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Evidently It’s a “Problem” When Black Women Sport “Blonde” Hair
84 Comments | Posted by Sarah in Grammy Awards, NPR.com, Teshima Walker, hair dye, style
According to a recent post on NPR’s website by Teshima Walker, the Grammy awards — more notably the black women in attendance — really rubbed her the wrong way.
Walker claims that the majority of black women at the Grammys were sporting blonde locks, despite the fact that blonde is not generally a natural hair color of women of color.
… Enter my one-raised-eyebrow WTF face.
Personally, I think blonde hair looks fabulous on darker skin and all of the famed black women in attendance at the Grammys sporting blonde hair looked amazing, but Walker states that although she herself sports blonde tips, she’s getting sick and tired of black women play-acting that they’re white women. And her mother agrees. Upon the bleaching of Walker’s hair, her mother asked her coyly if she was aware that she was not a white woman. Although Walker proudly refuted her mother’s initial jibe, this, evidently, stuck with the NPR author and she carried it with her throughout her journey through life.
Teshima is now calling out in sisterhood to have blonde hair on black women obliterated. She claims that it’s not embracing the lifestyle that was evidently deigned upon them at conception. Walker says that black women should spend more time being black women and less time trying to emulate Lady Gaga:
But now I think maybe Black stars should help African-American women release the hold that blond hair has had on us. It’s not a natural hair color. It’s not really a good look if you’re over 30. It’s not particularly healthy for your hair. We don’t need the woes that blond hair brings. Black women, let’s do something different. Hell, I’m not completely satisfied watching my crowning glory gray at the temples but I promise you, there will be no more blond dye added.
I can agree that for some women — even white women — blonde is not a natural color. It just looks awful on some people, myself included. I also maintain my position that yes, bleaching the crap out of your hair isn’t very healthy and it does do a lot of damage. I speak from experience on that one, too.
However, skin color aside, hair dye is just that — hair dye. I don’t care if you’re a black woman who wants blue hair or a white woman who wants grey hair. It’s your prerogative (thanks, Bobby Brown). Do what you want, wear what you want and do it because you want it to be that way — not because someone says that you should or shouldn’t look the way you do. Hair color, although sometimes stereotyped, is just hair color. Why do we need yet another physical attribute to divide us as a gender — or a race?
I see no reason that people should be tied to their heritage. Hell, I feel no special connection to being Dutch…but I suppose many Americans don’t identify with their heritage very much. Unless they’re Irish (which you would think 99.8% of the US was judging by how proudly people tote their Irish great-great aunt’s influence in their gene pool).
I remember back in the seventies,every other white boy at the disco had an afro. No big deal. Beyonce is totally hot,by the way.
I think it looks pretty ridiculous to be honest but if women want to sport that look it’s their prerogative. I think any woman who dyes her hair a wholly unnatural color for her age and complexion (I’m looking at you Liz Taylor) looks pretty silly but that’s just my personal taste. I know there are plenty of women who think that my style is ridiculous too. My sister is forever whining about my natural eyebrows (groomed but thick) for example but I think her freakishly thin brows make her look perpetually surprised and knock her facial balance off.
The overly-tweezed brows fad has to go. It does look pretty awful, no matter whoever sports them.
I have a cousin who completely shaves off her brows and draws them in. She also had permanent lipstick and eyeliner tatooed in,she’s 63 and she scares small children.
Yes Yes, I know a women who does this too!
hahaha!
I think I saw her at the store the other day…
If it was after 3,It had to be a liquor store.
Not where I live, it was Wal Mart.
I have actually waxed off half a brow on 2 occasions.
It was more a case of using the old-fashioned wax and getting it where it shouldn’t be…
Wow. I can actually second this whole post.
Except that I have no idea what Elizabeth Taylor looks like. And my sister no longer whines.
Black women wear weaves to copy white women who are copying black women wearing fake white hair. LMAO!
Can’t a black woman just be a woman? Does she have to be an role model for every woman of her entire race? What the fuck?
And I think a short cropped blonde afro is the hottest hairstyle I’ve ever seen on a black chick.
*sticking tongue out at Teshima*
Agree with your comment 1,000-million percent. Especially on the hairstyle part!
100% agreed also.
Yes indeed!
Yes! So many times I read that a “black woman” did something, or a “black woman” said something…. why can’t it just be “a woman”. We don’t go around saying “white woman” all the time.
