It Did Not Fail... Cause The Natural Hair Community Was Never A Movement | Let'S Talk About It

Posted on 10 August, 2022
U Part Wig
By Anonymous

I hope you enjoyed watching me prep a few things for the week while we talk about whether the natural hair movement actually failed. Check back twice a week for a new upload.

Captions

Hey good people welcome. Yes, my hair is straight. If you're not on instagram, then you missed that i went to the salon and i got a trim cut as i do um, but i did leave it longer than is typical. So, there's that there is a video coming at the end of the month, where you'll see about my hair, what exactly i did, etc so you're just gon na have to wait. For that just know. My hair is straight in this moment and um. I don't know how long it'll be straight, because y'all know i exercise, probably not very long, but in this video we're just going to chat i'm going to get some stuff off my mind and things i wanted to talk about. Haven'T done my nails yet because i'm in the middle of my sunday prep and i'm sharing a few a bit of that with you all while talking about these topics, please comment below. I really want to chat with you so comment below, but we're going to start by making a latte, because i need a latte to get through the rest of this day and i bought from trader joe's a new concentrate. So i usually buy the tazo chai concentrate. But i saw this at trader joe's. This is their spice. Chai concentrate lighting, isn't gon na be great on this one, but i saw this at trader joe's and i was like i want to try this so uh. You know you just never know it's always good to try different things. You might like something better right. I grew up drinking chai. My brother's best friend growing up my brothers were twins. Anyways um, their best friend growing up had immigrant parents from punjab, and so i would go over all the time. I hung out with my brothers a lot and um their mother. His mother would make a chai for us um, and so i grew up having chai, which now i'm like. Oh that's interesting, maybe that's why i love tea so much right. I'M used to southern sweet tea from my southern family. It'S actually not my favorite never has been but actual like chai um is something that i've always loved and it comes from childhood. So i do have a chai recipe on my instagram and i'm just doing the same exact one, i'm using a measuring cup here. So you guys can see it because i don't want to set up two cameras but um yeah, i'm just gon na make this chai and we'll see how it tastes. But the first thing i wanted to talk about you know: josie just came out with a video talking about the natural hair community has failed. Um for harriet came out with one i've watched what the kinks like everybody's on this train, that the natural hair community failed. Like we failed each other and to a degree, i would absolutely agree um, but i think for different reasons that people are talking about right. So one thing i will say uh because i was natural. I went natural in 04, 2004 um long before it was popular right. I can tell you with all certainty one way that the natural hair community succeeded was in making it a normal and regular thing to see curly and coily hair on women of color, and i mean like especially in the tighter spectrums. I mean we really didn't see. Women wearing twist outs and breakouts, washing those the reason why that was such a revelation on youtube many years ago that wasn't a thing um hold on wait. Um! Let me get a straw, this might be it. This might be that girl what hold on? Oh, my gosh that has so much more flavor. I should have known the the tray joe trade that is always comes through there's, so many more spices. I taste ginger in this one. I taste the cardamom. Yes, this is more like what i had as a child. Buy this, if you like chai and you make like lattes or you just want to make like a kopu or something buy this it's good. So in that way the movement succeeded right, at least in my mind, it very much succeeded. Let me put some stuff away now. Another way is succeeded for me. I cannot express to you how few products there were on the market catered towards curly or coily hair prior to the natural hair movement. I an aisle of products. Products in store were all big brand and none of them were geared towards us. I'M talking we used to use swap - and this is before the pantene um. The brown bottle version like that came after i went natural after the black people. Um show that there was a market for it, i'm talking miss jessie's and kinky, curly and um. What am i trying to which one am i trying to think of there's another one um yellow bottle? Who am i trying to think of can't think of it? Y'All tell me in the comments y'all know um. Before all of that came along, we had very little. We were making products because we had to. We would we would from the grandmas and the grandmothers. Mayonnaise was a thing that we always use like all of the diy. If you were a natural, that is what you turn to, and i only learned about it from hair forms, because let me tell you my mama, my grandma, like none of them all, they would do and straighten my hair, like that with the conversation right, so the Availability of product is something that the community succeeded at absolutely no two ways about it can't tell me no different one place that it glaringly glaringly failed is encouraging black women and women of color to really love and appreciate and want to wear, not the key component. There want to wear their natural hair. No, we failed, and i say that because it's still most popular to see women of color straightening their hair. It is still most popular to see women of color, especially black women, wearing weaves