This entire article was frustrating for me. You have argued that black women should not worry about white standards and judgments of beauty and instead let black men set the bar for how they wear their hair? The reasons being that it gets black men off, it’s more accessible to black men, and that black men are too ignorant to understand bacteria and germs. And we are less costly to black men with natural? Is this a joke?

From this so called research and antidotal “evidence” we must arrange our hair for the pleasure and applause of black men WHY again? Who said all women are interested in black men?

Hair styles do not make someone more superior than someone else and if a man or potential love interest (cause we’re not all hetero or looking to be partnered) dismisses you because of a hairstyle, God has done you a favor, take the win sis!

A woman should be able to do whatever she wants with her hair, based on what pleases her! Her wallet, time, health, access to resources, and mood should dictate what she does with her hair. That’s what we should fight for.

I guess I’m superior because nine months out of the year I wear my hair natural (which means 100 different things to people) but I’m disgusting to black men in the winter when I wear braids to protect it from the shedding and dryness of Northern winters? I’ve been with my husband for 26 years and we’d be done tomorrow if he ever said any of this BS.

I guess I am alone in my love and admiration for black women’s resilience and creativity in the face of insurmountable odds.

Blacks hair is like soul food. It’s about taking what is available and using it as as a tool for survival. I’m in awe of the expressions of creativity with black hair. And just like Soul food it may smell funny, be time consuming and not always the healthiest but it’s ours! We made it. I’m proud of black women and what they are able to do in a world that does not respect them, even in their own communities as your post has proven.