Women of all races have been changing their hair color for thousands of years. In fact, the trend of dyeing hair has its roots (pun not intended) in Africa and Asia. Teshima needs to get over it.
If anything, women like Beyonce and Rihanna are showing black women (and all women!) that they can embrace their natural look AND change it up now and then. I have seen both of these women with their natural dark hair and light makeup plenty of times, and they look great either way. They’re definitely not denying their backgrounds by trying different looks.
[...] What’s Up With Rihanna & Beyonce’s Hair? – Zelda Lily [...]
There’s a bunch of pathetic whining about Vanity Fair’s young hollywood cover. Apparently the political correctness police is mad that they didn’t throw in a token minority person. I’m sure if it were all non-white people on the cover no one would have said a thing. Didn’t we just pick ANOTHER Black Miss America who isn’t even pretty? When will we have a white Miss black America? Will they open their pageant to us? PFFFTTTT.
Lets get realistic and say it straight: everybody wants to be white. The almond eyed women hate their eyes being shaped like that. Black women dye their hair red and blonde and wear light colored contact lenses. What more u want? The white race is in fact the most diverse and its ppl can be called “ppl of color”. Blue, green, grey, brown, black eyes. Red, blonde, chestnut, brown, black hair. Skin – from milky white to brown. Where do u see “the color” in the yellow and black race? WHITE PPL = THE REAL COLORED PPL. Period.
bullshit, i’m white and I’d much prefer to be darker skinned. I wouldn’t want to be black because the world is still pretty damn racist and I wouldn’t want to suffer that, but if we lived in a utopia where people were just people, I think black is way more beautiful and your skin is protected from the sun and you don’t go all red when you burn/are embarassed and blackheads and spots aren’t as noticable and you can get away with being a few pounds overweight because darker colours are slimming. AND- I’d love to be able to wear white or yellow. I can’t get away with it with my pale skin unforch. So there, not everyone wants to be white.
And that bitch whining about VANITY FAIR cover can go shoot herself. These are the times when diversity is a curse more than ever. Minorities are becoming majority (in a bad way) but we prefer to indulge in our hypocrisy and political correctness. If u open ur mouth to protest ure labelled a racist or a Nazi. U have to swallow all the multicultural bullshit or u are a pariah. MISS AMERICA 2010. What a joke! Even black women booed her! One thing was VANESSA WILLIAMS, other thing was that ugly CARESSA. Her name doesnt match her either…
I agree, it’s like white people don’t even have a voice anymore. You can’t even put a white model on the cover of Vogue without someone bitching about “racism”. All this whining about diversity is ridiculous. Just yesterday I had to flip around my car radio for more than 20 minutes to find a song that wasn’t Beyonce, Little Wayne, Kanye, Jay-z, or some other hip hop/black music. I come home and turn on the tv and it’s all black shows on MTV, VH-1, Tyra Banks and Oprah on network channels, George Lopez on TNT, Some black history month thing on the History channel, BET and on and on. Considering that blacks are only 12% of the population it’s kind of astounding how well represented they are in the media.
And that miss America is BUTT UGLY. Did you see the pic they posted of her on TMZ? She’s no Vanessa Williams that’s for sure.
Black music? Seriously?
What, are we feeling threatened by the fact that America isn’t bright white anymore?
Yes, I think it’s incredibly stupid that people freak out about there being a white model v. a black model on a magazine cover, but Christ, bitching about that nasty black people music?
What are you talking about? God are you stupid. You missed the point entirely. Take off your blinders and actually read what someone wrote moron.
“minorities are becoming majorities- in a bad way” Wow, I wonder why all these people are calling you a racist/nazi? – is it because you sound like one?
Few of these gals are 100 percent black anyway. Most folks now adays are a mix of many races. I find it unusual that someone who is half white and half black,like Halle Berry,is automatically considered black.
If Hallie declared herself white her career would be over. What I don’t get is how Mariah Carey delcared herself black when her mother is white and her father is Latin. Wouldn’t that make her Latina? Or Hispanic?
This woman has too much time on her hand. Who cares what kind of colour your skin has…if the hair colour doesn’t match, it doesn’t match, no matter if you’re white, brown, yellow or whatever.
And what heritage? As far as I am considered, these women are American, period. Sometimes I wonder if certain black people want to introduce a new kind of Persilschein (a document that was used in Nazigermany to testify that you are 100% German). I am honestly sick and tired of all this nationality crap. You are what’s in your passport and that’s it -.- If you are Asian-looking have been born and raised in Germany, that still makes you a German in my eyes and that for 100%. In my eyes these fellow citizens are just as German as I am. Ugh…rant over.
