The Natural Hair Movement

[ysabetwordsmith]

Here's a good post about the natural hair movement in black culture.

I love Afro-ethnic hair.  Woolly hair.  Squiggly hair.  Nappy hair.  Hair in amazing braids.  Hair in dreadlocks.  Hair in a short little cap.  Hair sculpted into phantasmagoric shapes.  All hair can be wonderful hair.

Thinking about this, I realize that I customarily write my black characters with natural hair.  I can't recall ever having written one with artificially straightened hair, although I suppose I might have.  I don't think I'd do that unless it had a point in the story.  *ponder*  Partly because of my own diverse tastes, but also because I tend to pick characters who like themselves. 

Comments

Good for you!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

I feel that the ONLY grounds for an employer making any remark or influence about an employee's body is for safety purposes (like wearing a hairnet for food service) or consistency in removable things like uniforms that apply equally to everyone.

Re: Good for you!

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

I agree. Which means that I'm okay with (assuming it's a legitimate job requirement), "You must be able to wear a respirator; therefore, you cannot have a beard," or, "For safety around the machines, hair must be cut above the collar or put up under a cap; sleeves must be above the elbow or snug against the skin; rings and bracelets must be removed."

I'm also willing to allow things that are about the body but are also bona fide occupational qualifications: Applicants must be able to lift X pounds Y times per hour. Applicants must be able to fit into this piece of equipment and reach all the controls. Applicants must be able to reach items on a shelf Z feet high. This position requires extensive telephone work, therefore applicants must have normal hearing (may be corrected with hearing aids) and speech. This position requires color-matching small parts, therefore applicants must have good vision, normal color vision, and good manual dexterity.

Those sorts of things.