Black women wearing braids is not 'a mess'
Black women wearing braids is not 'a mess'
Keke Palmer does not have to wear a weave to be considered pretty
Black women judging other black women is exhausting. I’m not saying I don’t ever do it, but I usually try to find a compliment even if the insult is easier to observe. One topic I tend to stay away from is insulting black women’s hair. From relaxers to braids to weaves and wigs, I know the frustration (and joy) we go through with our hair. I respect Team Natural for saying, “I’m not doing this s—t anymore. Enjoy my natural texture … or don’t.”
Recommended Read: “Should The CROWN Act include white people with locks? ~ My mixed opinions regarding white people with ‘natural black’ hairstyles”
So, I was pleasantly surprised to see the woman behind the suit coat and cornrows, and dancing with Diddy, who was none other than Keke Palmer*. After the dissection of her outfit during the Usher concert, nobody could say she was dancing too sexy or showing too much with that outfit on. And yet, there was still criticism thrown her way, simply for wearing cornrows. Of all the people, it’s from a user named Madd_Melanin who said she looked “a mess.”
As was the case with Olympian Gabriel Douglas (or any other black women who dared to not wear wigs or weave 100% of the time when they leave home — even when they’re not trying to win a gymnast medal), a subpopulation of black women (Shes_Tee said “neck braids” are “crazy”) felt the need to share their opinions about why her hair wasn’t up to par. And once again, we’re back at the idiotic belief that wigs and weaves are the only way for a black woman to look pretty or have her hair “done.”
Recommended Read: “That ‘scientific study’ that makes you hate your race ~ Brown-skinned girls, look past racism to own your beauty”
Recommended Read ~ Amazon
I have never seen straight black men this flabbergasted by a black woman’s hair. Even seeing interracial couples, the white guys they’re dating don’t seem to give a damn about whether their hair is natural or a wig. It’s us criticizing us and it’s annoying. Public Service Announcement: You do not have to have somebody else’s dead hair on your head to be “pretty.” And no, black women do not look “a mess” while wearing freshly braided cornrows. Leave Keke Palmer (and other black women enjoying the hair growing from their scalps) alone. Let black women do what they want with their hair, even if it’s to get a chuckle.
Recommended Read: “Do black men really care about black women’s hair? ~ Men weigh in on their favorite traits about women”