(NAME-MCE) NPR article about race and hair

[Tova Stabin]

> Keep Your Hands Off The Hair
>
> March 22, 2010
>
> This week we're going to talk about hair. To touch — or not to  
> touch, that is the question.
>
> And as far as I'm concerned the answer is nearly always, no.
>
> OK — let me explain why this really annoys me.
>
> I'm African-American, and I wear my hair natural. That means in an  
> Afro, or in twists, or some other style that showcases my kinky hair  
> in the tight curls in which it grows from my scalp. It is not  
> chemically straightened. In other words — think India.Arie — NOT  
> Beyonce!
>
> And for the past few weeks, I've been rocking an Afro puff: a round  
> fluffy puff perched atop a braided or twisted up-do. It is fierce!
>
> And I must admit — the texture does look inviting to touch. But  
> walking up and palming my puff?! Particularly without permission?  
> Can I Just Tell YOU — speaking colloquially — that is not cool.
>
> I think it is a race issue — as well as a personal space issue. The  
> space issue seems obvious. I see it as a violation as unwanted as  
> those who approach pregnant women — hands out — and start rubbing  
> their bellies.
>
> The race issue is a little more tricky.
>
> For example, I was walking one day recently, puff held high, when a  
> white woman walked up and just grabbed it — cooing, "Oh that's so  
> cute!"
>
> Fighting back my impulse to grab her wrist, I simply stepped back  
> and growled, "Don't touch my hair!"
>
> She reared back, offended, "Well, I don't see what the big deal is!"
>
> That response is exactly the problem.
>
> In what realm of reality is it OK to walk up to a person and —  
> without her permission — lay your hands on her body?
>
> I took a look around Google, wondering about the basis for this  
> distaste that I and many other African-Americans have to  
> acquaintances, co-workers or — most infuriating — strangers, just  
> walking up and grasping away.
>
> On blog after blog, black women railed about the rudeness of folk  
> just walking up and touching their hair.
>
> On another site, womanist-musings.com, in an article called "Can I  
> Touch Your Hair? Black Women and The Petting Zoo," the author noted,  
> "Today white people still feel that they have the right to our  
> bodies." She went on to say, "My blackness and your curiosity does  
> not give you the right to touch me."
>
> Let's have a reality check here. For hundreds of years, whites had  
> permission to do anything they wanted to black people, and that  
> includes things far worse than touching our hair.
>
> Even now, there are still those pesky signs of disrespect, like a  
> white person calling a woman old enough to be their grandmother by  
> her first name. Is it because she's black and therefore doesn't  
> deserve the respect of a title? Don't both acts send a signal that  
> black people are still objects to be treated as one pleases — all  
> without said object's permission?
>
> One Web site actually suggested that blacks try humor or self- 
> deprecation to assuage the hurt feelings of the offended person who  
> has just forcibly touched them. But I think, what you ought to do,  
> is keep your hands outta my hair, unless I invite you to touch it.  
> Whether it's a $1,000 hair weave, a 10-inch Afro or an Afro puff ...  
> watch out! There could be a mousetrap in there — or worse!
>
> That way, no one's fingers will be injured.
>
>
> -- 
> Alexandra B Newman- Kofinas
> 96-09 67th Ave. #3A
> Rego Park, New York 11374
> 917-667-1210
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~