Tuesday, July 26, 2011

My "Nappy" Epiphany

Ok, so if you've watched my YouTube videos, you should know how I feel about the word "nappy." I don't like it. At all. I just think it's really derogatory and offensive. Who wants to hear their hair described as "a bunch of napps?" I certainly don't.

Plus, as a hair type, it doesn't make logical sense to me. Straight, wavy, curly, and kinky are all accepted hair textures, and they all describe the visual appearance of the hair they are assigned to. I think most people can see that logic. Straight hair is straight, curly hair has curls, wavy hair has waves and kinky hair has kinks, also known as very tight curls/coils.

But can someone please point out a napp to me? Could someone verbally describe the physical characteristics of one for me? I just don't know what that would be like... If you are either drawing a blank, or can only think of descriptive terms that would also be applied to curly or kinky hair, we're on the same page. That's why I don't think "nappy" should be considered a hair type. Besides the fact that it's negative, it also doesn't make any logical sense to use the term as a hair type when more appropriate, non offensive ones already exist that can do the job just as well.

However, I recently realized, the term nappy does have a place in the black hair community. Not as a hair type, but as a state of being. I realized that I only get mad at use of the word when someone uses it to say what texture of hair someone has. But I think nappy can be used to say when someone's hair is tangled and knotted. So, with this description in mind, lets say a napp = a tangled, knotted, or matted curl and nappy = hair that is full of napps.

Let's face it, nappy is a word and it's not going to go away any time soon. But language evolves with culture. And I believe our culture has evolved enough to know the difference between a hair texture and hair's state of being. To me, nappy is a state of being for hair. That's all.

Share your thoughts in the comments. Later, loves. :-*

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