and wigs, and i'm not saying that to villainize it. I know the many reasons that we do um, i'm just saying that failed. Like that absolutely failed. We do not see the majority of women of color wearing natural hair. Now i do think it's more normal for black women to have natural hair under their weeds and wigs and by natural. I do mean no relaxers, no text laughs, there's nothing to change the curl pattern. I don't consider hair color taking away from natural hair, but that's a whole debate. I'M not willing to have um, but we did fail like women. Do not love their hair black women as a whole. I would absolutely say: do not love their hair? If you do, you are an exception. I promise like someone like me who wears their hair all the time not the norm. You know i don't. I don't have anything against protective style, but they're at this point. I think a lot of people don't wear their natural hair at all, even though they have natural hair like instilling in people so much love for their hair, regardless of their texture, that they can't help. But not hide it all the time we didn't do that we failed at that. We really did, and i think i can't you know i don't i'm not placing blame but like i think part of that part of the reason for that is society like the natural here community is just a microcosm of larger society and we live in such a Complicated system right there are so many ways that we bend and break ourselves to prove that, oh no! No! I love my hair, it's just it's not easy right! Um! I love my hair, but let's be real. You got to do 50, 11 stamps and i don't have time right like they're so or the main excuse these days, that i find a lot of um, kinky or textured people use is well, you know, i don't see it represented and the biracials, which i hate, That term, by the way um took over the movement and blah blah blah and blah blah blah and i'm like, can we solely blame people of mixed descent of biracial descent? That'S always been the case, always that's. Why we talk, i mean that's why i do not. I'M not down for the whole biracial mixed discourse, because in america they've always been racialized. It'S black! That'S not changing! Your need to separate yourself right doesn't doesn't change how the larger society views it. So you could say that all you want um they're racialized as black. Unless they're, not unless they're white, passing they're, definitely at least people are definitely at least racialized in some way right. It'S always been that way. So i'm not entering that discourse with anyone in the comments. Oh yeah, i like this so far. Okay, i might cut some of the top off here because i don't really love it coming out of. Let me see, but i i do not enjoy this discourse, where we are blaming like biracial or mixed people who people who are still racialized as black in this country, for the failures of the community. No, i think more than anything, it is exposed. The fetishization, which is a hard word to say, um, that we as a community participate in right like at least to me, maybe not to you but to me. Yes, these companies and i'm actually going to tell you a story here about a company who i did a video for who threw it back but um. Yes, if you are focused on capitalism as the main driver of the movement, then yes, it's gon na fail. It'S gon na fail every time and i don't think people even realize that, like part of the reason the movement failed, like everybody wants to blame the influencers, everybody wants to blame the companies uh, but we live in a capitalist society in america. I'M talking about america here, i can't speak for the rest of the world. Um and a lot of these companies feature hair that isn't like mine when it's not straight, because that's what we will buy, that's what we fetishize right, i'm always like. If you want to see more kinky haired girls on this space, then create videos take over create videos, but that's not what happens. People never want to show the struggle. People never want to show the journey to loving their hair, and i it's hard these days to do that, because everybody is right about what you need to do to your hair and, if you're an influencer. You know what i'm talking about. I think this movement has not been completely successful in its aims, because one it didn't start out as a movement right. There were no like there were no like goals established for us to move towards. So like there's that um movement is a loose term here. Right um, i think black women were like hey, i'm going natural, i'm going to show you. This is how i do my hair on youtube. Like i was here. That was how this started. It started not from a monetary standpoint. It started from okay, i'm just going to share. This is how you handle natural hair, because people were growing natural right. This is how i handle my natural hair, and once it became more commodified right, people wanted to start making money off of the content they create, which i don't have a problem with um. It changed the game, it changed the whole vibe and that change that simple change dooms the movement right, because it's not a movement anymore. It doesn't it never had to clear out um. It never had a clear endgame, but when it becomes about capitalism right making the money when you, when you add that little bit in there, it becomes a lot of it right in this movement when the money infiltrates, it's always going to be a problem. The the girls who are on here just to share are still on here, and that's not me throwing shade at anyone like the girls who are on here to share who just want to share what works are still on here. You get to choose whether to watch them. It'S just so funny that people still want to blame like biracial and