I completely agree with you. I hate the “African/Latin/Irish/Asian/whatever other country or continent” American. You’re AMERICAN! Why, in America especially, do we have to segregate ourselves to a certain group??? Is that all we are? “African-American?” “Caucasian American?” “Latin American?” How about, instead of labeling ourselves in that stupid and restrictive way, and lumping everyone into a color, we say, “I’m Whitney.” I would rather people know ME, as an individual, than know my skin color, because guess what?? My skin color isn’t WHO I AM!!!
I think in america it’s so prevalent because people want to feel connected to a long line of people- where europeans have milleniums of history to look back on, whites and blacks are new to america so they have to borrow from an “old world”country for their heritage. That’s why 99% of white americans say they are either irish or italian and black americans get to be african americans, despite nobody from the last 5 generations of their families ever setting foot in the country that is listed before “american”. however, if you look at countries like brazil or any south american country, despite also being european colonies with a brief national history, you don’t see brazilians or argentinians calling themselves “spanish americans” or “portuguese brazilians” or anything like that. If asked, they will tell you they are descended from a mix of some european country and native south americans, but for all intents and purposes, they are “brazilians” or “argentinians.” Maybe the difference is that north america is a bigger whole country, and people need to feel like they are part of a smaller community? Because it’s not just coming from racism, because in south america the minorities were also discriminated against and slavery was huge in countries like brazil. So that’s not the stem of this “african american” business.
Actually, I think Rhianna is Barbadian (if that’s the correct demonym), not American.
but in general I agree that if you want to not some heritage you have when it’s relevant, go for it. But if you’ve decided to be American, or martian, or whatever, it’s time to drop the qualifiers.
She has some cool hair,and is very attractive.
Soon we will have BLACK AMERICA. Or BROWN AMERICA. Noones gonna stop the wave of Mexican poison. The future is as dark as it can be. The double standard is well at work, folks. Back to skin color issue… Look at LIL KIM for instance. Originally BLACK. How is she now? Unrecognizable. Much surgery. Contact lenses. Trying hard to be white. MARY J BLIGE – Blonde. Beyonce – one cant realize which is her real hair like and which is a wig. Always light hair… Her much whiter mom is more beautiful than her.
I worry what will happen when America is predominately black/brown. If you look around the world at countries where whites are the minority they are living in fear of their lives. Racial murders against whites are a huge problem in South Africa but you wouldn’t know it because the PC media chooses to ignore it and it’s much the same in Mexico and central/south America. I don’t see how anyone can think all this white bashing in this country is a “good” thing, it seems to me to be leading somewhere not good. When one race views another race as evil or inferior it usually leads to major social unrest or violence. How can that be a positive thing? Unless you’re a racist…..
You’re over simplifying the situation. The violence in South Africa has less to do with race and more to do with class and power. I used to work with a guy who was a white South African and he insisted that his attitude wasn’t racist because he really was superior to all the black people around him. To him it was totally natural to have white leaders and black servants and if they’d risen up he would have been genuinely shocked that they were going against the natural order of things.
While there is a history of slavery in the US it’s far back in history. It influences modern day race relations but it’s not going to spark the direct sort of revenge killings that happen in South Africa.
So you base your judgement on what’s going on over there by one person’s ignorance? You need to educate yourself. White farmers are being brutally murdered for purely racial reasons and any white person roaming around Johannesburg (sp?) after 6pm is in serious danger. Do a google search.
I gave an example, that doesn’t mean I’m basing my entire opinion on it. As it happens I have several friends and family members in South Africa and I studied the country in college so I have a variety of sources of information and differing opinions to go on. You’re the one who is taking one example and saying that every other situation with that one factor is going to turn out the same. They’re not being killed because they’re a minority, they’re being killed because they’re a small minority who have been treading on and basically enslaving the majority population for a long time now. You can look at the current situation and just conclude that black people hate white people or you can actually look at the society as a whole and the history of the situation and come to an understanding.
Wow, how did a feminist blog attract racist bigots? Civil rights and Feminism are sisters dudes!! Don’t worry, as a white person I’m doing my part to contribute to the eventual “browning” of America. My babies are half hispanic and they are beautiful. My husband is a couragous honorable man who serves in the USAF. You and your hatred have fun hiding behind your computer, you are the minority now buddy :D
@Jess. One of my daughter-in-laws is from Peru. My two grandsons are gorgeous! I’m not saying that just because they’re my grandsons, their complexions are to die for!
