I call this a response because the idea was originally presented by the lovely ECP on her blog Longing4length. I’ve had racism on the brain the last few days with the former England football captain being found guilty of racism so I thought this argument was worthy of further debate.
ECP was talking about rapper Rasheeda’s use of the word nappy directed at a fellow cast member K Michelle in the reunion show. Now I didn’t watch the show myself and I understand that K Michelle was actually wearing a wig* (which makes the whole nappy comment thing a bit odd) but it is clear that Rasheeda used the word as a way to put down her fellow cast member.
Ok now thinking if I would be offended if someone described my hair as nappy. To answer that, I would have to start with the real N word. Bottom line is I HATE that word in all its forms. Whether its written as nigga or the apparently more offensive version ending in -er.
Maybe I’ve lived a very sheltered life but it was never acceptable growing up for us to use this kind of language. Don’t get me wrong I’ve heard and still use my fair share of four letter expletives (sorry mum) but the N word was always reserved for gangster movies and reruns of ROOTS, certainly not a word that invaded our lives.
It’s quite possible that things are just different where I live (in England) and apart from inner city neighborhoods you don’t hear the N word being used as a term of endearment amongst black people very much.
Frankly I just don’t buy whole stance with the rappers saying ‘It’s our word now, we took it back’ to justify their use of the word in their music. Yet they fully expect white folk to buy their albums right? Otherwise they wouldn’t make enough money to book their slot on Cribs and worry about being caught Ridin’ dirty!
I love me some Jay Z and 50 cent but playing a track with a lot of N word vulgarity when I have a white friend riding in the car with me is akin to watching a romantic scene with my mum, CRINGE!
The whole ‘who can use the N word’ thing makes for good comedy (remember Chris Rock’s bit on the ONLY time that a white person is allowed to use it? Hilarious) but socially it doesn’t make sense that a group of people can use a word that the rest of the world can’t.
I don’t use the word nappy at all .. As a child it was always used with negative connotations.. But some ppl are happy nappy. More power to them. I’ve always taught my daughter she has beautiful curly wooly hair. And she has not grown up with those negative feelings many of us have had to face. But to each their own
Well I love my big nappy hair, and I tell anyone who turns their lip up or look at my funny. And I say nappy. Its not a bad word to me.
Me
I thinks its Negative if its taught to be negative “Nappy” means that my hair is course and natural no more no less.. Im Proud of my Nappy Head!!!!
Well i likef article and agree shouldnt be used but my hair is coarse.thered no other word to use.sometimes its like a rock to me.i dont say that n word but coarse or hair is hard
Not bothered by it..grew up with it being said very commonly–sometimes I will say kinky roots if I think nappy will be offensive!
An ive seen something that says hapoy to be n@##!
The word black also has negative connotations but we turned that around. Let turn the nappy word around by being happy nappy.
Don’t call my hair nappy unless you want to get slapped! Since I’ve decided to return natural I’ve taken a lot of time and patience to learn and care for my hair. Now it may be thick, and boy is it ever, but it’s not nappy! When I think of nappy it’s unkempt, dry, brittle, even has the appearance of being dirty. My hair is none of that. Women spend good money on weave and wigs to get the fullness and softness of my hair.
Kinky or curly sounds so much better, for me “nappy” has similar negative connotations to the word “nigger”
I think it depends on the person really. I heard alot of people, me included to have used the phrase “Nappy and Happy!” But reading this response has opened my eyes to its derogatory point of view. Im from michigan, usa, when growing up I’ve had little girls and boys call me “nappy headed” because my hair wasnt permed, or as straight as theirs. People take words and languages onto themselves to make it their own. Thats what language does it molds, especially in the culture and environment you live in, it could be neg. or pos. Like I said it all depends on the person. People as a whole arent going to band together and hold hands saying “we’ll stop sayin it if you stop first” lolz only the world is never perfect
Why the hell does black hair have to be labelled? Why is it an issue? Why does everything with black people have to be a big ass debate? Why can’t my natural hair which grows directly out of my scalp since I was born just like any other race just be referred to as hair? People don’t be fooled, the word nappy was created for the sole purpose of making black people feel like our natural hair is something to be seen as a negative aspect to our identity! We should be rejecting it not embracing it!
Lol @Amore Vita no one turned anything around. For the longest time, black folk have been forced to accept whatever label they were given- including the low status that came with it. ‘Black’ is a misnomer – it describes no one, it was just accepted. Nappy is a slave term and should stay where it belongs- in 1850.
Nappy isn’t just synonymous to African hair, just like black isn’t just a skin color. Black people take offensive to everything nowadays. I’ve heard people of various colors say that their hair is nappy-Was I supposed to say “that’s our word!”, SMH. Nappy is just a texture to describe various objects, some people should read more instead of being ignorant.
The same people that called us niggers labelled our hair nappy it has always been the n word. I don’t like it. Most Americans don’t even understand the science of there hair anyway even the whites got it wrong. Y’all are gonna learn to stop callin a black woman with beautiful hair fake or weave. Y’all gone learn the effects of the middle passage and being in shackles when dealing with hair care. I urge a lot of black women to look at the way we were brought to this world and how we were treated after. THAT is what causes nappy (unkept) hair. Let others go through that expect to have (good hair) go learn the middle passage (water for a start salt water no good for any human beings hair with out getting rid of it. Could the slaves get rid of it?) wake up
But in terms of turning things around WE ALL call ourselves black so on the slip side that word can have the negative connotation wiped away. Nappy hair is possible for any race TRUST ME. I trained with loreal these Caucasian women and their hair. Smh in good. I think the word nappy still has a vet bad connotation so I still don’t like it
I’m happy to be nappy.
I never say nappy anyway, I say kinky. The word nappy doesn’t sound good to me, it sounds like an insult.
What’s wrong with my nappy hair.? I <3 it! Call it what you want!
Nappy is not a hair texture so yep pretty much