mixed people for others. Fetishization of their hair. Right, like youtube, is free. It'S a search engine. If you want to find people with kinky textures you can. I honestly don't think they're on here in abundance and it's funny because when this is going to be a controversial hot, take i find the women who truly have kinky texture here, right, um and, and there are women who do - label their videos as one of the Kinkier types and are unaware that they don't have that texture, just what it is. People want to discount that, but that's the case, but a lot of the times. Those people come onto this space and they get to know their hair better and they develop a consistent regimen right and over a few years they see a complete and utter change in their hair and they're able to have more flexibility. Then the discourse in their comments turns into you're, not 4c you're, not 4b. You don't have type 4 here, and i'm not even talking about me because, like it is what it is with me. I don't whatever um, i really don't care uh, but that runs people off the platform and i've seen it time and time again or people have reached the end of what they want to share. They want to go beyond natural hair. They want to mature into a different space right, and that means that either they change their content or they get off the internet like this is a vicious space for content creators. It really is like people will dox you. People will go in the dms of your husband and um do things they shouldn't like it's a people will stalk you like it's a it's an interesting space to want to be in right and then you get on and you're genuinely trying to share and the community Is not with you right, people want a different texture, and so they don't watch your videos unless you're doing a twist out which your texture looks different right. They like your wash and go a certain way, so they won't wash it if it looks more like an afro or if you do an afro people aren't wearing their hair and afro, so they're not going to keep watching those videos. So a movement breaks down right. That'S my arrangement this week, isn't it beautiful, mom's eucalyptus baby's breath? I love it. Yellow is my favorite color. By the way, all right, i got ta refill my vinegar here. Remove this. This is going to take over the frame. I use it as glass spray. I use a half cup in my whites to keep my whites white in laundry um. I use it to descale my kettle or any of my tea stuff so like any tea, anything that i'm making tea and yes i clean it every time i use it but um like mineral deposits and things built up when you are making tea, and so there's That so i use vinegar for so many things, so i got ta refill this like i said this is a prep day um. I keep this in my laundry area and i have a half cup scoop in there that i just put a half cup in my laundry. I don't do laundry but like once a week, so it doesn't go very fast, so i don't need anything huge right. It'S just me so i'll put this back and do this ratio. I thought i was still filming, but it's just a one-to-one ratio. You can also use this as a disinfectant but um. I use alcohol instead as an alcohol to water ratio to um disinfect. Instead, every day - because i don't prefer the smell of this - but this is non-toxic um you're supposed to use like distilled water and typically i do have a bottle of water - a gallon under my sink. But i don't and i don't care that much so like i said this is glass cleaner. I have a big ass mirror in my entryway and yeah, so i i do need this on a regular basis. Then i have mirrors everywhere but like when i walk in and see that if it's dirty it bothers me so yeah there's that i think that's all. I need to refill right now. Next thing, i'm going to do is chop these up for meal prep, i'm going to use. This is collard greens, and this is kale green leaf kale and i'm using these in um smoothies this week, as well as for salads. Yes, i just eat collards and kale for salad. You just have to chop it up small and then massage it, but it's also good dark leafy greens are a rich source of iron and um. That'S on my list uh from the doctor, so i try to get that in so i'm just gon na take these off the stem. While we check - but i will say one of the problems, one of the reasons this movement has somewhat failed, because people put all these parameters around what is okay, natural hair right, like i know, with my texture, a lot of what i get is, if i'm not Wearing my hair in an afro, i get comments all the time, all the time in math. Actually that talking about me not loving, my hair, like people, would rather see my hair without any curl definition, um or, if i'm doing a wash and go, and it's not like an amazingly defined wash and go, which i don't actually always enjoy. Like. I like big hair, and that comes with frizz uh a lot of the times uh. Then i am not showcasing natural hair uh in a kinky texture. The way that i should right or if your twist out doesn't come out the way that the person watching thinks it should be. Then you know you didn't do it right. You didn't use the products right and i'm i'm being very specific here about what people tell us, because it is a reflection of what people think about their hair and other naturals here in the regular world right. We put all these parameters around what looks good and with natural hair, and this came to a head recently right with lip gloss that uh youtuber, instagram or ticktalker when she talked about just trying to love wearing her 4c hair in a shrunken state. In like a medium length, like i distinctly remember my hair, looking like that um and wearing it at a time, and it does take an immense amount of self-love to wear your hair like that, because everybody