Nappiness Is..

[talktooloose]

"Nappy hair" is actually not a term I was too familiar with until recently when I heard a black hairdresser/activist on the radio encouraing black people to enjoy and celebrate their naturally kinky hair.

I used the term in a story, purely descriptively, but something was tickling the back of my memory so I did some Googlage. I read an article on why the term is historically offensive, but most of the hits were similar to what I heard on the radio.

Is "nappy" being reclaimed? Is it a term that is loaded in such a way that I can't use it casually yet if it's not a black character talking?

And if not "nappy," what term can I use to describe a black character's hair which is kinky and cropped short?

By the way, my chest hair is nappy.

Comments

[mentalmakeup.livejournal.com]

I am not of much help, but do not use "nappy". It's still offensive.

A lot of writers I've read get around this by using "tightly curled", but personally, I'm not picturing a black person's natural hair when I read that, I'm thinking of My Worst Perm.

In summary, I am of no help.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

"my worst perm" lol.

Maybe I'll give him long straight pink hair. though that may confuse things.

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

if you have to ask ...

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

Nonsense! I hate the PC philosophy that says asking equals insensitivity.

However, having asked and having received answers, I will not be using it unless appropriate in dialogue. It won't come out of my narrator voice.

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

No that's not quite what I meant.

What I meant was that if *you* are unsure about it, probably other people are too, which (if you're trying to be cautious) indicates not.

[painglass.livejournal.com]

My black co-workers refer to their own and other black people's hair as nappy all the time. I have used it myself in reference to a customer's hair (after she'd left) without my black co-workers being offended. Although, I work with very liberal black women who themselves look down on many black people for their "ghetto ways". So...take that with a grain of salt. I will say, at least here in Milwaukee, many black people will call you for using black slag if you are white (especially if they don't know you).

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

I think the last line is the crucial one: it is not my slang to use casually.

[fantasyenabler.livejournal.com]

In my experience, this is still a loaded term, and it's not one that I hear my black students using, even when they're describing to me how to properly fix black hair, so I don't think it's being reclaimed or at least it's not here in the DC area. They tend to refer to hair that's not straight as "natural," "unprocessed," or "untreated," not nappy. I'm thinking that's because there are an awful lot of chemicals involved in straightening or altering black hair. If you have the tight, curly hair, you've obviously decided to forego all of the processing.

[(Anonymous)]

Do a google search; it's clearly being reclaimed, if not in D.C.

However, I think my instinct is correct: it's not for me to use.

Thanks.

[talktooloose.livejournal.com]

that was me replying, soz.

[redknot.livejournal.com]

Nappy is no good... Don Imus got in big trouble for using it. There's more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Imus