Black Women's Hair, Beauty, and Intra-Race Racism
Looking for the old results?
This poll is interested in your opinion on Black women's hair, and what this says about beauty standards, and internalized or "legitimized" racism. And if you don't know what I mean by the term "natural hair", you should visit this site for an idea before completing the poll: Nappturality.
What race are you?
| 80% (68) | Black | |
|---|---|---|
| 10% (9) | White | |
| 3% (3) | Asian | |
| 1% (1) | Hispanic | |
| 3% (3) | Other |
84 voters have answered this question.
What sex are you?
| 11% (10) | Male | |
|---|---|---|
| 88% (76) | Female |
86 voters have answered this question.
Do you consider your surroundings (neighborhood, school) ethnically diverse?
| 66% (56) | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| 33% (28) | No |
84 voters have answered this question.
Are your friends mostly:
| 28% (24) | your own race | |
|---|---|---|
| 49% (41) | pretty diverse | |
| 16% (14) | of races other than your own | |
| 4% (4) | what friends? |
83 voters have answered this question.
BLACK WOMEN: how's your hair?
| 28% (21) | permed | |
|---|---|---|
| 16% (12) | straightened, but no chemicals | |
| 9% (7) | texturized | |
| 44% (33) | natural, NO CHEMICALS | |
| 1% (1) | I'm bald |
74 voters have answered this question.
BLACK WOMEN: what's your hair length?
| 28% (21) | long (10+ inches) | |
|---|---|---|
| 45% (34) | medium (6-9 inches) | |
| 25% (19) | short (less than 6 inches) |
74 voters have answered this question.
Who's hair do you prefer? Or who's hair is closer to your ideal length/style?
| 23% (16) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/beyonce.jpg">Beyonce</a> | |
|---|---|---|
| 22% (15) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/aa/aa6.jpg">Aaliyah</a> | |
| 16% (11) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/alicia6.jpg">Alicia Keys</a> | |
| 11% (8) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/hal/halle43.jpg">Halle Berry</a> | |
| 11% (8) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/nia/nia10.jpg">Nia Long</a> | |
| 1% (1) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/countess.jpg">Countess Vaughn</a> | |
| 4% (3) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/holly5.jpg">Holly Robinson-Peete</a> | |
| 5% (4) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/eve.jpg">Eve</a> | |
| 22% (15) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/jill8.jpg">Jill Scott</a> | |
| 11% (8) | <A href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/lauryn/lauryn.jpg">Lauryn Hill</a> | |
| 1% (1) | <a href="http://www.cattdaddy.com/missy5.jpg">Missy</a> | |
| 10% (7) | <a href="http://user.tninet.se/~yck219b/badu74.jpg">Erykah Badu</a> | |
| 13% (9) | <a href="http://www.planet-hiphop.com/bgyrl/bgyrls/floetry.gif">Floetry</a> | |
| 5% (4) | <a href="http://www.greetsomeone.com/mag/octobera/buttons/macy.jpg">Macy Gray</a> | |
| 5% (4) | <a href="http://www.bachelorman.com/Media/Cast/Bledsoe/Janey.jpg">Tempest Bledsoe</a> | |
| 11% (8) | <a href="http://www.tkeyah.com/tkeyah.html">T'Keyah Crystal Keymah | |
| 4% (3) | <a href="http://image.pathfinder.com/essence/images/mix_ART_h_headley.jpg">Heather Headley</a> |
68 voters have answered this question.
BLACK WOMEN: If you currently wear your hair permed or straightened, why?
| 26% (12) | Because it's prettier that way. | |
|---|---|---|
| 42% (19) | It's easier to style. | |
| 20% (9) | I want versatility. | |
| 2% (1) | My man likes it. | |
| 2% (1) | My mom makes me! | |
| 4% (2) | Everyone else does it... | |
| 2% (1) | I want to look White. |
45 voters have answered this question.
BLACK WOMEN: Would you ever consider wearing you hair naturally? No chemicals, no straightening, no weaves?
| 5% (4) | No. My hair is too nappy for that. | |
|---|---|---|
| 4% (3) | No. It wouldn't look right on me. | |
| 4% (3) | No. I don't like natural hair. | |
| 1% (1) | No. I wouldn't know how to take care of it. | |
| 6% (5) | Maybe. If it would look curly or wavy. | |
| 2% (2) | Maybe. If no one would make fun of me for it. | |
| 4% (3) | Maybe. As long as I don't have to chop all of my hair off. | |
| 8% (6) | Yes. I want to do it. | |
| 0% (0) | Yes. I'm tired of being bothered with it. | |
| 5% (4) | Yes! My hair is badly damaged! | |
| 2% (2) | Yes. It's a way of getting in touch with my heritage. | |
| 4% (3) | Yes. Society sucks and should be changed! | |
| 6% (5) | I'm willing to do anything to my hair. | |
| 43% (32) | I AM napptural. |
73 voters have answered this question.