men, women, everybody will we'll just not check for you. That is not what we find beautiful and it's so funny, because when we point this out, no one wants to take the blame right. There'S no personal blame people will say: well, that's because the people, the mixed girls or the people with curly hair, took over the movement that doesn't account for you that doesn't account for everyone who chooses to wear wigs and weaves and everything else instead of their shrunken Hair right um, i wear shrunken hair, but a lot of the times. You only see it in instagram stories, because i i'm not attached to the idea that i have to lengthen my hair for anybody right. I do my hair based on my feelings, emotions. It'S a crucial moment for me, so that's how i wear it, but i know the movement has failed, but i i will not consider the movement as success until we embrace women just wearing their natural hair. However, they want to wear it when we stop policing how people care for their hair right, like even down to care right like when i was talking to someone in a premiere right and in one of my videos, recent videos. I said that i do not care like how women wear their hair, like you should just wear how you want a hair wear, take care of it. How you want to take care of it and her comment was yeah as long as a person is taking care of their hair, then it shouldn't matter and i'm like no you're missing my point: i don't care. If you take care of your hair, i don't i don't care how you take care of it. I don't care, it does not matter. I really just want you to wear your natural hair. However, you like it that to me is success of the movement, but we're so busy policing how the hair appears that it can't be, and until we accept how it is. However, anybody wears it. No one else will right. Bad hygiene is bad hygiene, i'm not talking about bad hygiene, i'm talking about someone being able to wear their straight natural hair and it still be considered natural. There are real discussions about women wearing natural hair as straight, and it not being natural anymore, and i just be like what it is your own parameters around. What is natural that makes people feel ostracized right. That makes them feel not a part of the community right and i've talked about texturism and colorism. I have videos so i'll link them below. I'Ve talked about all of this stuff, but the movement, i think, succeeded in many ways many ways, but i think we should give credit where credit is due. It wasn't a movement, it was not a movement to start. Women came on and just shared right in hopes that they could either get advice or get help. That was the purpose, because stylists weren't doing natural hair. That'S a recent thing right, because there weren't products in stores. That'S a recent thing because you, as a consumer as just a lay person, cannot make tons of money just doing your hair right. It was about self-love and inevitably every time embracing natural hair for people who had been relaxed, who have been tech, slacks, etc, led to a larger growth journey. And that's what people liked to see and attach to right. But you don't see more 4c content creators partially because their hair isn't celebrated by the community and it's not solely on the brands. The rhetoric out there is that natural hair that is kinky is hard. It is difficult, so why would people want to wear that? Why would people want to do that? They don't use they're going to wear the wigs and the weebs. It is our fault that that part of things did not succeed. The message for a long time has been yes, this is a lot of work, but it's rewarding is it? Is it if you come in this community and you tell me that when stylists entered it got better or worse, you haven't been here very long. The community has been dressed for a long time. The failure happened a while ago. The movement part of things died a long time ago. It'S just people continue to share because either they make money, which is a big part of things or they just like sharing they. Just like putting themselves out there, it's a hobby, and so for me the movement part of things succeeded, it happened, we see more women wearing natural hair and it's normal right. It'S not like a. Let me stare at you thing amongst the u.s. It is normal to see any woman having curly kinky hair. It is normal, it succeeded. We have more products on the shelves, it succeeded. It was not a movement with goals right, so putting more money into black pockets was not a goal. If that was something we wanted to do, we would have had to organize because we live in a society where we're not the majority period, but we failed in really glaring ways in doing the inner work of loving the texture and embracing everybody's natural hair. We failed hard at that, but that's because we're a reflection of the larger society. So that's it. I hope you guys enjoyed this video um. I don't know we'll see how it comes out. I just talked thoughts. Were there see if i was able to communicate them in the comments? I'D love to know whether you consider the movement successful, especially if you've been around for a while um what was successful and if we could change something right. If you do want to come together and and change something, what would it be and what would you do if you enjoyed this video, make sure you check out my last natural hair chat, video, where i talked about it's time to stop the madness um just do Less and if you want to see my vlogs, where you get to see me doing this stuff on a regular, then check out this playlist right here, my rajanti diaries. Otherwise, if you enjoyed this video, make sure you like and subscribe before you go, so we can see each other in the next one. Bye

