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Did you hear? The afro is making a comeback!
Shout out to the 70’s
for taking the look reminiscent of the era back never
again to be seen. Unless
you look in cities such as New York, Philly, or Baltimore just to name a
few, that is. Simon Doogan is
championing the cause and has called for the return of
the afro. It’s almost like Christopher
Columbus discovering America. Um,
sir,
it’s been here all along. Question
is where the hell have you been? By now everyone’s heard about the
controversy surrounding statements made by, fashion
commentator, author and creative ambassador for
Barneys New York. In the article penned
for Slate.com, Mr. Doogan talks about the current state of the afro during his
interview piece with the iconic Pam Grier, best known for her 70s Blaxsploitation
films. If you haven’t had the pleasure,
allow me to provide you with an excerpt.
“I take comfort from the fact that style is a
cyclical mutha and that everything comes back into fashion, eventually. The
current global obsession with pin-straight hair will run its course, and the
afro, and maybe even the jewfro, will return in all its glory.”
He goes on to say:
“Thanks to the current
unpopularity of the afro, afro picks can be purchased at rock-bottom prices. I
recently paid $10 for a box of a 50 from a beauty supply store in Harlem. These
objets d’art make great gifts
and can be used to tweak and tease non-afro coiffures. The grooviest picks have
a Black Power fist in place of a handle. The revolution is coming, and it will
be YouTubed. So get your pick now and start practicing.”
Is he being a cheerleader for the afro and simply
regurgitating what many black people say all the time, and that is reject the
European standards of beauty and wear your natural like a crown? Or is his ignorance of his surroundings (he
is a resident of NY where afros are a dime a dozen) more telling of a bigger
issue? His seemingly finger pointing
statement “African-Americans have largely
turned their backs on the freaky ’fro” seems to have really pushed some
over the edge but does he have a point? Is he just expressing feelings of
nostalgia not only for the afro but for the time period? Some critics say while his tone may come off
a little condescending, he is speaking out of admiration, if not adoration for
both Ms. Grier and the afro, describing the afro as “natural, symbolic, regal, unisex, and glamorous”. Is is yet another opinion on natural
hair, which he is entitled to, even if he is a white man?Ready, set, weigh in!
P.S. While Doogan has yet to respond to the negative
response his article is generating, I have a feeling he will soon. #Don’tbelievemejustwatch!
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