BLACK WOMEN: What are your goals concerning your hair?
| 13% (10) | I don't have goals. | |
|---|---|---|
| 49% (36) | Length, length, and more length! | |
| 56% (41) | I want healthy hair, despite how it looks. | |
| 2% (2) | I don't want ANY hair that I have to comb. |
73 voters have answered this question.
BLACK WOMEN: Do you realize that relaxing (perming and texturizer) your hair causes irreparable damage to it?
| 17% (10) | Yes, and I don't care. | |
|---|---|---|
| 50% (29) | Yes, but I don't know what to do about it. | |
| 12% (7) | I didn't know that! | |
| 20% (12) | I really don't care. |
58 voters have answered this question.
BLACK WOMEN: Does your hair grow fast?
| 65% (49) | Yes. | |
|---|---|---|
| 34% (26) | No. |
75 voters have answered this question.
Why do you think Black women's hair generally doesn't grow fast or long?
| 25% (19) | It does. | |
|---|---|---|
| 14% (11) | Irreparable chemical damage. | |
| 7% (6) | Damage done by heat-styling. | |
| 39% (30) | Damage done by not knowing how to take care of their hair. | |
| 13% (10) | Black hair just doesn't grow fast, period. |
76 voters have answered this question.
When you think of an attractive Black woman, what image comes to mind more readily?
| 13% (11) | BEYONCE | |
|---|---|---|
| 32% (26) | long hair | |
| 39% (31) | mid-length hair | |
| 20% (16) | short hair | |
| 27% (22) | lighter skin | |
| 45% (36) | darker skin | |
| 41% (33) | thin body with boobs and butt | |
| 40% (32) | thick body | |
| 11% (9) | thin body, no boobs and/or butt | |
| 13% (11) | light-colored hair (blondes, light browns, reds) | |
| 49% (39) | dark-colored hair (darkest browns, black) |
79 voters have answered this question.
BLACK WOMEN: Do you think you're attractive by society's standards?
| 35% (26) | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| 25% (19) | No | |
| 39% (29) | Maybe |
74 voters have answered this question.
Black Women: Do you think you're attractive by YOUR standards?
| 81% (60) | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| 9% (7) | No | |
| 9% (7) | Maybe |
74 voters have answered this question.
What do you think about nappy hair in general?
| 0% (0) | It looks good on darker-colored women and men only. | |
|---|---|---|
| 0% (0) | It looks good on lighter women and men only. | |
| 3% (3) | I hate it. | |
| 4% (4) | It's not attractive. | |
| 4% (4) | It must be tamed at all costs! | |
| 0% (0) | It's for men only. | |
| 18% (15) | It doesn't look right on every black person. | |
| 33% (27) | I love it. | |
| 30% (25) | It's the essence of the African person. Wear it with pride! | |
| 1% (1) | I'm ashamed of it. | |
| 2% (2) | As long as it's naturally curly or wavy, then it's okay. |
81 voters have answered this question.
What do you think about short, nappy hair, in general?
| 9% (8) | It's a big NO-NO. | |
|---|---|---|
| 0% (0) | It only looks good on dark women, | |
| 0% (0) | It only looks good on light women. | |
| 30% (25) | It looks good on every woman. | |
| 3% (3) | It's for lesbians only. | |
| 56% (46) | It looks good on some people, but not everyone. |
82 voters have answered this question.
Honestly, what do you think when you see a woman with shorter, nappy hair?
| 2% (2) | She looks like a boy. | |
|---|---|---|
| 0% (0) | She must be gay. | |
| 17% (14) | She's brave. | |
| 3% (3) | She's ugly. | |
| 29% (24) | She's beautiful. | |
| 47% (39) | It depends on who's wearing it. |
82 voters have answered this question.
Should more black women wear their hair naturally, whatever texture and whatever length it grows from their scalps?
| 4% (4) | No way. | |
|---|---|---|
| 32% (26) | Maybe. | |
| 62% (51) | Yes. It's claiming our right to be beautiful w/o altering our hair and bodies |
81 voters have answered this question.
And finally, what do you think of Beyonce?
| 20% (17) | Beautiful. | |
|---|---|---|
| 19% (16) | She's okay. | |
| 3% (3) | Skank. | |
| 2% (2) | She wears her hair naturally so I like her even though she wears blonde wigs | |
| 10% (9) | She wears blonde wigs. Ugh. | |
| 7% (6) | Conceited, arrogant hoochie! | |
| 6% (5) | Work it girl! | |
| 2% (2) | Who's this Beyonce you keep talking about? | |
| 27% (23) | You must really love Beyonce, huh pollster? |
83 voters have answered this question.
This poll was created on 2003-09-19 22:21:57
by shantygirl
