My hair is a major issue with me. Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours and dollars I don’t actually have trying to shape the thick, tangled mass on my head into the “good hair” that is a fabled characteristic of having mixed blood. Many perms, flat irons and hair gels later, I’ve come to appreciate the solidarity this brings with monoracial women of color who may at times perceive mulatto women as immune to their particular struggles. In the end, my hair is good no matter what state it’s in because it’s mine and it represents who I am and my place in the world. That’s something I can be proud of.
I hope that my daughter can have that view point one of these days.
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, adults constantly reminded me of my "beautiful" mulatto hair. As i got older i kinda wished i had either white or black hair because they seemed to have cooler options like cornrows and long rock star style looks going on (which the ladies seemed to love). And it wasn't until i grew my fro and started to cornrow that i realized my natural hair was more comfortable. Even though i actually got more female attention with the rows, i didn't feel like myself.
ReplyDeleteMulatto hair does seem to grow faster than other hair though. Is this true or is it just among the people i know?