Jada Pinkett-Smith Responds to HairTroversy About Willow

By Tenisha Mercer



Willow Smith's newest hairstyle -- pink, shaved hair.

Willow Smith  is quite the hair chameleon:  she's rocked a TWA, pink hair, braids,  shaved off styles with hair on top,  wigs, and quite a few other hair styles, and she's only 12!

Now, her famous Mom has come to her daughter's defense, after criticism about her lack of parenting skills. She posted this on Facebook:

"This is a world where women, girls are constantly reminded that they don’t belong to themselves; that their bodies are not their own, nor their power or self determination.

I made a promise to endow my little girl with the power to always know that her body, spirit and her mind are HER domain. Willow cut her hair because her beauty, her value, her worth is not measured by the length of her hair.

It’s also a statement that claims that even little girls have the RIGHT to own themselves and should not be a slave to even their mother’s deepest insecurities, hopes and desires. Even little girls should not be a slave to the preconceived ideas of what a culture believes a little girl should be."

 

 

The many hairstyles of Willow Smith

My take?

Interesting. Mrs. Pinkett-Smith's comments comments echo her husband's comments a few months ago: They are consistent in that they want Willow to decide how SHE wants to wear HER Hair.

I very much agree with her mother's statements about her beauty is not measured by the length of her hair. Yes, Miss Smith is an actress/singer in  Hollywood, and she's doing what society, particularly African American society, views as a damn near cardinal sin -- purposely shaving off a child's hair.

What's All The Fuss?

Lots of us have a our panties in a knot about this one. And many of us can't separate all of that Illuminati theories or the Smith's reported Church of Scientology affiliations with her hair.

It's Willow. Let her be Willow. Most little girls are probably not going to following in her footsteps.

But what if they do?

This gives me food for thought as a parent: Am I pushing my hair standards on my children, particularly the natural hair standards of not getting a perm? Am I letting my children express themselves? Would I allow my daughters to cut their hair like Willow?

What do you think?