Op-Ed

Here is an op-ed that I am working on about Chris Rock's documentary, Good Hair.

Comedian Chris Rock embarks on a global journey to find the answer to his daughter’s question, “Why don’t I have good hair?” In this year’s Sundance award winning documentary on the exploration of African-American hairstyles.

Before slavery, Africans particularly in the western countries created intricate styles and beauty standards for hair that was representative of their culture. When African slaves were brought to the New World they were presented with new standards of beauty. This would be white skin, straight hair and European features. These new standards opposed their cultures criteria of beauty which were dark skin, coarse hair and thicker facial features.

To survive in the times of slavery, many Africans felt as though they had to conform to the New World’s standards of beauty which leads to Africans attempting to straighten their hair so that it would appear to be similar to the texture of the Caucasian’s hair. Africans felt that is was crucial to do this so that they could possibly escape from slavery or be able to work in the home of the plantation, which would lead to better food and care and a possible chance of receiving an education.

Today even with the illegalization of slavery many African-Americans choose to straighten their hair with hot combs or pressing sets, lanthionization also known the chemical process of hair relaxing and by wearing hair weaves or pieces. Many claim including Chris rock in his documentary Good Hair that African American’s undergo these processes to appear more “white”.

I disagree with the idea that the only reason African-Americans straighten their hair is because they want to be perceived as being white. It is a crazy thought to think that an African-American would believe that having straight hair would make them appear to be white. They are well aware that they have black skin and different features and that it will take more than changing the texture of their hair to be perceived as being white. As an African-American, that wears straight hair weaves, I can say that I do not wear hair weaves to appear less African-American, I wear them because my hair is very fragile and it easily breaks and the hair weaves serve as a protective shield for my hair. I also wear weaves because my natural hair does not have volume and wearing extensions provides me with instant volume and I do not know any women Black White Asian who would not like volume to her hair.

Many African-American women just do not have the time to blow dry and manage their natural hair texture. It takes a lot of time and effort and sometimes a relaxer is just easier.


In Good Hair, Chris Rock made the comment that if you see a black women with straight long silky hair that she either had a relaxer or a weave. This is incorrect. First of all, in countries like Ethiopia and Somalia most of the people there have hair textures that are almost identical to Middle Eastern hair. It is silky sometimes straight or loosely curled. So the assumption that any black women with none kinky or coarse hair must be wearing hair extensions is incorrect. That is making the assumption that all black women have the same “nappy” hair texture and that is also incorrect.

Altogether Chris Rock never personally defined what “good hair” was. I believe “good hair” is not silky or coarse. Good hair is natural hair that is healthy.

I think Lonnice Brittenum's Good Hair, would be a lovely read if your brain is itching for more.