Jess a.k.a Mahogany Curls responds to Curlynikki drama

[curlytwirly06]

Mahoganycurls

(See picture attachment before reading...)

Natural Beauty Spotlight (airport edition) I spotted this beauty walking in the airport! I love the volume of her hair along with the curls. I adore all hair types and textures especially different types of curly hair from the tightest curls to the wavy girls. All curls are beautiful. I started my journey following the curly girl method which was created by a curly haired Caucasian woman.

I learned so much from this method that I tweaked so that it could work for me. For me, a natural hair journey is about embracing your curls regardless of type. It is about self love and confidence, not about race.

I love hair. Always have and always will. My natural beauty spotlight series is here to show others the diversity of curly hair. I would like to thank everyone for your support and all of the beautiful women that have submitted NBS entries. I enjoy your posts and I will be uploading more beautiful photos soon.


xoxo,
Jess

 

[curlytwirly06]

Some reply's:

#1
She is politically and culturally white and is not part of the NATURAL hair movement. She can be part of the curly hair movement if she wants but natural hair is an Afrocentric term.

No doubt she has high maintenance hair but that has nothing to do with the aesthetics of racist oppression. I guess Chelsea Clinton and Keri Russell are the godmothers of the natural hair movement then. Please.


#2
The girl in the original pic may be biracial - but MC is praising the CG method, white women, and loving all races in the natural hair community. Personally I have no idea, but MC was trying to use her image for a very specific purpose.

TBH if she was biracial, I think MC would be somewhat disappointed given the context of what she was trying to convey.

Look more at what MC is saying then look at the pic, dont look at it in reverse. This girl was rushed up on, probably begged for a pic, said she'd be featured on a popular facebook, maybe handed a business card then was left.

MC had her own agenda independent of this girl's passing politics or not - MC wanted a white woman to take a jab at the CN controversy. Or else she wouldnt have said that she learned how to do her hair from white women and that the NH movement is for everyone and I cant wait to feature more white women, yay!

She might not be white, she might be but MC's post is essentially about praising whiteness's authority and inclusion in the NH movement. That >>> getting confused over her identity like it issues MC more "saved face" points, the chick and who she is isnt the point. How her image is being used the message MC is conveying is the point. Dont get distracted.


#3 Yes, you go Jess!


#4

Tell.The.Truth.

Folks, the point here is that we're using afro hair is a proxy for blackness. We want to see black-blackness embraced, loved, coveted, enjoyed, and celebrated.

Folks of all types are welcome to learn and to support but they are *NOT* to become the face or the voice of the movement. When black-blackness is celebrated, white-blackness, asian-blackness, and even not-black-at-all-but-I-kinda-want-to-be-blackness can breathe too.

But for now, let black-blacks be great


#4


My biggest issue with "inclusion" is that it transforms a movement that was originally supposed to be about combating white supremacist beauty standards into one that's just about haircare.

Yes, many white women have curly hair and many black women have curly hair. These women with similar hair types can share information about haircare techniques, and that's fine. There are plenty of places for that, both online and in real life.

The problem comes in when people try to insist that every space be about haircare only, and not about black empowerment. When white women insist that because they have struggled with their texture, they should be a part of every conversation and sit at every table where our struggles are talked about.

When we talk about afros being stereotyped as militant, about kinky hair being seen as masculine, about the tightest textures being described as "bad", we're talking about how racism AND beauty standards work together to effect our experiences as black women in this society. We NEED a place to have that discussion, to support one another, encourage one another, and reassure one another that there's more than one way to be beautiful. We can't do that in a natural hair community where participants claim that "this has nothing to do with race".

There are already curly-haired communities where women of all races can trade haircare tips and gripe about how their texture is perceived in our society. We need to preserve the Natural Hair Movement as a space where BLACK women can discuss the hair that is characteristic of our race without being shamed by those who are more interested in insisting that they understand than in actually understanding.

 

[SuchaLady]

......

 

[CuteMeeka]

............

 

[Nightingale]

I was really hoping she'd stay out of it, but I'm not surprised by her stance.

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

<strike>Wait... Wasnt the curly girl method made by that one really long haired biracial chick?
Hold on... brb</strike> Never mind. I was thinking of Tightly Curly by what's her face

AND DARN YALL FOR THIS!!! I just dragged my self away from one now yall got me up in here! I'mma have an aneurism when this is all done with!

ETA: Since when did html codes stop working in here?

