>The reality is that black people
>are the only folks on
>this earth who even have
>these types of discussions. And
>the reason is because our
>hair/skin is unlike anyone elses.
>Think about it--There are only
>a small percentage of White/Asian/Latina
>women who chemically process their
>hair (to alter its texture),
>for black women it is
>the other way around. Does
>this not seem odd or
>backwards to you?

I'm not sure if you are disagreeing with or even addressing what I said ealier, but to address your points...of course we may very well be the only ones is discussing this topic, but that's simply because we are the only ones that have so many options when comes to styling hair. And what's odd or backwards about these options? Nothing in my opinion.



I am
>so tired of people pretending
>as if a perm is
>a style "choice" for black
>women. We have been bombarded
>with the notion (since early
>childhood) that at some point
>it would be MANDATORY for
>you to straighten your hair.
>It has been so embedded
>into our subconsciouses (centuries in
>the making) that NATURAL has
>become UNNATURAL and vice versa.

A relaxer is a choice. I was never bombarded with anything and I have never felt that way either...not saying you said that I was.

>A woman who wears her
>hair naturally (Jill, Lauryn, Badu)
>has an "alternative" look and
>is subject to scorn and
>ridicule??? WTF...hello? When Catherine Zeta,
>Lucy Liu and Gwenyth Paltrow
>are being praised for wearing
>their hair naturally straight??? Black
>folks need to get it
>together--it goes beyond bobs, and
>shags--believe that.

Who's praising the caucasian and asian women for their hair? I've always believed that everything is about individual perception. Who's scorning these women for having their individual style? Certainly not me and for me that's enough. And generally speaking their styles are "alternatives" to wearing weaves, a relaxer, wigs.