is it somewhat because she's trying to have white beauty?
I won't propose to say what every black woman does because I don't know every black woman. I was just pointing out things I observed and have even been told while discussing hair with various black women over the years. And, IMHO, it would be foolish for any of us, regardless of how conscious one may feel they are, to believe that we aren't affected by white beauty.
Or, is long hair a universal beauty thing?
As I said earlier, it's universal depending on particular ethnic clans.
Does beauty-from-long-hair belong NATURALLY to nonblack woman and ONLY UNNATURALLY or by COPYCAT "belong" to black women?
No, I don't believe this, generally. I specifically addressed the motivations for some black women based on growing up in the world post-colonialism and post-Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Some women won't readily admit this out of fear of being ostracized (this wouldn't be popular in this black girl magic era) or won't say in mixed company. But when you really talk to people, the truth always surfaces. Some women want to flip their hair around like the longer-haired women they saw growing up. Some of those same women also expressed how they felt when they were children or how boys responded to longer vs shorter hair. It's pretty interesting.
I love that myself and other black women are having longer and longer hair and I thought I was glad because we are no longer letting unhealthy hair care practices eat up our hair and are attaining what is universally a beautiful thing (not that short hair isn't also), not because I was thinking, "We're getting to be like white women now. Yay." But I could be misunderstanding myself.
Absolutely. I think black women starting to take control of their hair and doing what they want to do with it whether it's wearing it short, long, relaxed, blond or chemical-free is great. I'm glad they're finally moving in that direction though there's a lot of cult-like ideas about natural hair and such. Hopefully, that'll pass.
Maybe some people think long hair is mainly beautiful because they associate long hair with whiteness . . . and if white women only had short hair, they would not want long hair. That doesn't sound correct to me, but I could be wrong.
Unsure what you meant to say here. Could you please clarify?
ETA: I am indeed glad when I see young black girls with their hair thriving, and part of that gladness is that they don't erroneously believe long hair is not for them and only for others.
Sure. I don't see anything wrong with this either. But the fact they have to course-correct and reteach themselves that they can have long hair is another result of slavery and colonialism, IMHO. Such limiting ideas about and attacks on black hair shouldn't have even existed. But everything happens as it should so here we are.
Again, I wasn't pointing out a right or wrong. I was sharing my thoughts on my observations, conversations and own introspection.
Interesting.
Do you consider long hair to be a beauty standard that is nonblack? Or, is that one of those misconceptions?
Just thinking aloud and making no accusations about what you meant:
Every time a black woman is aiming for long hair, is it somewhat because she's trying to have white beauty? Or, is long hair a universal beauty thing? Does beauty-from-long-hair belong NATURALLY to nonblack woman and ONLY UNNATURALLY or by COPYCAT "belong" to black women?
Hmm.
I love that myself and other black women are having longer and longer hair, and I thought I was glad because we are no longer letting unhealthy hair care practices eat up our hair and are attaining what is universally a beautiful thing (not that short hair isn't also), not because I was thinking, "We're getting to be like white women now. Yay." But I could be misunderstanding myself. Maybe some people think long hair is mainly beautiful because they associate long hair with whiteness . . . and if white women only had short hair, they would not want long hair. That doesn't sound correct to me, but I could be wrong.
ETA: I am indeed glad when I see young black girls with their hair thriving, and part of that gladness is that they don't erroneously believe long hair is not for them and only for others.