History vs. Hair---What's Hair Got to Do With It?

There is something TERRIBLY WRONG with some black people.

I finally was able to get my fingers to stop trembling in anger enough to be able to write this. 

Instead of celebrating the wonderful accomplishment of Gabby Douglas (being 16 years old and leading the USA Gymnastics team to their first Gold Medal since 1996), people want to act like fashionistas and talk about how she should have her hair.

This young one is making HISTORY, and people want to rewrite her “HAIR” story.

I know to some, this may not seem like a big deal, but this is a BIG deal for so many reasons. 

It adds credence to what some say about black people—that we are superficial.  

It says some are correct about us, when they blast that we know all the lines to the latest rap songs, but don’t know one stanza of a poem that has influenced us.  

It says some are dead on about us when we know all of the people who are in Love & Hip Hop of Atlanta but don’t want to take the time to know about educators, inventors, and leaders in our culture. 

We don’t have to keep blaming OTHERS for holding US back; we do a fine job of that on our own. 

We are the primary culture that grossly goes out of our way to tear down and humiliate each other .  We tend to throw salt in people’s wounds when they are down and fling acid when they are doing WELL.

All this energy towards this SHOULD be focused on getting our unemployed and underemployed numbers out of the DOUBLE DIGITS.  It could also be placed on finding a way to STILL VOTE in November despite all of these new voter ID laws getting put in place to try to prevent us from heading to the polls.  It should be focused on CONTINUING to fight for justice for our own still getting killed—because that didn’t stop with Trayvon Martin.  It should be directed towards being able to clothe, feed, and be a support system for our people since they are ending federally extended benefits for the unemployed, slowly but surely, and in some places it has ALREADY ENDED. 

That investment is a BETTER PAY OFF.

What’s wrong with congratulating someone, telling a person they did a good job?  Gabby’s victory should be the HIGHLIGHT and should be CELEBRATED, not all of this talk about her hair.

For those people who want to have the debate about natural vs. relaxed, you can have that debate.  I just don’t think your debate should have taken focus off of history being made. 

If you want to talk about something, talk about her movement, her strength, her muscle tone, not hair clips, gel, and sweating…are you serious?  This wouldn’t even be an issue in another culture.  Save your agenda for another day; let that girl celebrate!  Let her family, friends, and this country be proud!

"I'm so proud of you! Fly on, keep winning!"