"Unkempt."
"Needs a perm."
The first African-American woman to win gold in the individual all-around gymnastics competition garnered a lot social media attention not for her athletic accomplishments, but for her hair. Really?
She's also the only American to ever win gold in the all-around and team competitions. Yet sadly enough, even with two gold medals all some can think to talk about is her hair. The comments were so hurtful that there is speculation that they negatively impacted her performance on the uneven bars and balance beam.
Gabby Douglas' hair is styled in a manner common among every female gymnast in the world with hair of a certain length. Her hair is styled in a way that doesn't distract her or get in the way of her flips, twists or turns. In fact, her mother has stated that she spends over 28 hours a week with her hair in a ponytail. So what is wrong with her hair? Absolutely nothing. Bravo for her taking a stance and telling them exactly what to do with themselves: "Nothing is going to change," she said. "You might as well stop talking about it."
I understand the obsession women, especially black women have with their hair. Despite the growth in less chemically and heat altered styles, the GAHP (Generally Accepted Hair Principles) for black hair is silky, flowing locks, something God elected not to give most women. For black women especially, this obsession has a HUGE impact on health. Given the level of effort it may take to work against natural texture, many black women limit workouts or skip working out altogether. In fact, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, 50% of black women over the age of 20 are overweight or obese, compared to 33% of white women and 43% of Hispanic women.
Hopefully, more black women will make the choice to find a balance between "good" hair and health. I doubt that anyone who faces premature death or a compromised quality of life because she repeatedly made her hair an idol to the point of obesity looks back and says, "At least I had fabulous hair."
I applaud Gabby Douglas for not letting her hair get in the way of becoming an elite athlete. I can only imagine how it felt to read those comments after excelling at something that no one before her was able to do. She's a fierce competitor but she's also a 16 year old with feelings. Shame on those who stole some of her Olympic joy. After all, despite the naysayers, she is not her hair.
"Needs a perm."
The first African-American woman to win gold in the individual all-around gymnastics competition garnered a lot social media attention not for her athletic accomplishments, but for her hair. Really?
She's also the only American to ever win gold in the all-around and team competitions. Yet sadly enough, even with two gold medals all some can think to talk about is her hair. The comments were so hurtful that there is speculation that they negatively impacted her performance on the uneven bars and balance beam.
Gabby Douglas' hair is styled in a manner common among every female gymnast in the world with hair of a certain length. Her hair is styled in a way that doesn't distract her or get in the way of her flips, twists or turns. In fact, her mother has stated that she spends over 28 hours a week with her hair in a ponytail. So what is wrong with her hair? Absolutely nothing. Bravo for her taking a stance and telling them exactly what to do with themselves: "Nothing is going to change," she said. "You might as well stop talking about it."
I understand the obsession women, especially black women have with their hair. Despite the growth in less chemically and heat altered styles, the GAHP (Generally Accepted Hair Principles) for black hair is silky, flowing locks, something God elected not to give most women. For black women especially, this obsession has a HUGE impact on health. Given the level of effort it may take to work against natural texture, many black women limit workouts or skip working out altogether. In fact, according to the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, 50% of black women over the age of 20 are overweight or obese, compared to 33% of white women and 43% of Hispanic women.
Hopefully, more black women will make the choice to find a balance between "good" hair and health. I doubt that anyone who faces premature death or a compromised quality of life because she repeatedly made her hair an idol to the point of obesity looks back and says, "At least I had fabulous hair."
I applaud Gabby Douglas for not letting her hair get in the way of becoming an elite athlete. I can only imagine how it felt to read those comments after excelling at something that no one before her was able to do. She's a fierce competitor but she's also a 16 year old with feelings. Shame on those who stole some of her Olympic joy. After all, despite the naysayers, she is not her hair.
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