I have yet to see a mixed child of any origin that wasn’t adorable :)
Talking about facts now constitutes racism? What a bizarre idea. Your comments are the only hatred I see, you seem to take great pleasure in pushing white people into minority status and relish the idea of them being discriminated against. Self hate much?
Bonnie, I don’t think Americans need to be grouped and specified by race. There is nothing special about your notion of being white. You aren’t superior to a pile of dog crap. I was commenting against some very racist views that I was surprised to see in this forum. I am not self hating because when I think of myself, the first thing that pops into my head is not “I’m white! Yay me!” and I don’t hate white people. Or any specific shade of people. I hate stupid people who have their head shoved so far up their asses they forget their KKK dues are owed. Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be on one of their sites using paypal rather than commenting here? You must have gotten lost in the internets…
What you described in your fear of whites becoming the minority is already happening to the minorities today, gay people fear for their lives, black people fear for their lives, Hispanics fear for their lives in areas where they are few and far between. So maybe you should stop cowering from evil black music and learn a little love and tolerance yourself before you’re subjected to the treatment your attitude causes them.
What are you talking about? Fear from WHO? Whites bend over backwards for minorities. We’ve removed words from our language to avoid “offending” them. We’ve hired them for jobs they were qualified for to help them get ahead. We spend trillions of our tax dollars to help them acquire the things they need even when they have no legal right to be here. Just shut your trap Parrothead.
Black music isn’t “scary” it just sucks. RIP hiphop.
“Weren’t”
Are you kidding me, yeah white people have made some SMALL gestures towards minorities, such as making it a law that they get an equal chance at a job despite their race or gender. Are you telling me no minorities ever get killed in the US because they are different? That all those news stories had a perfectly reasonable explanation for why that particular person deserved to be threatened and/or killed? What words exactly have we removed from our language because personally I know of nothing that isn’t still in use?
Copa, it is patently obvious that “Bonnie” is a new troll.
And a singularly unattractive one at that.
I have seen great sites destroyed by fools like this. They come in, have nothing to offer but hate and shit stirring.
Well meaning people try to reason with them, try to offer sensible opposing points of view, but all that happens is that they bring little troll friends with them to *play* and any semblance of a reasonable forum is lost.
Personally? I think that Bonnie and her ilk are all 15 year old boys.
Yeah I figured that out after I wrote my response, then saw her beautiful “Asshole” comment unfortunately. And please 15 year old boys are too busy masturbating to type. These are 13 year old girls who feel self-conscious so need to strike out to prove they’re tough (or at least that’s the way it was at my school when I was younger)
I do believe you’re right, Copa.
Took me awhile to catch on to it as well.
OMG Copa you really are dense. You don’t think white people get beat up or killed in this country by minorities who hate them for their skin color? Ever hear of the Witchita Massacre? It works both ways, why are you so terrified to admit that? I bet if you saw some perfectly innocent pale face get racially attacked in the street you would clap and cheer. Sicko.
Bonnie I think I know why you are so butt-hurt over all this. You must be from Northern Idaho and still burned about the mayor re-routing your white pride parade from main street to right by the city dump. Either that, or you’re an old fashioned southern bigot who has bloodlines with the blacks in your area because the kitchen maid was hotter than your dried up prude of a great great grandmother… :D Sorry Charlie- you still lose!
You’re totally wrong, you don’t know what it’s like in south america. White people aren’t killed in south america because of racism- some tourists are killed that happen to be white because of hatred for a nationality or to mug them for their tourist money. It is so bleedingly ignorant of you to lump mexico and south and central america together because you probably watched a film on one country or read something about mexico in the newspaper. Because of poverty in many south/central american countries, there are places white tourists shouldn’t go because it’s not safe, and if you don’t know the area you can get in trouble. It’s nothing to do with racism, but to do with americans or other nationalities going around slums with a nikon snapping pictures of misery and thinking their money is safe in a beige money belt.
You don’t have to be white to be killed in that situation, but it helps you stick out like a sore thumb as a tourist if most of the population is medium to dark skinned.
I think you forgot the orange people. I’m pretty sure they will take over first. Just look at them:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=6449132&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=8711936386&aid=-1&id=796000486&oid=8711936386#!/photo.php?pid=5037180&o=all&op=1&view=all&subj=8711936386&aid=-1&id=660880180&oid=8711936386&fbid=100551460180
(Sorry about the crazy long link. Just had to post the picture.)