And I'm not coming back! My blood pressure is high enough with out witnessing all of this caping! Who's gonna cape for blood pressure meds for me? HUH?!

And call be dumb but that lil girl look mixed to me. Ijs, I know what MC was trying to get at, but she might have done better by grabbing a becky with a bad curly perm. Cause that girls features scream "one of us... Just bright!"

ok, last edit I swear and I'm done

 

[MileHighDiva]

And I'm not coming back! My blood pressure is high enough with out witnessing all of this caping! Who's gonna cape for blood pressure meds for me? HUH?!

Mz.MoMo5235

 

[NaturallyATLPCH]

Mahoganycurls

(See picture attachment before reading...)

Natural Beauty Spotlight (airport edition) I spotted this beauty walking in the airport! I love the volume of her hair along with the curls. I adore all hair types and textures especially different types of curly hair from the tightest curls to the wavy girls. All curls are beautiful. I started my journey following the curly girl method which was created by a curly haired Caucasian woman.

I learned so much from this method that I tweaked so that it could work for me. For me, a natural hair journey is about embracing your curls regardless of type. It is about self love and confidence, not about race.

I love hair. Always have and always will. My natural beauty spotlight series is here to show others the diversity of curly hair. I would like to thank everyone for your support and all of the beautiful women that have submitted NBS entries. I enjoy your posts and I will be uploading more beautiful photos soon.


xoxo,
Jess

I'm not going to even comment.

 

[CurlyBuu]

Another one bites the dust

 

[claudzie]

This again?? ugh

 

[SelahOco]

Count down until Shea Moisture fires black ambassadors and replaces them with this curly-haired white woman....5, 4, 3, 2....

 

[Simply_elle]

I saw this fine display of coonery yesterday on my fb feed... MC is getting very CN lately with the promos and travel. Sad to see her go this way, but I'm not surprised!

 

[oneastrocurlie]

Count down until Shea Moisture fires black ambassadors and replaces them with this curly-haired white woman....5, 4, 3, 2....

I'd cry real tears, stock pile my favorites, and try to find replacements. Lol.

 

[CurlyBuu]

Count down until Shea Moisture fires black ambassadors and replaces them with this curly-haired white woman....5, 4, 3, 2....

And I think that's what they don't understand. If you're all about "they have similar experiences, they can use our tips!" Why not continue to use black women with kinky hair as a face?

For years black women and other POC have adjusted to products only marketed to white people. We made it work for us without ever being represented.

However, they cry foul when it's done to them? If they relate so bad let them twist and turn and figure out how each product will work for their texture. Or what styling technique will yield best results.

Black women made due without nothing handed to them. Surely, if we're all the same they can manage to educate their own without being part of the black community.

I'm sure these black bloggers capping so hard won't realize their error until white girls take over their spot in the sunshine when they start their own curly hair blogs.

Cuz we know they have to see themselves constantly to feel somewhat safe and "apart" of something. They never take kindly with sharing that with black women.

 

[briacait]

I'm not really surprised, but she probably should have stayed out of. I'd imagine she has to portray a certain image now with the Shea Moistures thing.

 

[SimJam]

Count down until Shea Moisture fires black ambassadors and replaces them with this curly-haired white woman....5, 4, 3, 2....

actually shea moisture already has a white white or she may latino with straight hair - beauty ambassador Brenda blanco

looks like they may already have "one of each" like Noah's arc but not really

 

[KPH]

Jess pissed me off with this.

 

[cami88]

Some reply's:


#4

My biggest issue with "inclusion" is that it transforms a movement that was originally supposed to be about combating white supremacist beauty standards into one that's just about haircare.

Yes, many white women have curly hair and many black women have curly hair. These women with similar hair types can share information about haircare techniques, and that's fine. There are plenty of places for that, both online and in real life.

The problem comes in when people try to insist that every space be about haircare only, and not about black empowerment. When white women insist that because they have struggled with their texture, they should be a part of every conversation and sit at every table where our struggles are talked about.

This comment is spot on.

Sent from my galaxy s4 using LHCF

 

[brebre928]

See my siggy for my response....

 

[NaturallyATLPCH]

Count down until Shea Moisture fires black ambassadors and replaces them with this curly-haired white woman....5, 4, 3, 2....

You Tuber BlackIzBeautiful aka Jenell better watch out!

 

[angelhairtype4]

We still haven't gotten rid of the stigma that black women cannot grow long hair. Hence bloggers and vloggers having to part their hair every which way to prove it's theirs. Or the first comment black women get is " is that a weave?"

