UPDATE: Since this column was originally posted, Gabby Douglas won the gold medal in the women's all-around gymnastics competition, the first African-American ever to do so.
Note From Timsomor:
Why are other Black women attacking this girl being natural? I have heard girls talk about her looks, Women with Red, Blonde, and Pink hair who were all black say she needs a weave or a perm! Are you kidding me? In public a black woman will be the first to snicker or get the attention of there friends just to point out that someone is different. 9 times out 10 the person who is being made fun of, most often finds something out of sorts with those making fun of them. I can remember getting on a bus about 3 years ago and a black women saying loudly, "Damn, most of these men got more hair then women nowadays." She was commenting about me. Why? Cause I have dreads that are neat and natural, something you won't see from most black women at all today.
I Just laughed and looked at her. She was wearing the usual disguise, Color contacts, Weave as long as one the eye could see, and enough makeup to make even Duncan Hines change it's recipe or at-least think about it. This goes down as one of the most out front examples of self hate I have ever seen. We should be talking about how they used a monkey in an NBC commercial to represent her, or that one of those Williams sisters that is mentioned in the post, did a dance that is affiliated with a gang that along with other gangs, off's Black males on a daily basic. Also, not to mention someone in their family was shot and killed by a gang member. However, that is a story for another time and what I have been reading about it Black people did not have a problem with it!
Most of the men who have commented stated she is too dark? I am glad I still have respect for the beauty of black skin. I have never really been one to believe that just because a women is a 'red-bone' she is a 10. I am one who loves brown and dark-skinned women. Some I would label 20's, let the others have their 10's!
On to the Post--
See Also:
When Did Being ‘Black And Proud’ Become Racist?
On Tuesday, 16-year-old Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas led our women’s gymnastics team to a gold medal, the USA’s first since 1996. The bouncing, bubbly superstar will also be competing for the gold again today, one of just two Americans chosen after she outperformed media darling Jordyn Wieber, whom everyone expected to land a top spot.
But instead of collectively celebrating her accomplishments on the Olympic stage —‘cause I know like you know we always root for the Black girl to upstage the competition — Gabby has been dogged with cruel criticism. Too many folk aren’t discussing her awe-inspiring leaps, bounds and accomplishments. Instead, it’s her hair that has become the topic du jour of some less-than-pleasant viewers.
No, it’s not runway-ready. But Gabby isn’t strutting a catwalk, so why does it need to be? She’s an athlete, competing on the world’s largest stage for the world’s greatest accolades. Did you catch that? She’s not just a champion of her block, or her borough, or her county or state. She’s one of the best in the world, as in all of Earth and womankind. At 16. Her hair may not be flawless, but her gravity-defying performances have been doggone close.
In the same way the phenomenal and oft-winning Williams sisters are dressed down for their colorful and sometimes skimpy attire, Dear Gabby has been blasted over an un-slicked ponytail. And I just don’t get it. Not only is it dead wrong to talk about a child, but I don’t understand why, with all she’s accomplished, her hair is even up for discussion. A gold medal trumps a fresh wash-and-set any day.
Anyone who looks camera-ready after a workout equivalent to one-tenth of Gabby’s just isn’t working hard enough. I dare the woman who gets her sweat on at the gym to show me a picture of her looking stellar post-workout. Gabby, meanwhile, has been tumbling, flipping, bouncing — and winning — all across bars and vaults and floors in London. Her hair, whether you love it or hate it, should be irrelevant.
I know a woman’s locks are thought of as her “crowning glory,” and I know of the billions Black women spend to keep a ‘do looking right. But let’s keep it all the way real here: If you’re a Black girl or woman who straightens her hair, you’re asking your fluff to do what it doesn’t do naturally. And if you don’t have the time or energy to attend to it, it’s going to “revert.” That’s just nature. I challenge anyone to explain to me that Gabby’s focus should be on something as trivial as her roots when she’s focused on a dream that many aspire to, but few accomplish. You really want her sitting up in the Olympic Village thinking about a hot comb or some lye right now, with all that’s on the line? And I know you would talk about her bad if her hair was on-point, but her performance on the biggest of stages was not.
A commenter on Gawker put it all in perspective: “If Gabby Douglas, or the Williams Sisters, or the entire US Women's Track and Field Team had said ‘oh, I can't do that - what will happen to my hair?’, the world would have been deprived of some of the greatest athletes of all time, male or female.” If you’re one of the woman thinking about Gabby’s hair, I need you to think long and hard on that statement too.
