Gabby Douglas becomes the first African American to win the all around gymnastic all around gold and the first American women U.S. gymnast ever to win both the individual all around and a team gold metal. While the majority of African Americans and many Americans know how significant this accomplishment is in what has traditionally been an all white sport, there are some young black women, through social media who could focus in on only one thing, Gaggy's hair.
One Tweeting: "I love how she's doing her thing and winning," says 22-year old Latisha Jenkins of Detroit told the Daily Beast. But I just hate the way her hair hair looks. With all those pins and gel...I wish someone could have helped her make it look better since she's being seen all over the world" She representing for black women everywhere."
While the majority of social comments were positively focused on
her monumental accomplishment, regrettably this is one of many
negative comments posted on Twitter and Facebook not by whites but
by mostly young black women about Gabby's hair.
Sadly, this is reflective of the poor self image that to many Black people
have about their God given natural beauty. This inferiority complex of
about dark skin and curley hair is passed on from one generation to the
next and can only be stopped by us.
Gabby ignor these small minded people. They will never have the courage
to leave home at 14 from Virginia Beach to go to Des Moines, to join a
white family initally of strangers who took you in and treated you as
one of their own.
Their small minds don't have the focus and dicipline to work tirelessly for
hours on end pushing your body to the limit, as you refined your craft.
Don't give them a second thought because they will never move beyond
the shadows of their computer, while sitting on the couch tweeting out hatred.
But 3 time Olympian, gold metal winner Dominique Dawes and so many of
the rest of us know that what you have accomlished will be an example to
all of the beautiful black and brown young girls with beautiful hair like
yours that now know, after watching you, they can do it too.
White women have beautiful "Kinky" hair too.
Chris Rock has been criticized by some Black women
for telling family business. They don’t want it known
that they are among those that spend billions of dollars
trying to get and keep straight hair. Black women's hair
come natually in all texttures, straight and curley.
I don’t want to debate whether it’s a waste of time
and money for some Black women to be obsessed with trying
to alter their God given beauty of having naturally curly hair to
persuing a Caucasian, Euro standard of beauty.
Biblical and scientific proof says that Jesus had hair like wool so
he must have gotten it from his mother.
"His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters." (Rev. 1:14 and 1:15)
"His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude." (Daniel 10:6)
But What Are We Doing To Our Children's Natural Hair?
That’s at the heart of this movie. Are some Black women
so insecure with their own natural beauty that they are
willing to compromise who they are in the pursuit of someone
else’s standards? And in this blind, senseless quest, some are
sending the wrong message to our children. And in some cases
permanently damaging their daugters hair follicles
with exposure to the lye used in chemical relaxers to
straighten the hair.
Recent studies have revealed that of all the teenagers in the US,
Black female teens are the most insecure about their appearance.
Most don’t believe that they are as pretty. Why? Because some
parents, the media and their peers, who are confused themselves,
tell them such.
The other important point of the “Good Hair” movie that
many are missing is economics. A key point that most
Black people are failing to understand in our every day lives.
Black women spend over $10 billion dollars on their
hair annually, buying 70% of all hair extensions, weaves, and
hair care products in the United States, largely from
Asian suppliers and very little of this money is spent with
Black owned companies. Of the 26 Black owned hair product
manufacturing companies that existed in the mid 70's, there
are only 2 left today. We have no one else to blame but ourselves.
Black Women Must Define Their Own Beauty
And Spend Money In Their Own Interests.
Madame CJ Walker in 1920 became the first Black female millionaire
by providing hair care products that created jobs, when the greater
market totally ignored the beauty needs of Black women. Yet her
brand is no where to be found today.
The newly appointed President of Xerox Corporation
Ursula Burns and Julianne Malveaux, President of Bennette College
have been successful either because of or
dispite not compromising their own natural beauty.
You will almost never find an Asian or a Jewish women having
their hair done by another nationality, while they happily
spend billions with someone else who doesn’t look like them
and doesn't have their interests at heart.
When will we realize for the sake of our children and
our future; To whom you give your money to, you
give your power.
Black unemployment today is way above 25% in most of our communities.
I have always told my daughters how naturally beautiful their
black curly hair and dark brown are and to not let their hair or
body speak for their brains.
All women and all hair are Beautifully Good. As Black people, once we
truly embrace our own unique beauty, the rest of the world will too.
We come in all shades, with all kinds of hair. We must embrace our
own diversity. We understood this during the Civil Rights Movement
but some of us have lost our way. To find your way back.....
What do you think?
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