12/13/10

Natural Hair and the Opposite Sex, Interracial Dating



I decided to write a brief post about a subject that has come up infrequently since I went natural and is very near and dear to me.  I am currently in an interracial relationship and some people have been curious to know what he thinks of my hair (he's blue-eyed and brown-haired).  In short, he LOVES it!  He likes to smell it, touch it, play in it, and he even likes to look at pictures of my different hair styles.  He has looked at countless pictures of me w/long, straight hair and always wrinkles his nose and says, "well, I like your hair however YOU wanna do it".  When pressed further, he admits that he prefers my hair natural.  I love that he loves my hair.  When I first went natural, I was a little worried about the reactions of men and didn't want to look masculine.  Other new naturals have voiced this concern, too. I noticed that I got one of two reactions from Black men.  They either loved it or hated it.  I actually had a Black, male co-worker tell me he thought I looked better w/straight hair and that I did not seem suited for natural hair.  WTH!?!  I heard a lot of talk of "good hair" and "at least you're light-skinned" and  I also got a little weary of the "soul sistah" comments.  I seriously need to have a shirt made that says "It's just HAIR!", but I digress.  I love my hair, but I love it for it's uniqueness, not because it's a political statement or an expression of my Blackness (I was plenty Black with the creamy crack).  I really appreciate that my boyfriend sees my hair as an extension of me and not a costume or an accessory.  Even cuter, he remembers exactly how my hair was when we met (in a twist out pony puff, although he would never call it that).  In general, I love when men are not only tolerant or accepting of natural hair, but wholly appreciative. 

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