Texture Representation

Now I am not usually one for rants and raves but there is one particular issue has been a thorn in my side for some time. It is not a topic that hasn’t been touched, but it needs to have more light shed on its importance. As I scroll through the channels of my TV on a daily basis and see hair commercials advertising products and a company trying sympathize with those of that have been told to “tame your curls all your life.” I find it extremely interesting how the women being advertised were those that had looser curl patterns. For a long time now, the natural hair community is represented in what I would call a “biased light”. It seems natural hair is only the ringlets and ‘C’ curls but not those thick and luxurious kinks and coils a lot of us in the natural community possess. Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against those with looser textures but I believe in equal representation. Although we have come a long way such as creating products for natural hair and products geared to toward the breakage and lack of moisture but it seems there is still a division in the natural hair community that could be said to simulate the colorism in the black community. The divide just seems to be on a smaller scale. The coarser kinkier textures can be harder to manage and not as smooth to grace the magazine covers and photo gallery stacks. Some could say my point of view is biased seeing as though I have what is considered 4c texture hair, but I believe this topic is one that is constantly slid under the rug and not presented to be forefront because it it easier for marketing stats to portray and profit from.