Always B Natural: Commentary on Good Hair

A few weeks ago, my husband and I enjoyed the new Chris Rock documentary, "Good Hair", in Times Square with many other women interested in what the funny man's input would be on such a touchy subject. Touchy because the documentary was not about different types of hair from different types of people; it was about the different types of things BLACK women did to their hair in the effort to make it "good hair".

Before I get into how I felt about the movie, just a few thoughts on the theater. First, I was surprised at how many non-black females were interested in this movie. I must admit, I heard about this on Oprah, and A LOT of women (and men) watch Oprah, of all backgrounds. There were not a lot of people in the theater to begin with, but it was a pretty mixed bag. With that said...

... I loved this movie. The insight and story behind this film was amazing. Chris talked to many black women and men, both celebrities and average everyday people. From the working class to students, even to children, Chris wanted every opinion he could get on what black women do for hair care. He got down and dirty with the "perm", the "weave" and "natural" hairstyles and what he found out might shock you.

This is what I found:
We find ways to give ourselves excuses to live by. Excuses that get us through the day, that we give to our co-workers or friends, and even our families. Some women were angry after the release of this film because they thought that he had given away all the black hair secrets- placing black women farther out of reach of the comfortable lives that white women may have. Some women felt it made them closer to other races because they didn't have to hide what they were doing anymore. This movie opened up conversations that need to be had and I loved it.

I admit, black women hide. They... We... Women try to keep up with what they are told is fashionable and they want to be that. Black women do not have long silky hair that flows to the floor because it's not suppose to be. Sorry, but Tyra let us all know, we're wearing weave (not all of us!). A lot of us have beautiful, long and healthy hair. And once you pay for it, it can technically be considered yours. Just wait until you see were all that hair is coming from! Many of us are hiding, but we don't have to. We can come out and yell at the top of our lungs- "I WILL ALWAYS BE NATURAL!!!" This movie got me screaming and talking and ultimately, blogging.

Recently, before all the hoopla about hair and Chris Rock, I choose to cut off most of my chemically straighten hair and opt for a more natural style.





So I practice what I preach.

Was it easy? For me, yeah! But most people don't like drastic. And you don't have to be.

So my motto? Be natural. ALWAYS BE NATURAL! Good hair is what you make of it, what you put into it and what you get out of it. As for Chris, he made a really great and informative documentary. No matter what kind of hair you have, check out it out.