Tokira Labady

Mrs.Douglas
English 112
2 February 2017
Beauty, who defines it?

The term dreads actually is a term coined from Europeans considering the Africans hair

as dreadful because of its kinkiness. This was a term back from centuries ago and still has

negative connotation that is why some Blacks prefer the term Locs. Natural hair has been a

criticisms on the African American, Black community for centuries. When a child plays with a

Barbie doll although the skin colors may vary the hair texture stays the same long straight hair

which identifies with a Eurocentric background. Eurocentric sense of beauty for hair has been

instilled in society from a young age so seeing men and women try to expound there choice is

considered ghetto unprofessional nappy all negative connotation but hair styles such as

flat ironed or perms are encouraged. Natural hair is a way for Blacks to express creativity. Our

creativity also conveys our heritage. Hair can be portrayed in different styles, using turbans/head

wraps, extensions, Bantu knots and many others. There is often back lash against hair freedom.

The freedom of ones hair can be associated with multiple negative stereotypes. However hair is

just part of the Eurocentric beauty standard.

In a perfect world the definition of beautiful is supposed to vary from different culture.

Although in most societies the people will see that the world depicts beauty another way which is

common in; movies, television shows, commercials and childrens play doll. One can see what

look or body type makes them sexual attractive or appealing to people. These standards promote

division in women and negative outlook on how one may view themselves, making a women

think she is less than because she does not represent what society thinks is beautiful.
 In the articles I have researched both identify the emphasis on a Eurocentric pressure of

beauty. Brenda Randle article I am not my hair; African American women and their struggles

with embracing natural hair! Tracey Owens article Hey girl, am I more than my hair?:

African American women and their struggles with beauty, body image and hair. Both articles

are obvious from the title are a play on of each other.

Randels focal point is the struggles a black women faces with trying to embrace her

Afrocentric features. She then expresses the lack of uplifting of women in the African American

community. This piece is defiantly flexible, there is no certain age group that it is written for

anyone can read it and to a certain degree relate. It is written for African American females or

researches interested in the effects of Eurocentric beauty standards. She stresses how women

constantly judge themselves harsh trying to perfect the imperfections. Randle basically is

speaking on behalf of her personal life experience so she uses pathos and ethos to get her

audience to establish where her enthusiasm comes from and why she feels so strongly about the

topic, being that she too is an African American women. Although her passion is appreciated one

could say her passion made her too biased for her article. At one point she mentioned how she

was teased and how that made her feel that she to make herself conform to the Eurocentric

standard of how ones hair has to look but otherwise she does have a strong argument.

Pattons piece primary focus is to share the effects white beauty standards have on

African American women. She article is definitely more of a facts than personal experiences and

opinion Patton speaks on the history of how head wraps became a way for Blacks to cover their

kinks because things like combs were not given to slaves. She gives her audience more than just

emotions on why Eurocentric standards negatively affect African Americans. Patton breaks down
why a person should feel the way they should about this particular argument in a logical way

which further helps make her point valid.

Patton for sure makes the better argument. Not only does she use reason she also use of

emotion. Although she make lack as much zeal as Randle she still brings enough facts for her

argument that it is no way to argue that she can be incorrect or too biased. So that being said with

everything in perspective if anyone wanted to further their research in this topic going with

Pattons paper will not only educate but also give you an understanding on where an African

American is coming from.

 Work cited

Tracey, Owens Patton. "Hey Girl, Am I More than My Hair?: African American

Women and their Struggles with Beauty, Body Image, and Hair." NWSA Journal 18.2

(2006): 24-51. ProQuest. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.

Randle, Brenda A. "I AM NOT MY HAIR; AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND

THEIR STRUGGLES WITH EMBRACING NATURAL HAIR!" Race, Gender & Class 22.1

(2015): 114-21. ProQuest. Web. 20 Feb. 2017.