For the record, I think her hair is just fine. She’s bringing home at least one gold medal, and when she receives her accolades in the form of network appearances and magazine covers, I have no doubt that she’ll show and (im)prove with a mane to envy. But right now? There are bigger things to worry about, like how Gabby performs today in the individual competitions, whether her hair meets some arbitrary standards or not.
Read more: http://www.essence.com/2012/08/02/real-talk-leave-gabby-douglas-hair-alone/#ixzz22iE8jji2
Note From Timsomor:
Why are other Black women attacking this girl being natural? I have heard girls talk about her looks, Women with Red, Blonde, and Pink hair who were all black say she needs a weave or a perm! Are you kidding me? In public a black woman will be the first to snicker or get the attention of there friends just to point out that someone is different. 9 times out 10 the person who is being made fun of, most often finds something out of sorts with those making fun of them. I can remember getting on a bus about 3 years ago and a black women saying loudly, "Damn, most of these men got more hair then women nowadays." She was commenting about me. Why? Cause I have dreads that are neat and natural, something you won't see from most black women at all today.
I Just laughed and looked at her. She was wearing the usual disguise, Color contacts, Weave as long as one the eye could see, and enough makeup to make even Duncan Hines change it's recipe or at-least think about it. This goes down as one of the most out front examples of self hate I have ever seen. We should be talking about how they used a monkey in an NBC commercial to represent her, or that one of those Williams sisters that is mentioned in the post, did a dance that is affiliated with a gang that along with other gangs, off's Black males on a daily basic. Also, not to mention someone in their family was shot and killed by a gang member. However, that is a story for another time and what I have been reading about it Black people did not have a problem with it!
Most of the men who have commented stated she is too dark? I am glad I still have respect for the beauty of black skin. I have never really been one to believe that just because a women is a 'red-bone' she is a 10. I am one who loves brown and dark-skinned women. Some I would label 20's, let the others have their 10's!
On to the Post--
See Also:
When Did Being ‘Black And Proud’ Become Racist?
On Tuesday, 16-year-old Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas led our women’s gymnastics team to a gold medal, the USA’s first since 1996. The bouncing, bubbly superstar will also be competing for the gold again today, one of just two Americans chosen after she outperformed media darling Jordyn Wieber, whom everyone expected to land a top spot.
But instead of collectively celebrating her accomplishments on the Olympic stage —‘cause I know like you know we always root for the Black girl to upstage the competition — Gabby has been dogged with cruel criticism. Too many folk aren’t discussing her awe-inspiring leaps, bounds and accomplishments. Instead, it’s her hair that has become the topic du jour of some less-than-pleasant viewers.
No, it’s not runway-ready. But Gabby isn’t strutting a catwalk, so why does it need to be? She’s an athlete, competing on the world’s largest stage for the world’s greatest accolades. Did you catch that? She’s not just a champion of her block, or her borough, or her county or state. She’s one of the best in the world, as in all of Earth and womankind. At 16. Her hair may not be flawless, but her gravity-defying performances have been doggone close.
In the same way the phenomenal and oft-winning Williams sisters are dressed down for their colorful and sometimes skimpy attire, Dear Gabby has been blasted over an un-slicked ponytail. And I just don’t get it. Not only is it dead wrong to talk about a child, but I don’t understand why, with all she’s accomplished, her hair is even up for discussion. A gold medal trumps a fresh wash-and-set any day.
Anyone who looks camera-ready after a workout equivalent to one-tenth of Gabby’s just isn’t working hard enough. I dare the woman who gets her sweat on at the gym to show me a picture of her looking stellar post-workout. Gabby, meanwhile, has been tumbling, flipping, bouncing — and winning — all across bars and vaults and floors in London. Her hair, whether you love it or hate it, should be irrelevant.
I know a woman’s locks are thought of as her “crowning glory,” and I know of the billions Black women spend to keep a ‘do looking right. But let’s keep it all the way real here: If you’re a Black girl or woman who straightens her hair, you’re asking your fluff to do what it doesn’t do naturally. And if you don’t have the time or energy to attend to it, it’s going to “revert.” That’s just nature. I challenge anyone to explain to me that Gabby’s focus should be on something as trivial as her roots when she’s focused on a dream that many aspire to, but few accomplish. You really want her sitting up in the Olympic Village thinking about a hot comb or some lye right now, with all that’s on the line? And I know you would talk about her bad if her hair was on-point, but her performance on the biggest of stages was not.
A commenter on Gawker put it all in perspective: “If Gabby Douglas, or the Williams Sisters, or the entire US Women's Track and Field Team had said ‘oh, I can't do that - what will happen to my hair?’, the world would have been deprived of some of the greatest athletes of all time, male or female.” If you’re one of the woman thinking about Gabby’s hair, I need you to think long and hard on that statement too.
