Solange, Natural Hair and the "Natural Hair Police"

One of our fave curlies, Solange, railed against what she called the "natural hair police" on Twitter.

This all comes after Solanage has gotten quite the criticism about her natural hair from commenters going in on a Solange hair article posted on CurlyNikki.com. They questioned if Solange got a big chop, said she had dry hair, criticized her undefined hair and told her that she should get a comb, among other things.

The natural hair blog, Modern Meid, posted an online summary of the criticisms and posted its take on the whole mess. Excellent analysis, by the way. Someone sent Solange the article and she took to Twitter.

My first thought: Why do folks care so much about what others do to THEIR hair?

My second thought: Stop hiding behind the keyboard and say that mess to her face!

Unless you are 5, most women don't want other women telling them what to do with their hair; Solange is no different, celebrity or not. This, especially after one person, "TEAMNATURAL" reportedly criticized Solange's hair on Solange's Twitter account AND her Instagram account.

Among the the CurlyNikki.com comments:

"Natural hair can be VERY beautiful. Solange's hair is not. Even if she wore an afro, pick it out even or something. It always looks unkempt."

Someone else wrote: "This is why people think natural hair looks bad."

This is how Solange responded on Twitter:

Source: BGLHOnline.com

The Curl Debate
HairNistas know that I like Solange -- she's one of my favorite curlies.

But I think it's very sad that she's getting flack for, get this, wearing her damn hair! Who cares if her hair is defined, a curly for or whatever. If we aren't the ones combing it, why do we care? I like Solange's moxie, and I'm glad that she addressed the criticism online. Hair is Solange's "brand," and I'm just glad that she didn't let the natural crazies bully her for her hair. l

Half the time, I don't know if Solange is wearing her hair or a wig, but I don't care. Whether it's weaved up or she's wearing braids to her ass, I still like her hair.  I hate to tell folks to "sit down" but they really do need to in this case.

Online Natural Hair Commenters Go Too Far
It's one thing to say that you like someone's hair or clothes. We all do that, especially online.  It's OK to give an opinion. But to disrespect someone because THEIR hair isn't defined enough for you? Seems a lot like the "good hair" "bad hair" mess, but this is the "good curl"  and "bad curl" debate, but for naturals.

Further, how dare you go one someone else's Twitter account and their Instragam page and criticize THEIR hair? Yup, I'm talking to you, TEAMNATURAL.

How sad  -- and disrespectful -- is that?

All of this really reveals an issue that many of us don't want to deal with. Let's just go ahead and talk about that 500-pound pink elephant in the room -- folks are talking about Solange's hair because it's tightly coiled and not fine ringlets.

I said it. Yup, it's not the kind of hair that gets the "oohs and "ahhs" on blogs. For you hair typing folks, it's not that 2 or 3 hair. Trust and believe that if her hair were a finer texture, it would NOT be called "unkempt."


We'd like to think that we've come far, but we really haven't. Sure, folks feel a bit more at liberty to give their opinion on YouTube, blogs, etc. -- things they'd never say in person. Just goes to show that, more than any of us would like to admit, we are obsessed about curls.


Let Solange Do Her
And there needs to be new "rules" of engagement. Actually, this debate makes me like Solange even more. She takes the term "do you" to a new meaning. She's defined what natural hair means to her. She doesn't take her hair too seriously. She doesn't obsess over YouTube vids, getting the right curl, finding the "right products." (That's OK, Solange, leave all that hair stuff up to us!). 

Yes, folks love Solange's hair. But she never appointed herself the natural hair "role model." So why should we?

Solange's hair may or may not be carefree, but her attitude about it is. And that's what I like. And she doesn't give a damn what I, you or anyone else thinks. She doesn't overthink it, and that's alright with me.
Natural hair icon or not, how about those folks worry about the curls on their head and leave Solange's hair alone!

What do you think about folks trying to tell people what to do with their hair?