Why is noone as shocked as I am by this Nazi-attitude?
Because if XYZ isn’t a real life troll, they certainly are an internet troll.
I guess that we are used to their stupid statements and just don’t bother responding anymore.
I’m just shocked that it hasn’t dragged Syd out of the woodwork. A discussion on race just isn’t the same without her frothing at the mouth.
(I kinda miss that)
Psssttt…maybe she is here under a new name.
Nah.
There was no mistaking her special brand of indignation.
Try and hide THAT light under a bushel! Not happening!
I figured it was all the same troll using different names, so I’m completely ignoring it.
Yeah, obvious troll is obvious. It’s best just to ignore the racism. :P
Honestly?
Are we really getting worked up over hair color now?
In my personal opinion, MOST people look best with the hair color God gave them. But if they want to dye their hair, they can have at it as far as I’m concerned.
Some black women can pull of blonde hair really well. Some of them look utterly ridiculous with it. But, that’s the way it is with every ethnic group.
What really gets me is the idea that black women have to act/speak/dress/look a certain way, or else they’re traitors to their heritage. I mean, WTF seriously.
I agree. Maybe black women just want to change up their look? When white women tan or wear extensions no one complains. Much ado about nothing IMO.
“Best with the hair color God gave them.” Hello, were in 21 st century. God now gives hair colors? LOl. Get real.
Yes, I know about the genocide of the white ppl in South Africa and Zimbabwe, but guess what? Not a word about that. Also not a word about the black South Africans who their newborn babies or little kids in the garbage but white families adopt and raise them. How often u see a black family adopting white/yellow kids for instance? I hear u? Its just as I said before. As soon as u attack so-called “tabu” subjects ure called a Nazi. Well, Im proud to be a Nazi then! They had their share of good things too, but ure too brainwashed by the mainstream media to believe the other way. U think OBAMA is better? Wait and see. And I dont get fed with the official version of history which is 99% bullshit. Sieg heil!
I, for one, am glad nobody is responding to your asinine comments. They don’t deserve a response, and you’re not proving anything with your terrible spelling, grammar, and unresearched opinions.
That is all.
You forgot the mention the blantant racism (which surprisingly enough, is still racism even if you claim that you’re not a racist…).
Silly. Don’t you know that if you decide you’re not a racist you can say any racist thing you want?
It’s like magic!
Accio….bigotry! Haha.
Hehe. I did that when I was looking for my lip gloss the other day…
Oh, I do it constantly. My boyfriend always does “expelliarmus” on me when I have something he wants…like a candy bar or something. So, I’ll actually drop whatever I’m holding when he says it. Yes, we’re totally lame and huge nerds. :
My son is forever casting a spell called Spedomis on me. I’m not entirely sure what it does but I’ve narrowed it down a bit. I think it either drives adults crazy or makes them ask stupid questions.
“Hello, were in 21 st century. God now gives hair colors? LOl. Get real.”
Yes, by all means go ahead and demean my faith. THAT’LL sure bring me around to your oh-so-enlightened views!
Right?! I was like, c’mon!
LOL, dont forget SISQO and BIG BOI who had their hair dyed blonde and looked like hell… Gimme a break!
Plz to /retard rant ?
Blond isn’t a natural color for most blonds, so I guess we’re all just pretending to be white. : p That kind of thing really makes me roll my eyes.
Now I will say that I would like dark hair colors and dark skin tones to be better represented in Hollywood. I think there is a definite leaning towards light skinned African American woman and maybe light haired too.
I would not like to think this is a standard that these women are being held to. But if it’s all fashion, whatever!
Personally, I think Beyonce’s hair-styling logic went a little something like this:
“I reeeeeeally want to be white. But how do I do it? How to be white……how to be white…..hmmm…. WAIT, I KNOW! BLONDE HAIR! I’ll dye my hair BLONDE! YES! That’s it! The solution was so easy, staring me in the face this whole time! All I have to do is dye my hair blonde! Man, this is such a relief. I feel so much better now!”
**grin** **chuckle chuckle** Keeping my big mouth shut! You go girlfriend!
If Syd doesn’t come out with both guns blazing after that, someone broke the internet in her state.
**grin** I need to bury this little devil sitting on my shoulder bringing this sarcastic side of me out!
[...] a cousin who completely shaves off her brows and draws them in. She also had permanent lipstick and eyeliner tattooed in,she’s 63 and she scares small [...]