I know there is diversity in hair, but people particularly don't have any clue about hair on a black woman. Simply cause they look at us with our hair and think...no...BELIEVE, it's a weave, or that we must be mixed to have a certain texture or length.

Two white women meet. One says to the other "Oh your hair is so thick! What kind of conditioner do you use?"

I'm in the store a black lady walks up. "Your hair so pretty, is all that yours.
Me..."yes, ty"
Her..."you must have that good hair"
This one lady in particular proceeded to go through a list of people who had good hair in her family, and compared them to how she described her hair as thick, poofy, and crunchy. I'm staring at her like that's exactly how my hair is. It's crunchy when it's neglected and not moiusturized.

Seriously....seriously.... are we acting like we don't need to recognize the diversity of black women first.

Let me not even start on the comment I get about my daughter. Both my husband and I are black, but whites and blacks alike swear she is biracial and first thing they point out is her 3cb hair. One lady had the nerve to ask is the daddy white. What the flip!!

Ugh, so all the people acting like black hair period, not just natural hair, but just black people's hair, needs to be inclusive... All these issues will be swept under the rug. Black hair will go back to being ignored because everybody will be focusing on white women's hair. Their not going to require learning about black hair in cosmetology school outside of a relaxer, or doing their own research.

If white people really cared about inclusion then there would be no black hair section. Products would be separated based on hair needs.

I'm sorry but i already know plenty about white women's hair. Tell me why none of them know about black hair. Once met a lady that thought black women were born with straight hair that just doesn't grow. Or white people thinking black babies are born with afros...... <. <

Naptural85 better not speak on this or I won't have anyone on YouTube to watch.

Sure it may just be hair to some folks. It was to me when I first went natural too, but as a young person... I had to question why everybody was asking me a million questions about my daughter's hair. Or why I didn't know what my texture looked like until I was 23. Why before my daughter was even born am I getting asked on when I'd relax her hair like it was the same as piercing her ears.

 

[Jewell]

This chick has a black nose and is obviously multiracial. As for the inclusion business, I'm against it. Ahem, I am and always will be proud to be BLACK. We need to buck this tendency of Black bloggers and hair product businesses (likely for popularity and $) to include other races in OUR movement.

Sure, they can learn from watching and doing, but they do not need to become the face of our movement, which is giving Black people new-found freedom, love, and success on a massive scale.

Frankly, I'm sick of seeing White women all over TV and EVERYTHING. All I have in response is a deep sigh when it comes to them wanting to now be the face of the NHM. I am disgusted some Black folks dont see anything wrong with this. As if colonization of Africa wasn't enough...

I feel like screaming, "Y'all can't have everything!!" Damn let US be US. (This coming from someone who is Black, Native American, Middle Eastern, and British). My pride for my people is STRONG. I really hate to see the African and African-American culture constantly diluted by Whites and "others." We need to build US up FIRST, and let THEM worry about THEM.

I just read the other thread about this same topic where Kola Boof's article was posted. So many things ran through my head that I dare not comment there, and here this is all I will allow myself to say...

 

[1QTPie]

Mahoganycurls

(See picture attachment before reading...)

Natural Beauty Spotlight (airport edition) I spotted this beauty walking in the airport! I love the volume of her hair along with the curls. I adore all hair types and textures especially different types of curly hair from the tightest curls to the wavy girls. All curls are beautiful. I started my journey following the curly girl method which was created by a curly haired Caucasian woman.

I learned so much from this method that I tweaked so that it could work for me. For me, a natural hair journey is about embracing your curls regardless of type. It is about self love and confidence, not about race.

I love hair. Always have and always will. My natural beauty spotlight series is here to show others the diversity of curly hair. I would like to thank everyone for your support and all of the beautiful women that have submitted NBS entries. I enjoy your posts and I will be uploading more beautiful photos soon.


xoxo,
Jess

She has a partnership with Shea Moisture. This is expected. She could have stayed quiet. I'm done with her and all of them, there are too many natural haired bloggers out there. On principle, I just can't...

 

[Serenity_Peace]

I'm sick of white women, period. Always playing the victim. Chile, please. Ain't nobody caring about you. I'm concerned about my sisters, my brothers, my own community! We know all about YOUR beauty; we've been bombarded with that every single day of our lives; we've have it shoved down our collective throats. Now it's time for US!

