I saw a re-blogged post about dark skin & natural hair.
I get a little ticked off with this! We can’t all look like Tina Turner, Erika Badu, Naomi Campbell, Macy Gray et al. Although, i’m sure there are more black models out there that don;t have the ‘Naomi’ look.
I adore my dark skin, but have grown up & still get the odd jibe about not being light enough to fit in. Fit in where? My shoes? My clothes? give me (us) a break!
I’ve experienced this in my personal and work life, even from my own race.
I was told that light skined black people, preferably with smooth, straight hair, would prosper better (in Jamaica), as they could ‘pass’ for white people. Some people did this, as it was a means to ‘get on’ in those troubled times. I cannot judge them, but why is it still like this, in the 21st century?
Dark skin was seen as inferior. There were/are certain ‘levels of acceptability’ white-the ‘best’, brown-‘acceptable’, then black-‘unacceptable’. This colour/caste system is - allegedly, still used in some African & Asian cultures today.
Due to illness & crazy medication, my weight goes up and down like a bungee rope - check out the varying sizes of the clothes in my wardrobe! My hair falls out, grows back in patches, then grows back again. At least it grows back, unfortunately, some don’t have hair!
A dear, little boy (friend of mine), died of cancer two years ago, and he gave me a clip on pony tail, as he said it would help to cover up the slight bald patch in the middle of my head. Although, i’d have weaves & extensions back in the day, this bit of horse hair, was not my thing. I wore it, & it’s amazing how different I felt. Although, it was itchy on the back of my neck, there was no more worrying about who can see my patch. I wear it from time to time, when i’m ‘having a bad hair day’.
It’s difficult finding a good hairdresser that understands what my hair’s going through, and not getting all huffy about how “tough it is at the roots” - it’s not my problem you’re not good enough to do your job. I have African AND Caribbean hair: coarse at the roots & fine towards the tip. I just want to be able to comb it without wincing! I sometimes do head wraps, but I just can’t be bothered, also my ‘different’ look’ is not what some employers can ‘accept’. See, how should I look?
I could go on, but just wanted to say my little bit about how I feel about myself, sometimes good, sometimes not so good, but i’ve got other things to worry about than if I ‘fit in’, if my skin’s the right shade, i’m wearing a hair piece because i’m not having a good hair day & oh, yes, when are Boots, Superdrugs, Savers et al, going to sell the Mac & Iman cosmetics range, or do I have to trek ALL the way to Selfridges again?
Let’s be who we want to be. Not who people THINK we should be.
Let’s appreciate, not decimate!
Merry Christmas
Peace & Love
Nam myoho renge kyo
Glammamamma
