By Charlene M Brown
Usually when I talk about Renaissance Women, I present some woman or a group of women who have done amazing or noteworthy things. The goal is to give you some examples if you are down and think you can’t go on (you can!). It is also to show women that we are fabulous creatures without needing to be fixed. There are plenty of women to choose from, but today, I want to focus on a man who is doing big, unheard of, mind boggling things for women.
Chris Rock, yes the funny man, has a documentary coming out next week, called “Good Hair.” Admittedly, I am not privy to hairdressers’ secret world and didn’t see any pre-screenings—no I haven’t seen it yet, but I will! So this is “pre-commentary”, if you will.
This documentary came from Rock’s daughter—a little black girl—raving over one of her white girlfriend’s hair, essentially asking, “Daddy, how come I don’t have ‘good hair’?”
That was enough for Chris Rock to delve into the world of black women’s hair care! A world where very few men have ever dared to venture before, and certainly not like this! He was on Oprah on Wednesday, September 30th, promoting this documentary, which, says Oprah, is still funny!
At some point in the interview, Oprah says, “All the white women in the audience are wondering what the heck we are talking about!” And Chris Rock says this film isn’t just for black women, but for everybody!
Good Hair explores the stigma that so many black women have about changing their hair. Weave, extensions, pieces, perms, relaxers, straightening combs, flat irons, whatever! Why is it that we—and I’m not just talking about black women here—that we as women feel like we have to change our outside appearance to make us feel pretty. And especially through our hair!
Who told us we weren’t good enough if we didn’t have flowing blond hair!? Who said we must look a certain way in order to be beautiful!?
While women like Caitlin and her Operation Beautiful platform are making a great start, we need to change these false images we have of ourselves. The only place this can start is with each of us.
Ladies! ALL Ladies! This is important! This is a discussion we need to have. Whether it’s fairytale princesses having flowing golden hair halfway down their backs, or your daughter or niece or who asks you why they don’t have “good hair”, or the fact that up until very recently, the media hardly even portrayed women of color in substantial roles that didn’t play to a stereotype, we need to have this discussion. And black women especially, you know what I’m talking about here. What is the need so many of us seem to have to change ourselves!? We need to talk about this!
Ladies, I encourage you to get together with your girlfriends, of all races and shades and backgrounds and have this discussion. Hair is a good starting point. But let’s expand this conversation to include ways we can ALL have healthier images of ourselves. Period!
STOP TRYING TO CHANGE YOU! YOU ARE ENOUGH AND YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!
I’m not even including my usual sign-off
Ladies, LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS!
Related posts:
- Googling the Renaissance: Real Women and Feminism!
- Change Begins With One Little Step: Didn’t You Know!?
- Becoming The You You Want to Be: Be Your Own Renaissance Woman!
- Peace Queen!
- Brown Bag Sexiness!
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© 2009 You Can Love Your Life Now!
Tags: beauty from within, black womens hair, charlene brown, charlene brown articles, charlene brown life coach, charlene m brown, charli brown, charli brown articles, charli brown life coach, chris rock, chris rock good hair, good hair, good hair docmentary, good hair movie, operation beautiful, operationbeautiful, oprah, Renaissance Women!, true beauty, you are good enough, you can love your life now
October 3rd, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Please take a moment to check out my documentary film BLACK HAIR
It is free at youtube. 6 parts including an update from London, England.
It explores the Korean Take-over of the Black Beauty Supply and Hair biz..
The current situation makes it hard to believe that Madame C.J. Walker once ran the whole thing.
I am not a hater, I am a motivator.
Plus I am a White guy who stumbled upon this, and felt it was so wrong I had to make a film about it.
self-funded film, made from the heart.
Can it be taken back?
Link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p96aaTSdrAE
October 29th, 2009 at 2:26 am
Hi, could I quote something from your site?
October 29th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Absolutely! Please credit us and include a link back to the site! Thank you!
~Charli
December 23rd, 2009 at 9:25 pm
I am going to read and maybe I’ll end up reading more about this