Comments

ALove4Me: Glasses that I put the chai in are here: https://bit.ly/3BQXaHg

Beauty Outspoken: The main problem is wearing your natural hair became a trend versus a deep personal change. Therefore a lot of people were ok with just being in the movement to belong. Relaxers became taboo and humans naturally want to fit into social groups. Deep down no one faced their issues and mindset regarding their hair. They still elevated the looser textures because that’s the subconscious standard. They didn’t want to do the work it takes to unlearn that ‘standard’. So the minute the trend setters began jumping ship to relaxers and back to back weaves everyone was happy to move right along.

Barbie: I went natural in 2004 because I was tired of relaxing my hair. For me, it was not some new trend to follow. Very few women were natural then. There were no black products for natural hair in stores. I found out about black owned hair products through forums. The only natural hair salons were for locs. It kinda annoys me to hear stylist blame YouTube for bad hair practices...like you just learned to do natural hair last week!! Where were you almost 20 years ago when we were struggling.

Shaterria Turner: I love my hair. I don’t care how long or how many steps it takes to take care of it. I barely protective style. It’s twist-outs, wash n gos, and mini twists for me. I. Wear. My. Hair. It’s beautiful. My only regret for going back to natural is not doing it sooner.

Monica M: One accomplishment is parents not rushing to relax their children’s hair

Candy Jones: I am so grateful for normalisation of natural hair and ditching of relaxers. Relaxers are dangerous and should be regulated more in my opinion. I had been natural on and off for most of my life ditching the relaxer made me aware of what I was putting in my body and on my scalp. It made me more health conscious too. Also, the wide range of products now available is a god send as I remember when it was just Nappturality and DIY products. I have learnt how to do wash and gos by looking at both tighter and looser textures. Where natural movement has failed is many people still crave so called "good hair" that is why you see so many of us are still relying on wigs and weaves. There is nothing wrong in switching up i.e. straight hair or wigs however some of us wear it as crutch as we are not liking our natural hair texture. That is where the natural hair movement failed. Afros/natural hair is still seen as political the famous Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie asked the question if Michelle Obama wore natural hair would Barack Obama have become president. Unfortunately, that is the world we live in. However, it succeeded in changing the landscape as now many mainstream hair care brands for European hair are doing the no sulphates, no parabens and are using oils which was unheard of a few years ago. So I don't think it is all doom and gloom. I really enjoyed the video by the way.

masseiy: I only watched 4B /4C YouTubers during my more impressionable years so I never had unrealistic expectations. Kinky Afro textured hair videos are so calming & beautiful to watch. I genuinely don’t understand how people don’t gravitate to the hair textures that resemble theirs the most. Maybe I’m narcissistic but it’s pleasing to see people who look like me- I think I’m cute and so are the other 4c girlies.

Kellz Willz: I came to YouTube to learn how to care for my hair properly because I stopped relaxing my hair. I see (some) folks don’t like us “biracials” so definitely don’t consider to be part of the “movement”. But my personal goal was to find out my real curl pattern once I cut out relaxer. I wanted to know what to put in it because what I was doing wasn’t working. . . I know that I don’t have 4C and I am not 100% Black… but my hair needs love and I needed guidance. I now LOVE my hair now… without keratin, relaxer or flat irons.

Tynnetta M: I’m happy you mentioned accountability. I think the majority of black women in the US look like you and me and have similar curl patterns. Unfortunately, the majority of these women were watching the biracial black girls. Those girls didn’t force anyone to watch their videos a lot of us did that on our own. This is the missing piece from so many of these conversations about the natural hair movement. Too many people are quick to blame the biracial black girls but they don’t want to acknowledge that they were worshiping their curl patterns.

Paula Lanton: I’ve been natural for 20 years so I honestly didn’t know there was a natural hair movement. As far as my hair being “shrunken”, I never labeled it as that. It was just my hair doing what it did and I was never uncomfortable with it. I have never not loved my hair, it seems so strange to me to not accept something that grows this way out of your body. Maybe if I were in my teens or 20s I’d care what others thought of my hair but I’m 50 and I can’t be bothered with people that don’t accept all of me.

Kathy Yearby: I love my natural hair. I went natural in 2015. I still look for information on how to take care of my hair. I am a lot older than a lot of viewers and last year I decided to let my hair go completely gray which changed the way I care for my curls. I love this channel because of all good info I have gained.

Carloyn Sheppard: The wearing of natural hair originally happened in the 60. When James Brown made I'm black and proud. The fact that we wore our hair proudly back then kinky and all. The movement got lost in translation.

Rachel K: I feel like we’re inching along as far as progress, but it is a mess right now if you ask me. I went natural and stay natural because I liked the idea of not being held hostage to relaxer touch ups. I don’t straighten my hair very often because it’s too much work. I haven’t been to the salon in years. The stylist I went to claimed to do natural hair but the service was so painful. I don’t feel like a lot of stylists truly like doing natural hair and/or clients don’t want to pay for the extra time it takes to do natural hair. Now natural stylists are touting the importance of getting maintenance cuts regularly on schedule just like in the relaxer days trying to get more clients in the salon on a regular basis. I see more lacefronts and straight hair or braids with fake hair all over Instagram. However, I keep hearing that Locs are about to take over. Can’t wait to see how this goes I love the look of Locs.

Denysha Dials: When people start saying that their ‘choices were taken away’ ‘I love my hair *but* ‘ or that their being ‘forced to wear an Afro’ or any of the usual excuses, I already know they missed the assignment and the whole channel is for views. No one begged you be here or twisted your arm. So stop making a big stink when you leave. Just leave. Don’t knock the journey until you have it.

Gillian Nichole: Qhemet Biologics was my OG holy grail. I think that as the 'movement' grew, more of us got wrapped up in product junkie-ism...that quest for the 'perfect' curl. We still embraced altering our hair to the Nth degree, but with products, instead of with chemicals & heat.

