With one of the producers of BET being suspended after a poorly written joke about Blue Ivy’s hair, Beyonce has yet to say anything regarding her daughter’s hair.
That is her decision, and in our opinion, she shouldn’t have to justify or explain what she does with her own child. However, there is one celebrity who refuses to let the media criticize her daughter’s hair.
Ms.Viola Davis, star of films such as “Prisoners” and “The Help”, has spoken out in Essence Magazine. While the interview itself is fairly old, it has recently gone viral. Excerpts were taken and posted all over Facebook.
In the interview, Ms. Davis recalls her childhood; she says that her self image was tied into the words of young Caucasian kids who called her ugly, so much so that she fully embraced it as being who she was. However, now that Viola’s older and wiser, she refuses to let those negative connotations be passed down to her adopted daughter, Genesis.
“There’s not one woman in America who does not care about her hair. But we give it way too much value. We deprive ourselves of things, and we use it to destroy each other. We’ll look at a child and judge a mother, and her sense of motherhood by the way the child’s hair looks. I am not going to traumatize my child about her hair. I want her to love her hair,” says Davis.
She’s completely right. In today’s world we not only tear down Beyonce for not keep Blue’s hair “done”, we also push children to the point of tears by suspending them from school – for wearing locs.
We are tearing down and persecuting the youth for not strictly adhering to euro-centric styles, instead of truly teaching them self acceptance.
We should be teaching them that what grows from their hair naturally is not something to be ashamed of, whether it is curly, in braids, or in locs. Even if they want to permanently straighten their hair in the future, it is important that they understand that this is just a choice, and not some means of putting down what they have naturally.
We need to teach them that the priority is being happy with themselves first. What do you ladies think of Ms.Davis’ quote?
Yolonda Spead says
Don’t understand this debate, most children don’t have chemicals in their hair. I think we are confusing natural with combed.
Latoyta Price says
RIGHT! I don’t care what anybody says, if nothing else, young black mothers (that I grew up with) did not allow their kids to at least be GROOMED! That consisted of, bathing your children, putting clean clothes on them and combing or brushing their hair! It was NATURAL because we couldn’t get a relaxer until we were at least in high school! We got a “press” and when it sweated out we wore it braided or we figured out cute lil ways to twist it up…Walking out with your hair all over your head and not combed was not an option not even for brothers and definitely not glorified…no one is saying that they should chemically process the hair, on comb or brush it! I agree with you totally!
Michelle Barnett says
I agree. Both of my daughters have natural hair. Sometimes they like wearing it out, wild and curly, but it is combed before they leave the home. However, we must considered that these are children. Controlled curls can easily turn into frizzy tangles in very little time. We can’t rob children from the opportunity of being children because we want their hair to be neat and structured at all times.
Yolonda Spead says
I have no issue either way really. I just think it has been blown out of proportion. Some kids look cute wild and free, but as a hairstylist I have had to cut kids hair all off because natural hair can become a matted mess when not properly taken care of. I like all the kids hair in the pics. Nothing wrong with a bow or two for taming though…
Johnna Williams Nash says
I was natural as a child(now again as an adult) … But my mother alway had it tamed I’m bows,braids, twist etc… Maybe a few puffs but never wild…there is no wrong way to be natural but there is a way to look polished and kept..like it or not, humans will judge you or caretaker on appreance… Now if you care or not?… Not my concern
Johnna Williams Nash says
Like Davis.. I want my child to love their hair..and i will show them the versatility of their hair by styling it…that and ALL Healthy HAIR IS GOOD HAIR…
Jessica says
Blue’s hair looks dry. There’s nothing wrong with her hair, my mom used to do my hair like that. And also with barrettes and knockers.
Latasha Edwards- Pascal says
I dont know why some people keep acting like just because your natural it means that your hair should look like you just got out the bed and went on about your way. Natural hair is hair that hasn’t been chemically processed to alter your hairs natural hair texture. It doesn’t mean you can’t run a comb through your hair, put moisturizer in it, or style it. Some people even blow it out or flat iron their natural hair. My 3 girls are natural as they should be their kids as well as myself and I keep all 4 of our heads combed and maintained regularly. Just because you have natural hair doesn’t mean your hair should look any kind of way. As a mother I would feel some type of way having my girls leave the house with their hair looking any kind of way while mine is well kept that just doesn’t sit right with me. In the end to each his own but I’m sick of people thinking that natural should mean your hair should look wild, tattered, and tore up from the floor up that don’t look natural it looks trifling. # my opinion and I’m sticking to it lol
Samantha Mitchell says
Yes absolutely agree! Natural does not mean unkempt
Melissa E Watts says
I have an 18 month old with a short afro. It can easily go from groomed to wild in a matter a minutes. After which I don’t stress myself or her about. No I don’t braid, or otherwise pull at it other than a bow in the front. I always wonder why we care so much about what others are doing when we have so much to do in our own lives. I know I certainly have plenty. Two kids at home, one in college, a husband, a business, a household… and everything that goes with all of that. I just don’t have the energy to care if others are combing their kids hair or not. Some kids who wear J’s or the latest fashions with well groomed hair barely get enough to eat at home.
