Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Editor's Picks
Editor's PicksList

5 Heated Debates About Hair That Are Dividing Black Women

Posted byBy A Moore | Published on: | Updated on June 7, 2014 CommentsComments (5)

 

 

natural_black_hair_careWhat Does Being Natural Mean?

The growing number of Black women transitioning from chemically relaxed to natural hair styles has inspired a strong sisterhood within the hair care community. Yet it has also spawned divisions between wearers of relaxed hair vs. natural and has led to a debate among over what it means to be natural.

Some natural hair advocates believe that natural hair refers to texture, not color or length, and as long as the chemical structure of the hair is unaltered, it can be considered natural. Supporters of this argument would likely consider commercial hair products, wigs, weaves, and even hair straightening with a hot comb, acceptable hair care options that fall under the natural-hair umbrella.

Others argue that the natural hair movement is a celebration of Black women’s  beauty, hair textures and hairstyles, and so wigs, weaves, hair coloring, extensions, or using a flat iron do not constitute being natural.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top