The Truth About Hair Bias: Colourism in Focus

A new article in Huffington Post’s Black Voices discusses ‘hair colourism’ in the natural hair community

Going natural is seen by many as a journey towards self-love and acceptance. There is an online community of naturalistas willing to offer support and advice from the big chop onwards. There are numerous tutorials showing techniques like twist-outs, braid-outs and bantu knots that will give kinkier textured hair a looser curl pattern. In fact, kinkier hair is rarely held as the most sought after hair type, it is often manipulated to mimic the curls and waves of looser textures.
According to Zeba Blay in her article: Let’s Talk About Colourism In The Natural Hair Community, ‘The message is subtle, but profound. If you’re a black woman with natural hair that is considered “nappy,” your hair isn’t beautiful in its natural state.’

• Has colourism trickled in to the natural hair community?
• Does the preference of looser textures over kinkier hair fuel, the new ‘good hair/bad hair’ debate?
• Do you agree with Zeba Blay’s article in which she explores the trend of favouring hair that lays flat over shrink-prone, 4C kinks and curls?

Teyonah Parris (above) often wears her hair in its natural state.

Have a read of the article and let us know in the comments below…