Kearsten W: I respect and admire you as a natural hair influencer because your heart is in it for all the right reasons. I've been a follower for the last 3 years and the most important thing that stood out to me was the genuine love you have for natural hair and helping women to embrace theirs. That really resonated with me, and the more I watched, the more real and transparent I found you to be. That was extremely refreshing!!! I appreciate all the love, sweat & tears you have put in these YouTube streets for almost 10 years! xo

Ash: I’ve been natural my entire life but it wasn’t until high school that made a concerted effort to grow my hair but my father would always mandate that I cut it after a certain length because it was unruly. For the longest there weren’t many products other than pink oil and grease. But I have to say that the freest and most unencumbered I’ve been was went in the beginning I just wore my Afro out the way it was without anything other than water and pink oil. Sometimes it was picked out, other times it wasn’t. I’ve been 5 years natural again (my father made me cut my hair after 2-3 years). There are so many products but for the greater part of this 5 year journey I’ve been doing the most because I thought that’s what I had to do. I learned how to take care of my hair on YouTube and coming into the space in the late early period just before the changing of the guard my hair has never been better. The consumerism and the texturism definitely made me love my hair less and now I love my hair but it wasn’t easy being a late teen early twenty something learning to do and love your hair in that environment.

Sharon Lewis: I love my natural hair and love wearing it. I have so much freedom in riding down the highway with all the windows down on the way to work with my hair blowing in the wind. No stopping in the restroom to make sure anything is in place.

Sarah Dawson: I agree that it's succeeded by your metrics but I do want to address loving your texture. I've been natural for 10 years. When I wear my hair out, I love it. It's maybe 4a with sections of 4b/c but it's fine and it tangles immediately even after I detangle. It's armpit length too so it's a lot. Honestly I still can't get a reliable style and I've experimented with all types of products, tools, techniques. Twist outs rarely last, wash n gos shrink up and dry out in two days. And that equals soooo many tangles and having to redo my hair midweek. If I want to swim a few times a week, that's a whole other problem with maintenance. Alas I don't have the kind of hair that can be washed and styled multiple times a week. It's hours of work each wash day. So I'm left with twists of varying sizes because they don't tangle as much, but that's not the style I want most of the time. I don't feel attractive in twists. So yeah, it's a lot of maintenance and time and little payoff, and that makes my hair annoying. I think folks like me are dismissed as "not knowing our hair" but sometimes you know your hair and just don't want to or can't do all that work. I think some folks left the movement because it IS a lot of work for them. Not just because of aesthetics. What can we change? I would like to see more folks acknowledge that their journey and wins don't reflect other people's journey. Everyone has different hair even if it looks the same. If you've found a good routine and your hair is easy to take care of, that's great, but let's have compassion for folks who don't have that experience no matter which products they use or techniques they try. Let's stop shaming people for finding their hair hard to manage.

Jacqueline Robinson: I’ve never been that girl to wear weaves or wigs. Nothing wrong with it. I just never felt comfortable. For me, I don’t think I’ve ever not liked or loved my natural hair. I’ve always had hair easy to maintain and long, but I could never be bother to do anything to it other then wash it. Use a rinse out conditioner and put my hair in a ponytail. The one thing I did not like was using grease on my hair. Which brought me to YouTube in search of what I could use on my hair that was better. That’s when I came across the natural hair community in 2009. Which I did not know existed. Let me tell you, I’m thankful for the women on YouTube who has shared healthier ways of how to take care of our hair. Because I love the idea of not having to press, perm, or slap grease on my hair. And now I do more to my hair. Lol…a little more. I definitely do a better job of conditioning it that’s for sure. So I feel that the natural hair community has educated many of us about our hair in ways otherwise we would have never known. I don’t know, that’s just what I think. I enjoy listening to you and learning from you. I would have never tried the foam if it wasn’t from watching you. Thank you.

AhhhsoNeo: Your hair looks amazing and healthy!

Chantae Belgrave: I didn’t finish watching yet but I’m in awe of the flowers ! Were they also from Trader Joe’s ? I think the movement is what you made of it for yourself. There are women with type 4 hair or even specifically 4c hair who love their hair and show case their hair regardless of whatever transpired over the years . For me I came , I saw how to do my hair , learn to love it and tried every style until I felt I mastered it whether with gel or without it and it wasn’t easy , it was definitely a process but I am in love with freedom and versatility of my hair , I can truly say I understand it and because of that I have no bad hair days. (Unless I neglected it and it’s stupid dry feeling) I may be a slave to laying my edges though so I’m working on that lol

uberhaute_naturalz: People were running after products their fav YouTubers used failing to realise that their environment and lifestyle might be different. Since I realised this, I've been having a successful journey.

