"Bald head skoochie rat/yo hair can't touch ya back/perm,gel, and weave it/You really need it."
That's a throwback chant/song kids used to sing as an insult to girls with short hair. Or the ones who claimed their hair was longer "when you pressed it out" or "when it's wet." You remember the little girls tugging at that back piece of hair to show their true "length." Lol. Maybe it's a "Black thing." Oh yes, there will be quotes. I'm quoting the shit outta this topic.
I brought all that up to reflect how hair influences the Black community even from a young age. Lol I still have salon shop nightmares of burning scalp and hours under a dryer...in a booster seat. So now that I'm grown I've realized how the importance of hair plays a role in my race and around the world. Example...there's 2 hair salons within 3 blocks of me that stay open later than the 3 liquor stores not too far from them. THE HELL YOU DOIN GETTIN A WRAP DONE AT 1 IN THE MORNING GURRRRL KILL YOSELF.
It's really time we understood what our fascination with our hair is doing to our image.
Ask 5 white people what a ghetto girl looks like. Bet 5 dollars "weave" is going to come up. However all women who wear weaves aren't "ghetto"...and all "ghetto" women don't wear weaves.
So I wasn't surprised...simply disappointed when I came across an article on EHow entitled "Short Black Ghetto Hairstyles." I mean I was in awe...someone is gonna teach ME how to get a short black ghetto hairstyle! WOW!
I'll pause here so you can read the article yourself. It's important you read the article yourself!
Short Black Ghetto Hairstyles | eHow.com
Did you read it? I know right??!!
The first sentence got me lol, "One of the most popular hair styles for black hair is the ghetto look." I'm gonna just leave that one alone. I'm gonna put it down, and step back.
Then it goes into the "types" of styles...cuz we only got 3 right?? THEN it mentioned cornrows not needing to be redone for several weeks...several?? Naw son.
Cuz any "ghetto" person knows after about 2 solid weeks them boys get to itching, new growth is coming in, and it's near times for a washing. Otherwise the braids will look like (and I quote) "a head full of roaches having a meeting," I once heard a "ghetto" gentlemen talking to a woman with not so kept cornrows. Nah mean?
Let's keep it real, everyone has their perception of what ghetto is, especially when it comes to hair. But know that all the trouble Black women go through to look fly...is most of the time looked at as plain ghetto.
Now I've seen some ridiculous ass styles in my lifetime but it's probably chicks out there looking at my hair in the same way. You do what you feel, be proud of what you workin with. Just don't let your hair OWN you. When it's bout 2 degrees outside...put on a hat. If you wear a scarf those curls and flips just might stay. Don't spend rent/bill/childcare/important shit money on keeping ya do did. You lookin fly but you BROKE. That's triflin.
I could go on but I'm tired. I just wanted to share a little piece of the outside world's eyes on a main element in my community...hair. The global influence our culture has had on hair is as huge as locs and kinks as it is weaves and perms. WORD.
By the way, the article was written by Rebekah Worsham...well since we on stereotypes I'll just go on and say it. Sounds like a white chick nicknamed Bekah to me. Maybe she has some cool Black friends...
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