While I don't mind grown woman or even teens wearing their hair blond (though I wish teens wouldn't dye their hair any color at those ages). I've not seen that happen yet, but I think it's probably only a matter of time that I will see young girls with blond hair. That said, I'm concerned that younger females - especially girls under 12 and under - will want to mimic women and particularly celebrities who wear their hair blond.
After all, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". But what I consider attractive, others might not like at all. I believe some people look better with blond hair then others. Furthermore, I believe that most women who dye their hair blond do so as a fashion statement, and because they think they look good with their hair that color. And that includes dying their hair any color they want to just like women of any other race. While I wouldn't even dream of dying my hair blond, I have come to respect the rights of Black women to wear their hair any way they want to. Nowadays, I think that an increasing number of Black women are viewing their hair & other Black women's hair as fashion statements rather than as a reflection or proof of their or other people's Blackness. It took me decades to reach this conclusion, but I'm now of the mind set that (to paraphase Bobby Brown), what people do with their hair is their perogative, they can do what they want to do. But I also think that only a minority of Black people hold this viewpoint. I think that there are still some afrocentric Black people who vehemently dislike Black women wearing their hair in these styles. And check out any number of Black celebrities sportin their blond hair or their red hair in what ever textured style - crinkly, curly, straight whatever they want to do. But nowadays, check out that fine African sista Angelique Kidjo wearing her closely cropped blond afro. To do so was considered a sign that she had issues with her "blackness" and she wanted to be White. Back in those days, it would have been un-thinkable for an afrocentric sista to wear a blond wig, or to dye her hair blond or any color of red, let alone bright red. You will recall that another name for the afro was "natural", and Aretha wasn't the only one who sang about the importance of being a "Natural Woman". Way back in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, especially among afrocentric Black folks, the overarching value was "being for real". Black women going blond or brighter red is a real change from back in the day. More Black women are also dying their hair brighter colors of red, and wearing brighter colors of red (like Rihanna) than ever. Not that that's completely new - the first time I saw a Black woman with a bald head as a fashion statement was in the late 1960s, but it certainly seems to me that though it's still only a few Black American women who wear their hair bald, the number is definitely more than it used to be, and that style appears to be much more accepted than it used to be.Ĭoncurrently, many more Black American women are dying their hair blond (or wearing blong wigs) than ever before. And - what is even more surprising to me - is that a small, but still increasing number of Black women in the United States are wearing their hair bald - as a fashion statement. I've also noticed an increase in the numbers of Black people wearing their hair in other natural styles like dreds and twists. Although not as many Black people wear afros now as there were in the 1970s (check out Soul Train), in the last two years there has definitely been an increase of Black folks (mostly under 40 years old) wearing their hair in that style. But (And) I'm also interested in the cultures of non-Black people and I am also concerned about the well being of non-Black people throughout the world.Īs an afrocentric* Black woman of "a certain age", I've noticed the return of the Black women and men wearing big afros. I consider myself afrocentric in that I'm particularly interested in Black cultures and I'm concerned about the well being of Black people throughout the world.
I'm a Black woman who has consistently worn my hair in an afro since 1967.
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