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An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
Do White Families Need "Special Training" Before Adopting Black Children?

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If_I_Had_a_Poodle
10/31/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
Natural, braided, straightened -- choice is choice, and that's the point.

I think the white women who bleach and dye their hair blonde are in thrall to some ridiculous ideas, but they are free to do it.

Same for black women: free to be, you and me. #rebuttalfail
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Caroline Sautereau-Manowe
10/29/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
As the mother of a bi-racial child whose hair tends towards the more tight curls, I make an effort never to mention how tricky it is for me to deal with her hair in front of her (only because it's different from mine). She needs positive reinforcement, as does Zahara Jolie-Pitt, negatives are all to common without added comments on hair. I spend more time, effort and money on her hair than on my own, only because I am still learning. But no matter how it looks, it's still beautiful because she's a lovely child. She'll do what she wants to her hair when she's old enough, for now, natural is best. #rebuttalfail
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MargaretMoony
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
I'm sure this has been brought up before, but has the Hair Police thought that she's a little kid? Little kids of any ethnicity don't sit around for complicated hair styles. Hell, most of the time they end up looking wild five minute later. Simplicity is the way to go! #rebuttalfail
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limber
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
I love the linked photo with Zahara's hair loose in the purple dress. Partly because Z looks absolutely lovely and happy and she's holding her sister's hand and it's adorable.

...but also because I find it absolutely hilarious that Shiloh is missing a tooth and wearing a fedora/tie/skull combo with Crocs, and yet Zahara is the one drawing tsking sounds about her appearance. HA! #rebuttalfail
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freestylewalker
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
It's the conformity message that gets me too. How dare she say that a kid's hair should look like everyone else's? Maybe Zahara's hair is wild because she likes it that way. And you know what? She should. She's adorable. Her white sister's hair isn't styled either, it doesn't even look brushed. Good. They're kids. And they shouldn't be forced into cutesy little styles because they're girls, and Z shouldn't be punished with hours of hair oiling and combing because she's a black girl. She's not in a pageant, she's in a playground. There's no law that black kids have to maintain their hair a certain way. #rebuttalfail
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MargaretMoony
10/28/09

@freestylewalker: THANK YOU! #rebuttalfail
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Rooo sez BISH PLZ
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
Deer (and u kno i dont rly meen it) Alysunn:

JURNALIZM & SELFLUV & MY.O.B.
UR DOIN EM ALL RONG
PLZ STOP NAO

Kisses,
Rooo
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Edited by Rooo sez BISH PLZ at 10/28/09 4:17 PM Rooo sez BISH PLZ was starred

philtastic
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
K, um, so she really thinks that the Jolie-Pitts, the family that lives in French chateaus and hang out with The Edge, don't spend time or money on their daughter's hair. Just because the little girl with the most amazing bich plz face ever is rocking a natural hair style.
No, totally makes sense. Rly. #rebuttalfail
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CParis
10/28/09

@philtastic: Rec for the "bich plz" face! #rebuttalfail
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Where The Mild Things Are
10/28/09

@philtastic: The look on her face in the "damning photo" linked above is amazing. She looks like such a fun kid to hang out with! #rebuttalfail
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philtastic
10/28/09

@Where The Mild Things Are: I know. Is it weird that I'm 30 and really really really want to be her friend? #rebuttalfail
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sangmo
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
I think Latoya's article should be printed by Newsweek as a response to Samuel's. Someone please send it to them. #rebuttalfail
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sarahem
10/28/09

@sangmo: I was thinking this too! #rebuttalfail
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vulcanized
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
Please excuse my ignorance, but what are "beady beads" and "kitchens"? #rebuttalfail
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Treeless
10/28/09

@vulcanized: The kitchen is fluffy or nappy hair particular to the nape of the neck. New, unrelaxed growth can be particularly evident at the back of the neck and not match the rest of a relaxed head of hair, so to rudely tease someone about their "kitchen" is to call them unkempt. It's (sort of) like teasing someone about dark roots. #rebuttalfail
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vulcanized
10/28/09

@Treeless: Ah, I see. Thanks - I'd never heard that before. #rebuttalfail
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ainsworth2
10/28/09

