By TUREKA TURK
Mkhl@n Citizen
aren't too many referenc to
how to care for natural Black"
hair. For so many years,
perm have been pressed on
us like it was a cure for cancer.
And many of us buy into say­
ing, "Perms make my 'hair
easier to manage. It's conven­
ience."
I t's time to look for a new
excuse. Journalist Lonnice
Brittenum Bonner has
penned a new book entitled
"Good Hair: For Colored Girls
Who've Considered Weaves
When The Chemicals Became
Too Ruff" (Crown Publishing,
1994), that puts the myth that
natural hair is more difficult
to deal with to rest.
U 0 OU LY, BO -
ER R COU 'hair tales
that are all too familiar for
those of us in the kinky tribe.
Hair tylists horror stori
top the list. From getting too
much taken off to having hair
literally fall out, Bonner un­
covers Black women's blind
trust in hair stylists and rt:::­
minds, s of same very impor­
tan t lessons.
While careful not to lump
all hair stylists in once cate­
gory, Bon ner urges consu I t­
ations and strand tests. Good
communication with a stylist
will lessen your chanc of
coming out of the shop bald.
This communication is es­
pecially important for those
trying to go b ck to their natu­
ral ways (or go to them for
those of you who were never
there). If growing your hair
out, Bonner remind you that
you have two different hair
textures going on: your natu­
ral roots and the permed stuff
at the ends. Caring for this
kind of hair i omething
"Good Hair" is excellent in ex­
plaining. Bonner reteaches
how to wash, dry, lubricate
and style our hair without us­
ing any curling irons. Believe
it"
"Good Hair" i n excellent
how-to-rediscov r-who-you­
are book as well. In taking on
the topic of natural hair, Bon­
ner challenge beauty ideas in
It was about two years ago
I discovered I had no idea
what my natural h ir looked
like. Curiosity drove m to'
find out.
Braid were one way I dealt
with the situation, not having
the guts to start anew and go
with a fade. During the past
two years, I have let my hair
breathe (took the braids out)
to examine the kinky/curly
mass on top of my head. Al­
though, most straight haired
sisters look at me weird, I
have no regrets.
The hardest thing about go­
ing natural is that there
- --- - � "Y""'Ir
thi iety well. To wear
natural hair can go yond
the hort fad many sisters
are sporting now. And, it
s ms that natural hair may
be making a comeback thanks
to th influence of the 19708.
emal rap rtist, Rage, is all
the rage in her afro puffs,
sam thing older woman may
find amusing but it is true.
But tting to that point is a
journey all its own. Fear of
nappin is a lot to counter­
act.
But Bonner does tell you
how to discover your hair once
you get to that point. Includ­
ing definitions of hair tools,
oils and throwing in a little
education on follicles, Bonner
mak t a little easier to con-
quer the fear of naps. In fact,
with some of the easy styles
she lays out toward the end
(I've tried them and they
work), you may even grow to
love the kinky/curly m of
naps called Black hair ..
B ER E PLAINS
T vanity has a lot to do
with Black women's depend­
ency on chemicals. Growing
up in communities where
most women visit the salon
every two weeks, it is hard to
coun ract the mentality to
explore new images of beauty.
Photos from Lonnice Bonner's Good Hair: For Colored Girls Who've Considered Weaves When the Chemicals Became Too Ruff (center photo is cover de ign).
I ,
I This Week In Black History ,
cathlon in Olympics.
1976 - Edwin Mas won gold
medal and set the world record in
4GO-meter hurdles at Montreal
Olympics.
JULy 24, 1807 - Shakespear­
ean actor, Ira Aldridge was born in
New York ity.
1865 - Headquarters of the
Freeman s Bank opened in New,
York.'
1954 - harles Bush was Name the device invented by a
named Black Page in Supreme Black slave owned by Jefferson
Court. Davis, which prompted him (0 seek
patent protection for slau s.
What was the name of the first
Liberty hip named for a Black?
25, 1777 - irs BI ack
Baptist Church in America was or­
ganized by igh 1 v ilv r
Bluff, . ,
1 04 - 'ITh
n w 11
by
JULy 26, 1 47 - Li ria d -
cl ared an independence r public.
1848 - Harriet Tu m n
caped from sl av ry.
1 5 -'- atrrck Fr anci H ly
came fir t lack award d a
h.D. (from uvain Urnver ity,
lgium).
1 77 - layton Gav
w rd d th congr sion al M
of Honor for brav ry in
g' in t h P ch .
1 n Harry
d r endin
. S. arm d
Who is the actress who starred as
the nurse in the T. V. s ries "Trapper
John, 'M.D. "?
JUL 27, 1880 - A.P. Ash-
bourne patent proc for refining
coconu oil.
18 1- Tuskeg Institute, with
one building and 30 tudents,
opened.
1948 - Legal basis e tablish d
for des gregation of armed fore .
1958 - Clifton Wharton as min­
i r to Rom n i a c me fi r t
Black to h d an Am ri an Em-
Who w r the participants in "I
hall nge You "_?
- 14th Am nd-
2 , 1824 - AJexandre
uthor of The Three Mu -
became first Bi hop of African
Methodist piscopal Zion hurch.
1959 - I n his fi rst start of a
brilliant career, Bob Gi n of th
St. Louis Cardinal pitch a hut­
out over the incinnati
960' - The sign P rcy ut II
often wor during the confront -
tion civil rights campaigns in th
th, w "I Am A Man."
�a.
1935 - Ella Fitzgerald made
h r firs recording.
1965 - Thurgood Marshall was
nominated Solicitor General of
th
Who wrot "Home to Harlem"?
In what y ardid th UpI' m
Court rul that racial egr gation
in public schools was unconstitu­
tional?
WE
,1 22 -J m Varick
24th -
hin
n
What Bloch group II I' t r cord d
th hit 'I Want To Tall You
lli h r"l
1· ud M Ka .
'ly nd Th ( mily