I know I’m months late because I’m not much of a TV watcher and especially talk shows.  But I recently stumbled upon the YouTube videos of the Tyra Banks Show where she had a panel of guests discussing what “good hair” is.

At first I didn’t want to watch the show because I knew there would be something and/or someone that would anger me.  And I was absolutely correct!  However I’m GLAD I watched the show because it just confirmed and reinforced everything that was within me when I wrote the book, “Her Special Hair“.

I believe a lot of people feel that HSH is merely a “how to take care of your daughter’s hair” guide and while it is, it’s  much more because I touch on the whole mindset thing and how moms are, in part, the ones who shape and mold and set the trend for how their daughters will view their hair.  But I also learned that it doesn’t always come from mom…that sometimes mom is trying to teach her daughter that her natural hair is beautiful but kids at school, other relatives and peers in general have a role as well.

Here is an excerpt from Her Special Hair where I delved a bit into the whole “good hair/bad hair” thing…

“When I was a little girl, light-skinned girls with soft, wavy or very loosely curled hair were both admired and hated at the same time by their darker-skinned, “kinky-haired” counterparts. Those curly, soft, shiny tresses were very much desired by those of us who had “nappy” hair. I can remember imaging how wonderful it  must be to have hair like that…no pain when getting it combed, no burns from the pressing comb…I’d have pretty hair and all the boys would like me. Imagine feeling that way as a child and what an impact that has on a young girl growing up!  If you’re the parent of a little girl with loosely curled or wavy hair, you may have heard people refer to her hair as “good hair” or maybe you have referred to it as such yourself. But, what exactly does that mean? It was always thought that if you had hair like that, you had to be “mixed” or as we call it today, Biracial or Multi-Cultural. It was also thought that if you were “mixed” you would always have hair as previously described. But, as I got older and especially once I got into the hair profession, I discovered that the children of interracial parents did not always end up with loosely curled or wavy hair. Sometimes the hair will end up very kinky and/or coarse in texture. Once this happens, a big question mark appears in the mother’s mind as to what to do with it.”

In case you have not seen the show, I have posted the videos here:
http://naturalhaircarebooks.com/videos/tyra-banks-talks-hair-what-is-good-hair

These videos are of the  Tyra Banks Show – ”What Is Good Hair?” (Recorded May 12, 2009)

Very interesting but nothing new.  The book that was referenced and whose authors were guests on the show is the same book I have been telling people for years that they need to read is: “Hair Story : Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America”

The Tyra Banks “What Is Good Hair?” Show – Part 1

The Tyra Banks “What Is Good Hair?” Show – Part 2

The Tyra Banks “What Is Good Hair?” Show – Part 3

The Tyra Banks “What Is Good Hair?” Show – Part 4

The Tyra Banks “What Is Good Hair?” Show – Part 5