I ♥ My Hair!
Whip it, flip it, love it down! The love and appreciation for Black hair seems to be at an all time high and I couldn’t be happier. From Willow Smith’s exuberantly ecstatic video for her smash “Whip My Hair” to the “I Love My Hair” YouTube sensation from Sesame Street, there’s an embrace of cornrows, afro puffs, ponytails, dreadlocks, twists, box braids and press & curls that hasn’t been seen since the “I’m Happy To be Nappy” movement of the 90’s and the Black Power Movement of the 60’s.
Joey Mazzarino, the head writer of Sesame Street and a Muppeteer, wrote “I Love My Hair” for his 5-year old daughter, Segi who he adopted with his wife from Ethiopia when she was a year old. Talking on NPR, Joey says he wrote the song after noticing his daughter playing with white dolls.
“She wanted to have long blond hair and straight hair, and she wanted to be able to bounce it around.”
Initially Joey thought Segi’s desire for hair like her blue-eyed Barbie was a problem that white parents of African-American children have. Then he realized the problem was much larger.
Clearly homeboy didn’t see “Good Hair!”
And I know “Whip My Hair” is not specifically about Black hair, but the fact that a little Black girl is doing all the whipping, dipping (in paint no less) and signifying it becomes particularly anthemic for Black girls. To be sure, if I’m in a club, lounge or even the grocery store and this song comes on, I’m snatching my hair band off and tossing my head back and forth, headbanger stylie and whipping my braids all around that canned goods aisle. This is acceptable, right?
And for some bonfire Hotness, check our Facebook page for the best video of them all– the “Whip My Hair” + “I Love My Hair” mash-up!!!
love all three. i’d be inteterested in hearing your niece’s and other young black girls commentary.
I love it too. So does my daughter. We’ve got to do better in helping our girls realize their beauty and value– the younger, the better.
i love my hair!
Actually, the Sesame Street writer _did_ see “Good Hair.” In the next part of the interview he says that after seeing Good Hair he realized that he way his daughter felt was widespread among black women.
It’s 30 years too late for me, bit all this celebration of black hair warms my little girl’s heart!