Now looking at the origins of the word nappy, this is from Billcasselman.com:
Late in the 18th century or early in the 19th century, Americans in the southern U.S. began to refer to negro slaves as nappy heads, comparing some tightly curled negroid hair to the nap on some cloth or fur. It was not a compliment. Beaver hats were said in early Victorian times to have a ‘fine, black nap.’
It further explains:
Then, as happened in history with many terms of abuse, those abused, the black slaves, took to using the word among themselves with affection, partly as a method of ‘taking back the hurt’ in the insult and partly out of the sheer exuberant play of language that all people share. There are 19th century letters from black mothers to distant daughters where the mother addresses her girl as “my sweet little nappy head.”
I personally don’t agree with the conclusion of this article that it’s alright for black people to use the word nappy. I don’t think anyone should be using either the word nappy or nigga in all it’s forms for any reason. I can completely understand why black people felt the need to ‘take back the word’ during slavery times but now in this day and age, I think the use of such terms prevents all of us from moving on.
I can compare the situation to having your significant other cheat on you and you decide to forgive them because you want to try to make the relationship work. Now do you:
a) Never mention the incident again, heal and move on i.e. forgive and forget or
b) Throw the affair back in their face every opportunity you get.
Not to trivialize slavery, it will always be one the biggest crimes against humanity, but surely we are done ‘taking back the hurt’ now? Surely we are at a point where we are on an even playing field with white people for the most part without the fear of open racism (with the exception of some southern states and some eastern European countries). Black folk who still constantly using either one of the N words are simply not allowing us to heal and move on.
So would I get offended if someone called my hair nappy? Hell yeah!
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