 

[EnExitStageLeft]

When I seen her response I chuckled. Some of these vloggers are a bit transparent and will cape for anything as long as it benefits them in some way. She better be watching her paycheck (a.k.a Shea Moisture). They already have commercials of a ww w/ straight type 1 hair using the Curl Enhancing Smoothie......the ridiculousness in this is pretty obvious. But with a check coming in I bet she hardly even notices .

Oh and I like how she thought posting a pic with a white chick with frizzy wavy hair would help ....I CAN'T!

 

[cami88]

We still haven't gotten rid of the stigma that black women cannot grow long hair. Hence bloggers and vloggers having to part their hair every which way to prove it's theirs. Or the first comment black women get is " is that a weave?"

I know there is diversity in hair, but people particularly don't have any clue about hair on a black woman. Simply cause they look at us with our hair and think...no...BELIEVE, it's a weave, or that we must be mixed to have a certain texture or length.

Two white women meet. One says to the other "Oh your hair is so thick! What kind of conditioner do you use?"

I'm in the store a black lady walks up. "Your hair so pretty, is all that yours.
Me..."yes, ty"
Her..."you must have that good hair"
This one lady in particular proceeded to go through a list of people who had good hair in her family, and compared them to how she described her hair as thick, poofy, and crunchy. I'm staring at her like that's exactly how my hair is. It's crunchy when it's neglected and not moiusturized.

Seriously....seriously.... are we acting like we don't need to recognize the diversity of black women first.

Let me not even start on the comment I get about my daughter. Both my husband and I are black, but whites and blacks alike swear she is biracial and first thing they point out is her 3cb hair. One lady had the nerve to ask is the daddy white. What the flip!!

Ugh, so all the people acting like black hair period, not just natural hair, but just black people's hair, needs to be inclusive... All these issues will be swept under the rug. Black hair will go back to being ignored because everybody will be focusing on white women's hair. Their not going to require learning about black hair in cosmetology school outside of a relaxer, or doing their own research.

If white people really cared about inclusion then there would be no black hair section. Products would be separated based on hair needs.

I'm sorry but i already know plenty about white women's hair. Tell me why none of them know about black hair. Once met a lady that thought black women were born with straight hair that just doesn't grow. Or white people thinking black babies are born with afros...... <. <

Naptural85 better not speak on this or I won't have anyone on YouTube to watch.

Sure it may just be hair to some folks. It was to me when I first went natural too, but as a young person... I had to question why everybody was asking me a million questions about my daughter's hair. Or why I didn't know what my texture looked like until I was 23. Why before my daughter was even born am I getting asked on when I'd relax her hair like it was the same as piercing her ears.

Alllll of this. The number one I get about my hair from both blacks and whites is 'is it all yours?' Just yesterday at work some Africans fresh off the boat were asking me what I was mixed with. I get the same questions about my daughter's hair.

It's extra sad, in my opinion, that even other blacks have bought into this myth that we cannot grow hair. I would expect this from whites but not from our own.

Sent from my galaxy s4 using LHCF

 

[NaturallyATLPCH]

When I seen her response I chuckled. Some of these vloggers are a bit transparent and will cape for anything as long as it benefits them in some way. She better be watching her paycheck (a.k.a Shea Moisture). They already have commercials of a ww w/ straight type 1 hair using the Curl Enhancing Smoothie......the ridiculousness in this is pretty obvious. But with a check coming in I bet she hardly even notices .

Oh and I like how she thought posting a pic with a white chick with frizzy wavy hair would help ....I CAN'T!

the madness I say!

 

[girlcherokee]

She should have stayed quiet...... Her channel pretty much became useless to me when she made the video saying she pretty much doesn't have to do anything to her hair. That's great for her - but she obviously can't really help me with my hair. Now I stayed subscribed because I like to see sisters doing well and I liked the quality of her videos though the content lately has been really very commercial and basically fluff and bubbles. . Anyway - I'm off to YouTube to do a bit more dusting.

 

[girlcherokee]

I second this - naptural85 - please stay quiet - if you are reading this
what did you guys think of my natural sisters response?

 

[curlicarib]

Just out of curosity...................for all those who have mentioned it, who said anything about white women becoming the face of the natural hair movement? How does featuring one (1) white women turn that one white women into anything more than one feature? If CN or MC has had 1000 features, how does one (1) white woman suddenly make her (or any other vlogger/blogger) suddenly "whitewashed"? I guess I'm just having a hard time figuring out why all the backlash over one feature. If it became a regular thing, then I'd have a problem. But come on....................it's ONE (1) article.