Looking For An Article

[luvmynaps]

So today was the first day of school and I started off my African American history class by asking "How do you define African American?" when someone politely raised their hand and said:
A person with bad hair. . . he didn't even say nappy.

I didn't see that coming, but of course that set me off and I went into a 15 minute rant about good hair vs. bad hair and the rest of the class continued with debate and was led seriously off topic from the original question.

Anyway, I wanted to continue that discussion with my students by providing them with some literature on the subject. I have searched this site and google, but obviously I'm putting in the wrong words, because I can't come up with anything. Can someone point me in the right direction or provide me with a link to an article on the good hair v. bad hair debate?

[bunny2b]

So I googled "black hair good hair bad hair". I came up with quite a few links. Here is one...
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa39...ag=artBody;col1
Pages 3 and 4 of this article has lots of references you may find helpful.

Also at the bottom of the first google results page, there are some books that touch on the subject. I may have to pick those up myself! :unsure: HTH

[luvmynaps]

Thanks! That was a good article. Anybody know of any more????

[luvmynaps]

BUMP

[mstrina911]

There is a poem that I got from NP a few weeks ago and shared w/ the teens that I mentor.
It was a hit and very thought provoking.

Good Luck



Good Hair Bad Hair

Now what does it mean, to have some good hair
Is it hair that is better, never needs no repair
And what does it mean, to have some bad hair
Is it always the hair, that needs some repairs
Good hair and bad hair, what does all this mean
Is this all just some myths, or something we dream

Please tell us my sistahs, why is Afrikan hair bad
It started from childhood, oh how dreadfully sad
The torture, the heat , the burns, and the jerks
Everythang was tried, to see what would work

Now hair comes in textures, not good bad like grades
Has none'n to do with grades, how we have been played
We want "good" hair, that's what Black women say
But Black women have "good" hair, don't wish it away

So what my sistahs, does "good" hair really mean
Its hair that is healthy, at its best and its clean
Get "bad" hair out, of your vocabulary and mind
Cuz its time for a new attitude, that you should define

Black women should define, their "own" beauty that's good
And change their ideals, from adults back to their childhood
Caucasian beauty, is not beauty to enshrine
Our lips, hips and skin, are much more defined
Why crave the Caucasian's standards, that are vastly well known
When our own natural beauty, has vitality and life of its own

[1luvm3]

Well I think this would be just as good as an article, because who doesnt love media!!! But in another section, i think health and wellness, i forget, a member posted a link to this vid which explains the good hair bad hair syndrome perfectly!








And here's the link to the original thread: http://www.nappturality.com/forum/index.ph...35&hl=400+years

[luvmynaps]

Thanks BlackButterflyy! That was an excellent poem. I will definitely be using that.

Thanks also for the video links 1luv. They were both very helpful.

[Trezher]

I found this funny musical video
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/579999/good_or_bad_hair

but that was it. so I would start off by saying to them, if this topic is hard to find on the WWW (world wide web) then there's no such thing. I would then ask them to get their paper and pen out and ask them to explain to me what is Good hair and what is Bad hair and to turn their papers in. For homework I would ask them to write The Good, The Bad, The Beautiful and The Ugly about their hair.

For example if I was your student and you was to ask me these questions today I would say:

What is Good Hair?
There is no such thing

What is Bad Hair?
There is no such thing

so I guess I'd either get an F or you'd ask me to explain.
If you asked me to explain then I would answer, If you asked me this before I knew the natural me, then I would need a couple of pages to answer the above questions, but now that I know better, I know that that our hair can do almost any and everything as long as we use the right products, tools (hands, brush, comb), and washing correctly (if I shampoo always follow with a conditioner) and don't have the wrong expectations (thinking our hair should or can do what anothers did or wanting someone elses texture instead of embracing our own).

Let them turn in their papers without discussing what their answers were. If there is enough time then you may choose to proceed to the next question, or prefer that they go home and answer them, that way they have enough time to think on the answers before turning it in...


for example, if I was your student today, my answers would be:

the Good: I no longer have to depend on the maintance of going to the salon to get a chemical fire cream which was damaging, time consuming, and costly, I could never get it wet, and experienced plenty of bad hair days because I didn't know how to maintain it myself. Today, there's no such thing as a bad hair day because I couldn't make it to the Salon. Ironically, I now know how to do it myself, almost like an natural instinct. If I'm running late or I'm having a lazy weekend, then I just put on my stylish head/dread wraps or my beanie berets and Go. No more I can't go to the water park because I just got my hair done, I just go I'm loving the new natural me.

the Bad: there really isn't anything Bad about my hair... well except after I went Natural I've become a product junkie, so now I have to figure out how to use up all the junk...lol, then I want to go on a more Organic routine. It does tend to dry over night, but I love to wash it everyday (just like some silky textured straight or curly haired folks have to wash theirs because theirs gets too oily). The only problem that I may face is the winter time... I'm so use to washing on a daily basis, I'm unsure what kind of routine will take it's place since I opt not to use heat (I always air dry).

the Beautiful: I receive more of compliments, and curious questions because they're now interested in going natural as well :wub: . I now receive compliments from those with naturally straight hair (I'm trying to be nice which I've never received from them when my hair was relaxed. Caucasians that I know personally, that hadn't seen me since the Rebirth, told me they don't know why I chose to straighten my hair in the first place because the natural look was so much more becoming to them. I love it, my husband loves it and that's all that matters. I Love it so much, I think Imma have to give my her a Name :wub:

the Ugly: the ugly part of my hair is dealing with some of the Relaxed sisters that hasn't seen it yet. If I get one more I can't believe you cut your hair, have you changed your religion, what did your husband think, what did your husband say, was your husband ok with it, are you going through a phase, I can't believe you did that, what did your husband say, think, did when he saw it (yes they ask that husband question over and over again) imma scream. Ahhhhhhhhhh.


After they get through writing they'll either realize there's no such thing as Bad hair or there's some self hate issues going on. For some this issue is beyond the texture of their hair, they were born and raised that nappy hair is bad and not accepted. If a chemical fire cream is what they want then that's their choice. If they've never had natural hair, I tell them, don't knock it until you try it. We all have our hair issues. But we need to learn to accept those that have overcome. Bad and Good hair is an Opinion. Mine is if you choose to chemically alter your hair then you're the one with the bad hair and not me. My hair is Good. Case Closed

PS: Sorry so long. If there are Caucasians in your class, I'm pretty sure there are some bad things about their hair that they could list. Like they have to wash theirs everyday because it would become greasy, others may have limp thin hair, some may be faking blonde hair. Now if they're the ones calling our hair bad, then that's an issue. If you've never had it, how could you know if it's bad or good. To me calling Black's hair Bad is no different from looking down on us because of our skin color and features. They'd have to talk to God or read on their history on the reason's why... for example our skin color and hair texture may have alot to do with where we originated. The dark skin protect us from the sun, and our hair texture may have a lot to so with the climate, imagine having long straight greasy hair in all that heat. I think i'd prefer short, kinky curly dry hair any day