Maxine |
Maxine Roberts, 21
Albany NY 25 March 2016 |
Victoria Awkward: When I say the phrase “natural hair” what does it mean to you?
Maxine Roberts: I think it can mean a lot of different things. Beyond the literal definition of natural hair, it can also represent hierarchies. As soon as people have their hair natural then someone’s curl pattern is better then someone else’s. It becomes this competitive game almost. It’s also a way to put down black women.
It’s also difficult to define what natural is, because people try to limit that too. For example, some people don’t think that hair with heat is considered natural. Natural hair has all these weird connotations and baggage that come with it.
Victoria Awkward: When I say the phrase “natural hair” what does it mean to you?
Maxine Roberts: I think it can mean a lot of different things. Beyond the literal definition of natural hair, it can also represent hierarchies. As soon as people have their hair natural then someone’s curl pattern is better then someone else’s. It becomes this competitive game almost. It’s also a way to put down black women.
It’s also difficult to define what natural is, because people try to limit that too. For example, some people don’t think that hair with heat is considered natural. Natural hair has all these weird connotations and baggage that come with it.
VA: Has someone said negative/hurtful commentary about your hair either purposely or mistakenly? What were they? Why did they hurt?
MR: Pretty much constantly. I grew up in a mostly white community. I was probably the only black person these people knew. So it was a really bizarre environment.
I have had a lot of different textures of hair. I always had hair on my upper lip, bushy eyebrows, and on other places on my body. So that was always a huge focal point too. Not just that I had big hair as a kid, but I also had what I called a girlstache. People would always make comments, and that was a huge insecurity for me as a little third grader, like I have a mustache and everybody’s making fun of me.
And I think the worst thing people say about my hair is that, “oh it’s so poufy”. I hate that word, I don’t really know what that means, well, I do. But it always accompanies a little touch. Hair touching, without asking, is out of control, and it still happens even now that my hair looks smaller. It’s offensive when people think they can touch you without asking, just because your hair looks different then theirs.
MR: Pretty much constantly. I grew up in a mostly white community. I was probably the only black person these people knew. So it was a really bizarre environment.
I have had a lot of different textures of hair. I always had hair on my upper lip, bushy eyebrows, and on other places on my body. So that was always a huge focal point too. Not just that I had big hair as a kid, but I also had what I called a girlstache. People would always make comments, and that was a huge insecurity for me as a little third grader, like I have a mustache and everybody’s making fun of me.
And I think the worst thing people say about my hair is that, “oh it’s so poufy”. I hate that word, I don’t really know what that means, well, I do. But it always accompanies a little touch. Hair touching, without asking, is out of control, and it still happens even now that my hair looks smaller. It’s offensive when people think they can touch you without asking, just because your hair looks different then theirs.
VA: How is hair important to you? Is it important to you?
MR: Hair matters more than I’d want to admit. I’ve had it fall out for different reasons and that was traumatic. I use to texturize my hair and it started to break off to the point that I only had an inch of hair left. So I had to cut it and do a big chop and completely transition out of it. I was so self-conscious. I’ve lost a lot of hair recently and I’m self-conscious about that. It’s funny because it doesn’t matter and no one can tell and it’s not a big deal at all. But inside I’m thinking my hair is smaller now, and I’m like oh it’s a different texture. I think I’m constantly aware of it and constantly taking care of it. I wish it wasn’t so important to me but it is.
MR: Hair matters more than I’d want to admit. I’ve had it fall out for different reasons and that was traumatic. I use to texturize my hair and it started to break off to the point that I only had an inch of hair left. So I had to cut it and do a big chop and completely transition out of it. I was so self-conscious. I’ve lost a lot of hair recently and I’m self-conscious about that. It’s funny because it doesn’t matter and no one can tell and it’s not a big deal at all. But inside I’m thinking my hair is smaller now, and I’m like oh it’s a different texture. I think I’m constantly aware of it and constantly taking care of it. I wish it wasn’t so important to me but it is.
VA: How often do you see people of color, POC, with curly hair or locs in the media?
MR: Pretty rarely unless it’s a specific type of media that is supposed to be for people of color, like Essence.
Friend holds up Essence magazine. Girl on cover does not have curly hair but is black. Friend finds a picture of a girl with natural hair.
But you’ll never see that unless you’re reading Essence or your online at For Harriet. It’s not going to be there. Or maybe you’ll see a white person with an Afro, or their edges done or whatever they are doing.
Laughter
But more often I see white people appropriating black hairstyles then I see actual black women, girls of color, with natural hair.
VA: Does whitewashing/misrepresentation of POC in the media affect children of color and their perception of their natural features?