@Treeless: Yup, when my roots grow out, they add an extra inch of height to my overall height. #rebuttalfail
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Lana Leigh loves Meryl Streep
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
Enough Samuels, enough!!! Thandie Newton's youngest daughter rocks the exact same hair style as Zahara and I haven't seen you piss and moan about it. The Samuel boys rock similar hairstyles, and again no complaints. Why are you wasting so much time and energy on this topic, it's none of your fuckin' business. She's getting fed, clothed, bathed, and housed and that's all you, or anyone else that is not her parent, needs to be concerned about.
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kookla promoted this comment Edited by Lana Leigh loves Meryl Streep at 10/28/09 3:27 PM

kookla
10/28/09

@Lana Leigh loves Meryl Streep: Also: Please see Heidi Klum + Seal's kids. #rebuttalfail
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echoparkgal
10/28/09

@kookla: Samuels turns a blind eye to the children of visibly Black/multiracial unions (Also: See Halle and Nahla) because she really doesn't care about the hair. She wants to denounce transracial parenting, especially Brad & Angelina as they are not raising their daughter to identify with what Samuels understands Black rituals, aesthetics and values to be. #rebuttalfail
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Lana Leigh loves Meryl Streep
10/28/09

@Lana Leigh loves Meryl Streep:
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Lana Leigh loves Meryl Streep
10/28/09

@Lana Leigh loves Meryl Streep: #rebuttalfail
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kookla
10/28/09

@echoparkgal: Well, that doesn't make any sense. As diverse as families are these days, hair is the least of anyone's concerns. #rebuttalfail
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Lana Leigh loves Meryl Streep
10/28/09

@Lana Leigh loves Meryl Streep: #rebuttalfail
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echoparkgal
10/28/09

@kookla: exactly! The hair shouldn't be a big deal but the author makes it one only because she was raised on the importance of the negative view of unmanipulated Black hair. Seeing Zahara walking, talking, photographed and famous - living without a restrictive and damaging view of her hair - what Americans see and define as essential Blackness AND being supported by her non-Black family to live without conformity must have shaken this author somehow into this neverending tirade. While it's not a big deal for people who have embraced naturally curly Black hair, it is pretty groundbreaking for those who have been condition into the author's way of thinking. #rebuttalfail
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Bitingpika
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
Future columns by Allison Samuels:

Gardening Outfits Lack Flare

My Neighbor's Kid Sports Orange Pants, Pink Shirt.

UPS Delivery Staff Need Makeover

Teacher Assaults Eyes Unforgiveable "Gift" Brooch

What the Hell, Golfers?

#rebuttalfail
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keldo promoted this comment Edited by Bitingpika at 10/28/09 3:17 PM Bitingpika was starred Bitingpika was unstarred

Rooo sez BISH PLZ
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
"We can help to shape a world where she doesn't feel pressured to relax her hair to conform, nor does she feel deficient if she decides to wear her hair the way it grows out of her head."

Could someone copy this in bold on a thousand fliers and litter Alison Samuels' desk with it -- and while they're at it, send copies certified mail to the EIC of Newsweak, and also the NYT?

'Cause I don't think they're going to get around to reading the whole article, which they damn well should, without a sound rap upside the head as a prerequisite.

*kthx* #rebuttalfail
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AlmostDream
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
This woman is nuts. She's talking about a four year old. You know what happens when someone bothers to style my four year old cousin's hair? It goes back to looking exactly how it started within 10 minutes. Because she's four and she likes to play and doesn't give a crap if she messes up her hair in the process.

Also, maybe I was just tender-headed, but my worst childhood memories are of my mom attempting to "control" my hair. Seriously, I think I've mentally blocked most of it. There was nothing fun or bonding about the experience.

She needs to stop projecting her own issues onto a child who, and I thank you for pointing this out, isn't African American anyway and has no reason to have the same issues African American women have. #rebuttalfail
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kookla
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
I said it before and I'll say it again, those bonding moments, whether it was with mom, sister or friend are part of growing up. And being able to experiment and express yourself has to do with the way you wear your hair.

Because of her bohemian upbringing, Zahara is being allowed to experiment and appreciate her hair at a much younger age than most of us. #rebuttalfail
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usepenandpaper
10/28/09

In reply to An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police
Latoya, thank you for calling this woman on her bullshit. Zahara is an adopted black child, she'll have enough identity issues to deal with when she gets older. She doesn't need Allison Samuels to add to them.

As a person of Afro-Caribbean decent who is also bi-racial and grew up in the south I know all to well the pain of the hair police. And I know what it's like to not identify with any one aspect of American culture even though I've lived here since I was 2.

I wore my hair in a curly fro for most of college and worked at a grocery store and the insults that were hurled at me from my African American co-workers were ridiculous! I was constantly being told that I needed a relaxer or a hot comb in my head. #rebuttalfail
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An Open Appeal To The Jolie-Pitt Hair Police

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