For the record, I think her hair is just fine. She’s bringing home at least one gold medal, and when she receives her accolades in the form of network appearances and magazine covers, I have no doubt that she’ll show and (im)prove with a mane to envy. But right now? There are bigger things to worry about, like how Gabby performs today in the individual competitions, whether her hair meets some arbitrary standards or not.
Read more: http://www.essence.com/2012/08/02/real-talk-leave-gabby-douglas-hair-alone/#ixzz22iE8jji2
NBC Monkey Commercial! This Right Here Is What Should Get Black People, Or Should I Say Black Women Should Be Mad About!!!! Not Another Women's Hair!
Update For Monday, August 6, 2012:
Gabby Douglas: I'm Not Changing My Hair. Deal With It!
LONDON — Women’s gymnastics all-around champion Gabby Douglas likes her hairstyle just fine, thanks.
The 16-year-old said Sunday she was a little confused when she logged onto her computer after winning her second gold medal in three days and discovered people were debating her pulled-back look.
“I don’t know where this is coming from. What’s wrong with my hair?” said Douglas, the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in team and all-around competition. “I’m like, ‘I just made history and people are focused on my hair?’ It can be bald or short, it doesn’t matter about (my) hair.”
Douglas uses gel, clips and a ponytail holder to keep things in place while she competes, a style she’s worn for years.
“Nothing is going to change,” she said. “I’m going to wear my hair like this during beam and bar finals. You might as well just stop talking about it.”
The bubbly teenager is the first African-American gymnast to win her sport’s biggest prize. She had no idea she was lighting up social media until she Googled herself hours after winning her gold medal.
“I don’t think people should be worried about that,” she said. “We’re all champions and we’re all winners. I just say that it’s kind of, a stupid and crazy thought to think about my hair.”
Update: Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The Gabby Douglas hair saga continues and now the Olympian's mom is addressing the haters.
The folks over at Fashionista.com snagged an interview with Natalie Hawkins, Gabby Douglas' mother, who is speaking out in fierce defense of her daughter's hair.
“How ignorant is it of people to comment on her hair and she still has more competitions to go. Are you trying to ruin her self confidence?," Hawkins told Fashionista.com. "She has to go out there and feel good about herself, and if she feels good about herself on that floor, who are you to criticize her? What have you done to help contribute to her dream, that you felt it necessary to put it out there so that she could see it.”
Well said, mama.
And after Gabby finished dead last in the uneven bars finals yesterday, we can't help but wonder if the hurtful comments are indeed affecting her performance.
For a young lady who has made history twice over -- she is the first African-American to win the all-around title and the first American, period, to win gold in both the all-around and team finals -- it's mind boggling why her hair has continued to dominate the headlines.
Gabby is baffled herself, telling her mom: "Really?! I won two gold medals and made history and my hair is trending?”
We're with you Gabby. Since spotting the negative comments on Twitter, we've been trying to figure out the 16-year-old's follicle fail. Other than the messy bun style that all the American gymnasts are sporting, we can't find much wrong with Gabby's 'do. It's gelled and pinned back as it should be. Hawkins says that Gabby's hair is relaxed and is styled in a ponytail 28-30 hours a week, due to her rigorous training schedule.
"You’re going into foam pits, and any hair stylist will tell you that foam on African American hair is destructive. It breaks the hair horribly," Hawkins told Fashionista.com. In order to combat some of these harsh training elements, Hawkins says that Gabby has tried getting creative with her hair -- wearing it both short and long. "We grew her hair out because she preferred long hair. I’m not going to make her cut her hair just to please someone else," said Hawkins.
Gabby's coach Liang Chow agrees. He told Hawkins -- “She’s beautiful. You don’t need to change her hair. We need to focus on training. Hair is secondary."
And Hawkins adds there's more to why her daughter's hair may look unkempt to the critics (who Hawkins assesses have mostly been African American women).
"She lives with a white host family and they don’t know anything about taking care of her hair," said Hawkins. "And there’s no black salons in their area [in Iowa] –- not one. We had to work really hard to find a stylist to come and do her hair."
We're pretty impressed with Gabby's hair considering those factors. Black women know the perils of maintaining their manes no matter what the style or texture. Compound those issues by being a 16-year-old girl living 1,200 miles away from her mother with no help in sight -- and you tell us if you'd be looking like a beauty queen.
Thankfully Hawkins and Gabby have been able to find humor in all the hoopla surrounding Gabby's hair. The two have laugh about it and made it into a huge joke. Hawkins says Gabby "hasn’t given it another moment’s thought."
Now if only the haters could do the same.
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