Wanda Dorn: BLACK WOMEN'S "NATURALLY KINKY" HAIR IS BEAUTIFUL

Black Women's Beautiful Naturally Kinky Hair

In The 60's "Colored People" Found Their Voice

We found more than our voice; we began the self-identity search that young Black citizens enjoy today. Thank you, Halle Berry for always representing Black women's hair choices over the years. You've always made me feel beautiful and okay to go short, kinky, straight or long.

It is said, "If you don't know where you've been - you don't know where you're going". This is the motto we adopted in the 60's, as the backbone of that self-identity search. Remember one of the most powerful backbone events was at the 1968 Olympics, and the Black Power Salute. Their voices were heard from around the world - and as biblically written "They never said a mumbling word".

John Carlos (l) Tommie Smith(r)
Peter Norman (f) - Black Power
Salute - 1968 Olympics

One of the first things we did was to began to accept that we were indeed from Africa. Our history and the Willie Lynch syndrome had us ashamed of that beautiful and strong history.

We began to identify with the African history and culture. Some even began to identify with our forefather's name(s), first and/or last names. The self-identity had so many layers that I will have to write another blog (long as usual).

Wanda Dorn & Dr. Asa Hilliard

I traveled to Egypt and went on digs with the late renowned Dr. Asa Hilliard, Egyptologist, Georgia State University. We visited the Egyptian Museum. Our first visit to the museum's basement, we saw the wigs that the kings and queens wore -- THEY WERE KINKY -- the next day, we took others to see -- the hair was gone.

Abby Lincoln with Natural Hair

In the '60's, renowned Jazz artist Abby Lincoln, from my hometown Chicago, was the first to begin performing publicly with her natural hair style. She will always be my mentor in making the statement that it's okay to love my hair. Then came Halle Berry.

Abby - straight hair - Beautiful both ways

I am a straight hair wearer most of the time, but immediately after Abby Lincoln, it became fashionable, and many of us decided to go natural too. The White people whom I worked with, had to pat and touch it, and would say, "It's so soft. I thought it would be hard". They asked, "How did you get it like that"? I said to them, "Kinky hair grows straight up from out of the scalp, while straight hair grows out and falls flat". This is an example of our institutionally designed denial of our God's gift.

I wrote and published a book in 1989, now out of print. In it, I wrote that the pain for Black women beings the first time she has her hair combed because her hair is so kinky it hurts.

That being said, God knew what He was doing when He created each ethnic group. In Asia, it is said He created slanted eyes because of the glare of snow (one professor's theory) - that Black lips were created thick because we puckered fruit --- theories for each group has been explored by many. He made us all different for a good reason. This is what this country has been striving for - acceptance of our differences.

God gave us kinky hair because he chose to place us in the cradle of civilization where the oldest human being was found -- and where the sun is hot! He looked out for us and gave us a natural umbrella - kinky hair!

In the 60's, we decided to define our own images. We stopped hot pressing-combing our hair. Who has the right to define who and what other groups should be, and what is, and who is beautiful based on their standards?

Bo Derek in movie "10"

We found it so interesting and disturbing that we had been criticized for centuries for wearing our God-given natural and braided hair; but actress Bo Derek appeared, was media accoladed for wearing braids in the Movie "10". We were outraged. That was one of the reasons we determined we can, and will wear our hair kinky or straight, long or short.

In the mid 80's, a newscaster friend of mine, in the San Francisco Bay Area, wore her hair straight because she knew it was required. One day after having had her hair natural and braided, she went to work the next day and was fired. I asked her why she didn't put on a wig or something. I will never forget what she said, "I prefer this look, and I decided to fight the issue". I told her I didn't know if I would have been brave enough to give up that money and career. Unfortunately, this is the type of stupid demands most Black women have to suffer.

Wanda, first Stewardess for Ozark
(became part of TWA) airlines

Wirephoto

I was an airline stewardess - the first Black Stewardess for my airline before Deborah Renwick. I wore my hair straight, so I did not have to make a choice like Deborah who was fired for refusing to straighten her hair. She sued, won and was offered $5,000.00 and her job back. She refused.

Parents - please stop teaching your daughters that there is a thing called "good hair" and "bad hair". Since when do you believe God gave you anything bad, or bad hair? You might simply say it's straight, curly or kinky hair - all three are beautiful.

These women are simply beautiful with their varying kinky hairstyles.