Black Hair Touching:
Recently I’ve been reading over various post about the “You Can Touch My Hair” exhibit. Ive also read a few blogs, an articles written by WOC and it really saddens me the take that is being spun on this educational opportunity. Also further disgracing the memory of Sarah Baartman If you don’t know who she is please click on her name to get a link. These woman have chosen by their own free will and were may being paid for their time to do this. Sarah Baartman was stolen from her native land, raped, forced, experimented on, gawked and even in death she was bamboozled; stuffed and kept in a museum as additional insult to egregious old tymy YT ppl injury.
What the women of You Can Touch My Hair are doing is by invitation. Curiosity in it’s self is not discriminatory is not racism. White people would gladly oblige you if you’d ask to touch their hair. But you know why we don’t? Cuz we don’t see them girls when we got our tresses bouncin’ and behavin! People want to touch our hair because it’s different, it’s the ultimate, we have the most variety. Hair in the black community is something our of your best anime fantasy sometimes. Black girls stay everyday all day walking around with hair that looks like it was brushed out of a magazine page. So why would your anglo euro bland beige counterparts not be set asunder by the wiles and mystery of black hair.
Allowing people you touch you hair who happen to be white it’s okay. I can find myself gaurdant in a illogical way towards white people. Almost like I’m never trusting them or looking over my shoulder. Now this is not me saying that you should NOT be unaware of your perception. Self awareness is key on the racial front lines. But it’s okay to trust a few. I also feel like I’d like to touch my fellow POC’s hair. But I never think to even ask because it’s such a taboo subject in our community. I wish we could as a people be more trusting of others, ourselves and more opening. I feel like the black community needs to open up so we can prosper!
It starts with letting people touch our hair, ask us questions about our race. Check anything that makes you feel uncomfortable though, no one is asking you to put yourself in a offensive or hurtful situation. I don’t think it makes you an Uncle Tom or not militant because you’re allowing people into our culture.
