All woman in the modern world, regardless of color, are made VERY aware of today’s beauty standards. Through media and advertisements, we are constantly told our skin is not bright enough, our bodies are not thin enough, and our hair is not long enough. The concept of body image and self worth are being talked about now more than ever, but for many black women this has been a consistent struggle. In “Straightening Our Hair” bell hooks addresses this struggle head on. (no pun intended ha)
“The reality is: straightened hair is linked historically, and currently to a system of racial domination that impresses upon black people, and especially black women, that we are not acceptable as we are, that we are not beautiful.” (Hooks 5)
I have worn my hair in more ways than you can imagine. My mother, a white woman with nice natural hair, would stare at my mane in terror after it was towel dried. I have worn my curls out and natural, I have had braids tight to my scalp, I have had chemicals painted on my coils in an attempt to make them straight, I have clipped in hair pieces to achieve long ‘white girl hair’. Do I think my mother did all those things in an attempt to make me white? Absolutely not. Do I think my mother did all those things in an attempt to give me the same chances as all the other little girls? Absolutely. When I was three years old till I was seventeen, I participated in a variety of your typical girly girl activities. I did beauty pageants, girl scouts, danced competitively, was a gymnast, and a cheerleader. Throughout all of these activities, there is some kind of regard for outer beauty and competition. When I was young I did not notice, but as I have gotten older I have seen the disdain and judgement on people’s faces when your hair is anything but long and straight. I think as a mother raising a mixed child, my mother saw this and never wanted me to have to feel it.
“When students read about race and physical beauty, several black women describe periods of childhood when they were overcome with longing for straight hair as if it was so associated with desirability, with being loved.” (Hooks 4)
Black cultures have always been looked down upon by colonizers. Still to this day, black women in particular have felt devalued and degraded not only for the color of their skin, but also for their different body types and distinctive natural hair as well. Seeking approval and acceptance, women of color have altered their natural beauty to fit into the social norms of their oppressor’s culture. The media only helps to perpetuate these ideas by barely showing woman of color, let alone those with their natural hair. When woman like Beyoncé, Oprah, and even Michelle Obama are seen with unnatural hair it teaches young girls of color, that is how they need to look in order to be seen as successful. And that to me is one of the longest lasting effects of colonization and imperialism.