Anne El: For me it was success because a space was created for me to exist in, to evolve in: I can find a salon, buy products, diy, style my hair, watch videos, see others on the street, answer questions. Wash days have become what I want them to be. When I started, it was equal to being a black panther. I love all of it, and so I encourage everyone to do it but really because it’s also an internal journey about your own perceptions (this hair type versus what’s on my head), it’s ok. P.s. people need to stop thinking that wyt people just wake up like this. There would not be isles of product if no effort was required.

Dominique Mojay: Hey! This is the same Dominique M from the lives lol but this video is another one that spoke to my soul. I never really felt like it was a movement because the word movement holds a little too much power for what I recollect was going on the past couple/few decades. There was no organization, no ground-hitting protests, none of what I've grown up to understand as a movement... but I'm a very dramatic person. I think it was still a "successful failure" (girl idk what to call it) though because it was a collective of Black women of all types of backgrounds embracing a common denominator that we are taught by societal standards to hate. I very intentionally said embrace/hate and not LOVE and hate. I do not see the amount of love and care going into the newest waves of the collective as the first waves had because, well, we are still echoes of society like you said! I was forced (literally) to have a perm for almost 15 years as a kid because there were NO products that could actually style my hair. If there were, where were they??? I don't remember them lol. So, I don't really care if anyone gets annoyed about me just standing and "window shopping" in my little target aisle for a good 10 minutes because 15-year-old Dominique would have never thought it could exist! And 15-year-old Dominique was definitely begging her mama to stop putting that nasty stuff in her hair lol. And, I totally agree with your take on the weird disdain for "mixed race" Black people being seen as Black. They did not time travel back in time and invent the one-drop rule. It is not their fault that they are perceived as Black and preferred. They don't have to be assholes about it, but there's this one popular quote about you not having to choose to make someone who views you as a rival your enemy as well. It takes too much energy for alladat. /oops that was a long comment

Veronica: I adore chai Nice to meet you and that was a good start for me I agree, the 'natural hair movement' was needed to just make our hair more normal everywhere

EA: You've said it all. I remember under every comment of a looser textured natural ytber, the first top 10 comments would be bw going "i do not 4c this"/ "i wish i had your hair". These same women will then turn and blame advertisers for only featuring looser curls. Advertisers want people with the highest engagement/ followers. It says WAY more about the community that looser curls = more engagement, but no one wants to take accountability for that reality.

Efe’: 1. They say stop relaxing your hair and become natural…..ok fine, we can just straighten our natural hair. 2. No, if you straighten your natural hair you are not natural…..ok fine, we will stop straightening our hair and just play with color. 3. No, if you change the color of your natural hair, you are no longer natural. However, the biggest bunch of crap ever…….with this “professionals” Wash n go, no oils butters ……..insinuating that if you don’t wear your “natural curls” you are not natural enough. Very discouraging to newly naturals and to those that are not immune to the BS.

Chromagens: I'm grateful for the people who started to share how they do their hair on YouTube because that's what helped me in 2011-2013 being a new adult and not knowing how to style my hair + dealing with breakage from daily combing. So I'm always a little sensitive about people disparaging that time. I do think it's true that a lot of people do not really like their hair. I do feel a type of way about "yeah but no one appreciates this type of hair" because I really think the answer is just wearing it. You get used to how your hair exists and others around you get used to how it looks. Although!!! I understand where there are limitations to this such as job opportunities.

Toi: Yes, so true that natural hair community is a microcosm of society. It’s interesting the difference in movements from the 70s and the 2000s (largely driven by black women millennials! ❤️). I feel the 1st movement they were more willing to wear hair in natural non-stretched state. Somewhere along the 2nd movement we lost that. I’m glad these movements aided in creating so many black businesses.

NAIKOchan17: Honestly, every point: nailed it. Truest video I've seen on this topic so far.

[email protected]: What I’ve seen change is like you said more women of color ditched the relaxers, even if it is under a wig or weave! In the words if TLC, you can buy hair if it won’t grow. #unpretty, it all about what make you feel pretty or comfortable

uberhaute_naturalz: The most appalling thing going on right now is how some very toxic YouTubers who disguise themselves as 'innocent and honest' recruit other YouTubers and their followers into hating, cancelling, baiting brands and creating new enemies all around with snarky comments in people's comments!

Joy'sCurls: Love your content ❤️

MsAsheeraA: I think it was successful in giving black women other options with our hair besides the straighten look and braids. But as ut being a movement i agree it wasn't. There was not an established agenda or mission. I enjoyed the discussion .

Girl Get Visible- SEO and Content Marketing: I agree with it exposing a lot of things racially. Yes the influencers have less textured hair but we watch those videos. So many times I’m watching a video and have to remind myself my hair isn’t that.

