Rock treats the topics with a chuckle, but it leaves us with a feeling that we’re getting a blow-dried, glossy version of the actual stories. Instead of just asking Black models and actresses (most of whom wear weaves) for their thoughts on hair, what about Black public intellectuals like Angela Davis and Toni Morrison?
While treating such a complicated topic with levity can be refreshing, it is also deceiving. For as funny as it is to discuss the dos and don’ts of weave sex (“Stay on top,” advises Nia Long), there is a deeper psychology underneath those tresses of wavy hair.
He (Al Sharpton) comments on how Black people wear their oppression on their heads. But if he acknowledges the oppression, then why continue to do it? Undoubtedly there is no simple answer, but the topic begs for more exploration.
Dudley’s Hair and Cosmetics, the factory that produces the toxic vats of relaxant, is one of a handful of Black-owned brands. The founder, Joe Dudley, says it’s significant his product is made “by our own, for our own.” And yet, after witnessing what relaxant does to a piece of chicken breast, we have to wonder, what exactly are you selling to your people?
Noticeably absent from the documentary is the matriarch of the family, Malaak Compton-Rock. After all, who is the most enduring presence in a young daughter’s life? A quick scan of images and videos of Malaak Compton-Rock reveals a self-assured woman who is passionate about her nonprofit work and sports a giant head of weave. The reason for little Zahra’s lament becomes clear: she just wants hair like Mom’s.
I know I'm kinda late, but what did you think about the movie?
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