Kind of off topic: Boycott Natural Hair YouTube gurus who have teamed up with CurlyNikki and sold the movement to whites

A few days ago, I wrote that the Natural Hair Community was trolled by some white, attention whoring chick and some of the Natural Hair Gurus co-signed her attempt to join the movement.

Well, since then, it has come to light that some of these gurus have, in some way, aligned or associated themselves with these white companies for financial gain and that is why they are okay with whites and non-blacks to join and mostly likely co-opt a movement created by and for black women, exclusively.

Many of them are saying that the Natural Hair Movement was never about race. Is that right? 

So who are these Natural Hair Gurus you should boycott? Here is a list*:

• Well, we already know Taren Guy aka Taren916 has sold herself to a company 
• Curly Nikki 
• Denim Pixie (Quest for the Perfect Curl)
• CharyJay 
• The Natural Haven (JC) 
• NaturalChica 
• SunKissed Alba 
• Melshary Arias

This is a running list and as more information is uncovered about the Natural Hair Gurus who are selling themselves to whites, they will be added.

The following is some more information compiled by a member named luxe (hey girl!) over on Lipstick Alley about why we need to boycott these Natural Hair Gurus. Even if you have reservations about the site itself, it is great information!!!

"For those that need background.

Curly Nikki featured a white woman on her blog. Not a big deal when you consider the fact that CN is now owned by NaturallyCurly/Texture Media. However, things reached a fever pitch on Sunday when the white woman got on twitter proclaiming that black women were being exclusive, the natural hair movement was not created for black women, and that the blog is called "CURLY Nikki not BlackNikki". She deleted certain tweets once she got called out, but we have screencaps.

The thread covering everything is here.

There have been numerous articles, blogs, tumblr and facebook posts surrounding her reaction and both sides of the argument.

Some blogs/responses:

• BGLH response
• Another BGLH response
• Clutch Magazine
• Ebony Magazine
• ChescaLeigh response
• Madame Noire

Other responses (from twitter, facebook etc) were posted in the thread mentioned.

An Ebony writer (article listed above) chimed in very early in the debate speaking about the importance of the Natural Hair Movement and black women having safe spaces to commune and share experiences, motivations, and stories etc.

Curly Nikki decided to respond (I refuse to link her blog, if you want to read her response it was posted in the thread I mentioned above) and focused on attacking Jamilah (author of the Ebony article) rather than discussing the debate at hand or the ignorant comments that Sarah (the white woman) made. She also tried to claim that her blog was always all inclusive and that she never started it for only black women, though her bio specifically says the opposite.

She [Curly Nikki] basically sold out for white money/clicks/pageviews and is willing to alienate the black women who got her site to the place where it is today.

Melshary, Taren, SunKissAlba and others all spoke out in favor of CN and Sarah. The original thread is worth the read if you actually care, if you just want to be obtuse, kindly find a seat on the sidelines and stay there."

So there is it people!!! This is why I said in a previous post that you have to be careful in who and what you support. Don't let this movement that was created by and for black women be given away by self proclaimed innovators and pioneers of the Natural Hair Movement who are nothing more than charlatans who only care about your clicks and views which = money. They have no integrity and are willing to compromise who they are and what they represent for money, not realizing this movement is bigger than them and US!!

Kind of off topic: The Natural Hair Community Divided by a white troll who could give two fucks about black women and their hair

So, this happened, which sparked an online commotion between black women/the natural hair community and the featured guest on Curly Nikki, which by the way is NO LONGER OWNED by Curly Nikki, but is now owned by TextureMedia Inc.

What is happening RIGHT DAMN NOW is a real live Columbus-ing of the The Natural Hair Community (for black women with tightly coiled hair). They might as well give us smallpox infected satin scarves while they're at it.  This mess is happening right in front of our eyes and up under our noses and we are letting it happen.

This entire debacle makes me so angry and sad for our already weakened and divided community.

Why?

• Because you have the blind, ignorant and uninformed black women who want SO badly to be approved and validated by whitey, that they will fight against their own (other black women) to ensure the white man's acceptance in the community. (This is what this white troll wanted to happen all along. See pic) 
  


• Because you have the shifty and flighty natural hair YTers/vloggers/bloggers who hop on whatever side of the fence is the most popular and most controversial at the time, abandoning their core audience, even for the moment, for revenue and more hits (cough*Taren Guy*cough)


• Those who have the voice to speak and depolarize and diffuse the tension and buzz right now, have remained silent out of fear of losing followers.


• Marginalization of black women's struggle in the this society as it relates to our hair. Some brainwashed new blacks who are being purposely obtuse are saying "Well, it's just hair" when they know good and damn well it's not. It's more than just hair for the black woman, especially black woman with more tightly coiled hair.


• The dismissive attitudes of whiteys and new blacks who have attempted to silence the voices of black women who have chosen to speak out and speak up when our space is invaded by those who don't understand and will never experience our struggle. They don't understand that there is a separation that needs to remain as that.


• Those who have attempted to be diplomatic have just given up trying to diffuse both sides because it is a fire that has somewhat gotten out of control and they feel "What's the point?" 


• The inevitable-- the term #TeamNatural as WE black women know it, WILL indeed be appropriated, as with everything else that willfully ignorant black people have given away for the white man to profit off of. The shit is happening RIGHT before our eyes and it is just jaw dropping.


• Because of how #TeamNatural will be appropriated, the representation and reserved space that was exclusive to black women, will now be extended to women of fairer skin and more loosely textured hair, to white women and other non-blacks with non-4b-c hair. 

If you don't think it is scary, perhaps you are the willfully ignorant new black I referenced above. There is nothing wrong with separation, as it relates to black women with tightly coiled hair, in that natural/afro textured hair has been politicized and militanized. A white women with curly hair will NEVER be told that she is a militant and being radical for wearing her hair curly. A white woman will never have the threat of demotion or job loss for wearing her hair curly. A white woman will never have a national debate over the military's decision over her curly locks. A white woman (or her white child) will never have the experience of being threatened with expulsion from school because her hair is too big or too long. 

To say otherwise, is very dismissive of the struggle endured by black women with natural/afro textured hair and trivializes our pain.