Shante Hale: Great video I think the movement was successful because so many black women wear their natural hair more every day , it just takes time to become comfortable with it because it’s not what there use to. There is always going to be some failures along the way but every day someone decides to rock there natural hair and that’s what matters

Sophia Truth: Yeah... I'm not sure what we failed at with your natural hair, I went natural in 2000 and yes at that time there was absolutely no products to be found for our natural hair...well there was DoGrow(don't think it was formulated for natural hair) not being sure of my own hair in its natural, I cornrowed, blown out afro pressed then after 11years, I installed sister locks and after 7 years of that big chopped in 2018. To a wonderful awakening to Natural hair products and styles and rediscovery of our natural hair. I absolutely love my hair in all its states, which is the marvel of our hair, it can be anything we want it to be.... I've become a product junkie, but more so trying these naturally made products and see how my hair responds to them... Its been nothing but good for me, and yes... I'm that girl who wares my shrunken twist of and wash n go because it looks better that way, my hair takes on the natural shape of my head, it looks like i had it cut in that shape... it just perfect and I love it.....I think there's been more successes than we know. Thank for having this discussion.

Danielle Walker: I agree with all of your points. I don’t think the natural movement failed due to the simple fact that there are girls from elementary school to high school that wanted to wear their natural hair and learned how to care for their hair. When I grew up I thought getting a perm was a right of passage and eventually every woman gets one. I loved natural hair before I went natural. I was the person who loved retro looks and loved the beauty of an Afro. Maintaining a beautiful Afro is work. Lol. But when I went natural little girls would tell me they like my hair or that we have the same hair when I wore my hair in two strand twist. The younger generation will have more choices for their hair. They won’t feel pressure to go or stay natural. It will be a choice thanks to those who influenced the early natural hair movement and influenced product creation, representation of black women/children with natural hair in media, and even young boys have transitioned into hairstyles that helps them learn their Afro hair. I switch my hair up sometimes bc black hair in all aspects(relaxed, pressed, natural) is work if it’s being done without a stylist on a regular basis. I thank the natural hair movement and I think saying the movement failed discounts the people who put in the work prior to natural hair becoming “trendy.”

CMarie: I absolutely love my curls.... but I need a break. I couldn't find a braider so I got a blow out. But I want to fall back in love with doing my hair again. Right now no product excites me nor am I thrilled about doing hair right now.

linda v: mixed chicks.I believe you were thinking of mixed chicks! They have been around for a minute. I don't believe the community has failed..I wear my hair out and natural all the time because of woman like you . also, I had an unusual upbringing of having two parents who urged me to appreciate my hair. my dad had this good beautiful thick 4bc hair until he died. I inherited a piece of that. I grew up with good beauticians and love taking care of my hair and using good products and techniques as suggested by you and the like. Many of us do not have that. They have been taught to dislike their hair. In the effort to try to change comes improper manipulation and cover up tecniques that have for some become a "ruination". No woman, black or white can constantly straighten, braid, cover up and expect to enjoy and like their. hair. It aint gonna happen. Improper techniques along with age, stress, illness, childbirth. It aint gonna work. My parents were mid Atlantic black and southern blacker.

Donna Thompson: You are speaking the truth.

Danielle Chisolm: The brand you were thinking of is taliah waajid I believe. I don't think I'm a fan of saying the movement failed but there's still clearly some internal anti-blackness that needs to be figured out in the community. I think I've only had one white person say something to me about my hair where I was like no one asked you most of my don't care what you think conversations are from my own people. But most people know I'm going to do what I want to do and I have thick hair that grows pretty fast so I get mostly compliments so I don't typically add to this conversation. Honestly I'm too busy to care about "perfect" hair whatever that is and have enjoyed seeing more people embrace their hair.

Victoria Ouste': Just take care and enjoy your hair dont worry about anybody else hair. Make your nurturing hair day like a SPA day. Be good to your exotic self!

Simone B: Natural hair is time sensitive but I enjoyed this video

Nurse Shaye: Your hair is beautiful

Stacia Peters: Great video! Where on your IG page do I find the recipe for your chai latte? I only see the peach tea recipe.

Star Mocha: I’m loving the hair though

Girl Get Visible- SEO and Content Marketing: I tried the TJ spice chai wasn’t a fan. I saw it on tik tok and was disappointed in that one

Kellz Willz: Nice flower arrangement!

Joy Deja King: Girl inches inches inches!!!!!!!!!!!

Kiki: Nice kitchen! I want your hair so bad btw lol

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It Did Not Fail... Cause The Natural Hair Community Was Never A Movement | Let'S Talk About It

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