The word “nappy” never brings to mind any sort of positive connotation even when I started my healthy hair journey. I noticed some of the newborn naturals trying to reclaim the word the way another popular “n-word” was so proudly reclaimed but unfortunately I just can’t get on board with it.
I spent plenty of my formative years being told my hair was “nappy” and “bad hair” I was ashamed of it and began hiding it away in braids then relaxing it to death was my next course of action, so what it was limp? So what it was uneven? So what it broke every time I combed it? It wasn’t nappy anymore and I finally had good hair and that was the mentality I lived in until I started my healthy hair journey at the age of fifteen.
Nowadays I’ve adapted my own meaning for the word nappy, hair that is unkempt, dry, and generally the face of all that is stereotypical of afrocentric hair and I guess when I put it like that it seems like my definition isn’t much better than that of the one I was brought up with.
I find myself taking extreme offense when that incredibly negative word is attached to the description of someone’s hair; hair that is washed, groomed, and beautifully kept; just because it’s “black” hair.
Personally I prefer it be referred to as either “coily” or “kinky*”. Even though the word “kinky*” put me on the fence at first I came around to it surprisingly fast. Those words just sound way prettier than the word “nappy” and they are the first words I’ve heard to describe African American textured hair in a positive way.
Check out this video where a youtuber expresses her opinion on the word Nappy:
What about you, are you ok with using the word ‘nappy’ to describe your hair?
“Good hair” bothers me more than nappy does.
Depends on what you mean by “good.” Nappy is clearly defined as a place for waste. Good hair equals heathy hair in my books, always did so until I learnt what “good hair” meant to some black people.
i dont know about her but nappy, knotted, matted, or tangled are good words to describe MY hair…and you dont want to hear the other words i call it while styling it…we’ll just leave those out lol
“Nappy” has such a negative connotation. I prefer “kinky” But “good” hair and “good grade”, especially from “educated” people….Lawd..Like nails on a chalk board..(and add “hater” “hating” to that list, but that’s another story”.
Happy nappy here lol
Why would we get rid of that word? How would we describe nappy hair? Stop trying to make everything so controversial.
Tangled.
But our hair is not nappy, that’s the point!
Please, I’ve seen some nappy hair. Nappy hair is definitely real… And ain’t nothing wrong with being nappy.
Too right! My hair is nappier than all get out!
Nappy hair is happy hair!
Nappy hair is nappy hair
I think kinky sounds sooooooooooo much better than nappy!!! or even coarse, but there is just something about “nappy” that irks me! In high school and even at some previous jobs . I would hear white and Spanish girls say ” my hair is so nappy today” and I would say “no your hair is tangled sweetie” I guess they thought it was cute and funny to say. Smh!!!!!
I hate the word “nappy” to describe hair type.. coarse, afro, hard, tough/tight curls….why black people insist on using these words that white people made up to Diss us. Before slavery I’m pretty sure black people just described all types of hair as just that HAIR! Not nappy hair or that nice soft hair it was all just hair
We shouldn’t get rid of the word nappy , but I definitely dislike the way people use it. Its used with negative intent. The word kinky sounds better. when people say “Nappy” they’re usually criticizing black hair , us & our ancestors have hair like this so why criticize it ? Everyone says I have “good hair ” (whatever that is) but I still dislike how nappy is used against my people.
I’m pretty sure if it hadn’t been used in a negative connotation before this new natural hair movement, no one would think to bring something like this up in conversation. Y’all are doing waaaaayyyyy too much. ‘Nappy’ is not bad as some of us might have been and still are brainwashed into believing.
I’ve been an advocate for this for ages!
Nappy means dirty or nasty and I the UK a babies pampers or diapers.
Our hair is not nappy! I’m also hesitant on kinky – means curls but only describe Afro curls! And also means sexual adventurous or dirty 😉
#Afrohairnotnappyhair
Over here in the United States of America ‘Nappy’ is just a slang term for tightly coiled hair…
your hair can get “nappy” if you don’t comb it…good hair is maintained & groomed
Nappy is ok with me.
Many people use the word “nappy” without knowing the origin of the word and what it was intended to do to the mindset of Black people. I read the following in a book about 20 years ago and from that point on, I’ve never used nappy to describe my hair again and I did not allow my children to use that word to descirbe their hair. The word nappy is a white racist plantation word concocted by the “massah” and his woman to make the slaves feel that their hair was inferior to theirs (white people). They compared the slaves’ hair to the nap sacks that cotton and potatoes were hauled in. Those sacks were fringy, scrappy, dirty, wildly tangled at the ends and the body of the sack was tightly knitted together. So, because the Africans’ hair was tightly coiled to their heads (God designed it that way to protect their heads from the sun), extremely curly and very tangled, they were told that they had bad hair, bad like nap sacks . . . thus, “nappy” hair. This vile description of our hair became generational and for 400 hundred years, we bought into it. We do not have nappy hair – that is a lie straight from the pit of hell; our hair is naturally curly and kinky. There are no other groups of people on this planet with hair like ours . . . that sounds pretty “good” to me! I am 64 years old, a product of the 50s and 60s; my mother was a hairdresser and I cannot tell you how happy I am to be alive to be a part of the movement by African American women to finally begin to embrace our beautiful hair that God has blessed us with! Now let’s pump up the movement by vowing never to use the malevolent, racist word “nappy” to describe our hair again!!!
Thanks for the historical insight, Queen. It is so nice to hear from the elders!
I AM A HAPPY NAPPY!
I LOVE my nappy hair. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Influenced by other natural ladies and websites like this, my personal journey has turned my shame into something I’ve simply become in love with. It’s so unique, so beautiful and just gorgeous! I am soooo in love with my beautiful, gorgeous nappy hair.
