Good hair

Posting a little late--we ran this Oct. 20--but here's my Accent advance on Chris Rock's documentary, Good Hair, which launched nationwide Oct. 23.

What Is 'Good' Hair?
Black community debates controversial, expensive topic

I first heard about "good hair" in college. And apparently I had it.

Frizzy curls that I paid little attention to. I'd wake up, fluff and run. Or roll a bun and be done. But the "good" hair thing? That was new.

I grew up in Trinidad, where cultural and ethnic blending is a fine, taken-for-granted art. My curls came from an East Indian mother and a black father, mostly.

My concept of hair was that it was beautiful regardless of shade, texture or style.

But being at a historically black college in the heart of a thriving black community taught me that not everyone felt the same way.

In his man-on-the-street documentary "Good Hair" -- which snagged a special jury prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival -- comedian Chris Rock takes on what many in the black community see as a taboo topic.

He visits beauty salons, hair shows and even science labs in an irreverent yet socially conscious exploration of how hair affects the community's self-esteem, finances and relationships.

His impromptu interview subjects talk about everything from touching a black woman's hair to "creamy crack," as often-pricey hair relaxers are called in jest.

Rock's motivation for the Jeff Stilson-directed flick? An off-handed question from his daughter on why she didn't have "good" hair.

Read the rest.

Photo of yours truly from The News-Journal by Sean McNeil