Melissa E Watts says
1
Karola 'Lisa' Williams says
Not because the hair isn’t braided, plait or gripped up doesn’t mean it hasn’t been combed!!!!
Chevon Willock says
making the hair look nasty or not combed because it ain’t relaxed is not an option because blue didn’t come out with the white man hair it looks like this come on this is not serious. Hair should still be combed if it is natural it’s called inner beauty embrass it. chemicalls are external beauty cause its commercial. I love my natural hair not cause I have seriosis but I wish I had wore it long ago. It’s healthier longer then when it was processed. Yes niggerrs beacause you don’t have white man hair doesn’t mean you shouldnt comb it. Our hair is beautiful love yourself.
Angel Park says
I’ll be glad when natural hair is the norm and we can stop being critical of babies…smh
Christina Corley says
I see most people still don’t get it:(
Samantha Mitchell says
Um there is a huge difference between natural hair and combed hair. Everyone does not look good in a fro since everyone’s hair is not the same. It is the parents responsibility to make sure their child looks decent and well kept.
Samantha Mitchell says
I’m also tired of people saying we’re talking about the child. Obviously children do not comb their own hair so therefore again it would fall on the parent. My daughter has thick big 4c hair and I’ll be damned if I send her outside looking crazy. My son had locks his whole life and they were neat, not all over his head and matted together. Smh
Dabney Ross Jones says
Amen! I totally agree.
Jamaica Coleman says
Regardless,if it is combed or not, What right have I to tell someone that they need to comb their child’s hair? If I don’t financially contribute or do anything for that child why is it even my business? So what her parents are rich and famous? Get over it already! Sheesh!
Jessie says
None of us, ‘have the right’ to tell a person that they need to comb their child’s hair. That’s too bad, because maybe somebody should. Do you think it’s cute to see a child’s hair that looks like a dirty sponge? Come on and have some pride – not only in yourself, but also in your child (and that includes their appearance). Some idiots are confusing “Natural” with “Unkempt.” They are totally different!! NATURAL = non-chemically treated. UNKEMPT/UNKEPT = uncared for or the appearance of not being properly cared for; wild, messy, dry, etc. Now if you were responsible to make a choice, which category would you want your child’s hair to be in? If you chose Unkempt/Unkept then obviously you do not care about the appearance of your child’s hair.
Deborah Smith says
With all these other more important issues thats the least of her concern how someone else does or does not do their child hair is really not important or none of her damn business
Talia says
What more important issues are more important than taking care of your child? (Taking your kids on trips doesn’t mean that you’re caring for your child). Being in the public’s eye makes it everyone’s business. It comes with the territory. So that makes it everyone’s business. When they go on trips and take pictures and display it all over the internet, they are happily making it our business.
Joycelyn Lanae says
I don’t think a child’s hair should be rubber band and slicked at a young age. These children are less than 5 and if you don’t have your child’s hair slicked down tight it will look wild at the end of the day. I’m grown and when I have my hair gel back it can get frizzy. Most of the people i seen with their children’s hair slicked down at a young age are bald headed. I seen a lot of white children with wild hair all the time..Where’s the article about them?
Lakiasha Wilson says
Because black people are too focused on black hair. It’s NEVER right.
Lakiasha Wilson says
Her daughter’s hair is beautiful. People have different patterns of hair, even if you comb some kids hair it will come out exactly the same. Focused too much on HOW the natural hair looks instead of being prideful it’s being worn in the 1st place.
KellieAnn says
Black people are focused always on the wrong. We were not born with straight white hair so why not be happy with what God gave us, we have be brained washed to think that if our hair is not dyed fried and laid to the side, we are not beautiful, that if we are not fair skin and we are darker we are not beautiful. We need to worry less about Beyonce and Jayz daughter and more about teaching our own kids the value of an education.. who care if she wants to allow her kid to go out with a messed up head thats her business natural does not mean you stop combing your hair, but that is her buiness everyone here need to get some lifes and stop with this nonsense.