I love the irony – it’s like calling a diamond, dung. The name is meaningless; the perceived value is EVERYTHING.
That said, I don’t refer to other people’s hair as nappy (or even kinky) – only mine, because I do understand that they may be offended. But, I’m just gonna say it one more time… I LOVE my nappy hair (lol!!) <3 It is the bombdigity, the bees knees, the best thing since sliced bread… :-p Just one girl's opinion.
I view people trying to change the stigma of the word nappy as the same people who tries to take away the stigma from the word n****r by using n***a. The word nappy isn’t viewed in a good way. If I walk up to a black woman and her child and say “You two have nappy hair” they won’t view it as a compliment. the same way I wouldn’t find it acceptable if someone referred to my family as a family of n****s. Those words were created to bring down our self esteem and refuse to use them. There are other words that can used.
Tightly curled!
I explain this in my book “UNBEWEAVABLE” , you are so right people of color keep using this word Nappy on their kids, so I ask you how can our children grow up with any pride when even their parents put them down everyday of their live with words like that? That word come from the Slave Master so please so helping him keep us down .www.unbeweavableda.weebly.com
Nope, can’t get rid of the word nappy. Sometimes it is what it is.
If the shoe fits……..
Nappy
Why? Nappy is nappy. Nappy doesn’t have to be negative. Nappy is natural. Now, “good hair”, there’s a saying that needs to go away forever. Hair is hair. What’s good or bad is left up to an individuals determination of what they think is beautiful in America and even the rest of the world. African American’s were taught this “good hair” term over 400 years ago and it’s a shame that some of us still use it and believe it today. The same thing goes for light skin versus dark skin, light eye color versus dark eye color. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you don’t have blonde hair and blue eyes, you’re not pretty? It’s 2014 people, we have to get over all of this as a people to move forward in this world. All of this negativity is holding our people back. I’m a light skin African American woman with hazel green eyes. My daughter is chocolate brown with amber eyes (dark brown with a light circle around them). I tell my child everyday how intelligent and beautiful she is and that I feel fortunate that God chose me to be her mother. I also tell her that I’m proud of her. My daughter is disabled, but she doesn’t know that she is. She is confident and proud. She introduces herself as Princess Mary Sarah when she meets new people. She told me that when she grows up, she will be a queen!!!
It doesn’t really bother me if people say nappy. I just hate when people say you have that good hair. No the heck I don’t
I love my nappy good hair. 🙂
My hair is nappy. I like being nappy headed, I feel the hair grading system with the abc ,123 is worse . It makes people strive for something that’s not going to happen our hair is what it is …of course this is just my opinion
I love my nappy hair, wouldn’t get rid of it for nothing in the world!!!
Good hair, nappy hair, kinky hair….I’m still not my hair!
People use this word, and other words to define others, or themselves, but it is our own responsibility to take it in or not. This word nappy, kinky, coily, fluffy etc does not, and will never, bother me. I don’t allow it. Some ppl focus on these words either in a positive or a negative way, but it is up to them, just like it is up to me.
Maybe because we all have different situations, and perceive them in different ways, but all I know is, I am not my hair, I am me, and my hair is apart of me, I don’t let it define who I am, and I don’t allow others to define me…it’s my responsibility and should be everyone else’s too…
Any word can be used in a derogatory way. I’ve heard people say ” now look here Lady!” or Ms Thang” in a sarcastic condescending way. Good for you if you don’t bother to be offended by the words that people use to dominate, influence manipulate or degrade you. Extra credit to those who are not easily sold unnecessary stuff because of some name they have applied to your characteristics. life is too short to walk around being soooo misunderstood. Know who you are and whose you are! If you don’t choose your attitude then someone else will choose one for you! When you change the way that you look at things the things that you look at will change!
Having said all of that, I can say that I refer to my hair as “authentic.” I’m in the middle of growing out my last relaxer. I’m still trying to dye these determined gray roots at 58 yoa. If some one refers to my new growth as “nappy” then I make a note to myself about their limited view of themselves and how they want to to control or manipulate me like a crab in a barrel. But it’s not an argument that we have to knock down and drag out. There’s so many other more important things in my life to be concerned about. The distractions are coming fast and furious. You get to decide how much of your time, your passion and your attention that you give to anything. Lets keep it in perspective. Our “Black” is too beautiful to have thrown back in our face! Our “Nap” is too beautiful to have thrown back in our face! Our “authentic self” … is toooo B E A U T I F U L … to have thrown back in our face.
Now go rule the world!
Im happily nappy. People get offended so easily. Smh
I second that comment Courtney Gray!
No my hair is nappy but im not mad im a lifelong natural
My hair is nappy though…beautifully nappy. No other word describes it. I love my nappy
Call it what ever you want to..I love my hair….
YES FINALLY WHY CALL YOUR SELF SOMETHING NEGATIVE MY HAIR IS DRY NOT NAPPY OR KINKY YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL HAIR IT CAN BE CURLY OF STRAIGHT BRAIDED TWISTED ROLLER SET WHEN PEOPLE WITH STRAIGHT HAIR WANT TO LOOK ELEGANT THEY CURL THEIR HAIR YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL IN YOUR CURLS MOISTURIZE THEM AND EMBRACE YOUR BEAUTY
Iam Nappy & Happy at 62 there other word I don’t like calling each other in music like B s
Our hair isn’t nappy though, we been brainwashed its curly. All these years we paid for curly weaves if we maintain our hair it’s wayyyy better that a weave. I luv my curls!
I don’t like the word “nappy”, it sounds derogatory and usually has bad connotations attached to it. I describe my hair as kinky or coily, but to each his/her own.
I feel divided about it. On one hand I have learned to embrace the word. On the other, most people still think of it as negative and derogatory. Idk.