MR: Pretty rarely unless it’s a specific type of media that is supposed to be for people of color, like Essence.
Friend holds up Essence magazine. Girl on cover does not have curly hair but is black. Friend finds a picture of a girl with natural hair.
But you’ll never see that unless you’re reading Essence or your online at For Harriet. It’s not going to be there. Or maybe you’ll see a white person with an Afro, or their edges done or whatever they are doing.
Laughter
But more often I see white people appropriating black hairstyles then I see actual black women, girls of color, with natural hair.
VA: Does whitewashing/misrepresentation of POC in the media affect children of color and their perception of their natural features?
MR: It affects children of color a lot. I can speak to that too because I have a white mom. When I was younger, I’d always look at my mom and she was so classically beautiful in this Swiss kind of like European way. I always that I was uglier then her. And it I just kind of thought like yeah I’m uglier then her, but it wasn’t a sad thing, I was just like what’s going on. At that age, I didn’t know it was about race because I was so little I was probably 4 or 5. But as I got older I realized that white supremacy tricked me. So definitely the media can influence how a child perceives their beauty. No one was even trying to make me feel that. Of course when I told my mom, it broke her heart. I think that media has the same potential bring people down.
When Taina was on Nickelodeon, I think she was Hispanic, was the only time I felt represented in my childhood. That was the only time I ever saw someone on TV that looked like me.
When Taina was on Nickelodeon, I think she was Hispanic, was the only time I felt represented in my childhood. That was the only time I ever saw someone on TV that looked like me.
VA: If you had to give advice to a young person of color who was struggling with their natural beauty what would it be?
MR: It’s easier said then done but don’t listen to stupid people. The thing about being a woman of color is that people are always going to tell you all these opinions as if they know what you’ve been through or about your experiences or how you should look. And they don’t know anything, like 100% of the time they don’t know. I think it’s really important to try and take care of yourself and foster your inner voice and listen to that. Even though that inner voice is going to get squashed and you’re going to want to not listen to it. That’s the most important voice that is there and all those other people are ignorant.
MR: It’s easier said then done but don’t listen to stupid people. The thing about being a woman of color is that people are always going to tell you all these opinions as if they know what you’ve been through or about your experiences or how you should look. And they don’t know anything, like 100% of the time they don’t know. I think it’s really important to try and take care of yourself and foster your inner voice and listen to that. Even though that inner voice is going to get squashed and you’re going to want to not listen to it. That’s the most important voice that is there and all those other people are ignorant.
VA: Do you feel that the problems people of color face with their hair reflect a bigger issue in society?
MR: It’s such a political choice what you chose to do or not do with your hair. I think it’s just a really like a damned if you do or damned if you don’t situation. Pretty much anything people of color do is amplified. So politically, regardless of you’re your choices are, you are going to be judged for them. People are going to think that you are whatever for doing whatever it is. So if I straighten my hair or wear braids people may say it’s wrong for some reason. That just reflects that literally just existing in your body is a political act. It’s hard to exist depoliticized and be a regular person because people won’t let you, or you won’t let yourself because you’re so used to the scrutiny.
MR: It’s such a political choice what you chose to do or not do with your hair. I think it’s just a really like a damned if you do or damned if you don’t situation. Pretty much anything people of color do is amplified. So politically, regardless of you’re your choices are, you are going to be judged for them. People are going to think that you are whatever for doing whatever it is. So if I straighten my hair or wear braids people may say it’s wrong for some reason. That just reflects that literally just existing in your body is a political act. It’s hard to exist depoliticized and be a regular person because people won’t let you, or you won’t let yourself because you’re so used to the scrutiny.
VA: Why is it important for people of color to accept their natural beauty (not just hair)?
MR: It may seem trivial to people who do not know much about it. But historically we’ve never been allowed to embrace our beauty or even see ourselves as beautiful. It is apart of how the system of white power wants to keep us subdued. It is a way of depriving people of color of their self worth. So even though you can say, “I don’t care how I look, it doesn’t matter.” It always will in some way. So the best thing to do is to really practice self-love. Particularly for black women, practicing self-love is really radical because it’s something that we haven’t been allowed to do.
MR: It may seem trivial to people who do not know much about it. But historically we’ve never been allowed to embrace our beauty or even see ourselves as beautiful. It is apart of how the system of white power wants to keep us subdued. It is a way of depriving people of color of their self worth. So even though you can say, “I don’t care how I look, it doesn’t matter.” It always will in some way. So the best thing to do is to really practice self-love. Particularly for black women, practicing self-love is really radical because it’s something that we haven’t been allowed to do.
Photographer: Victoria Awkward
Interviewer: Victoria Awkward
Interviewer: Victoria Awkward