Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

When Madam Walker first developed a chemical to straighten the texture of african hair, was she buying into a concept that feeds into the ideology that what comes natural to people of african ancestory is unattractive and pave the way for psuedo european imitations in the form of weaves and wigs on black women? Would it not have been better for people of African ancestory to embrace what comes natural to them by learning to cultivate their hair in it's natural state? That concept of beauty is so deeply rooted. Contemptuous, self denial is reflected in black women spending hundreds and thousands of dollars imitating the European hair texture rather than appreciating and cultivating their hair in it's natural state. Madam C J walker was the first black woman millionaire to earn her money and that is certainly comendable. Was she more of a sell out than an entrepenuer? Did she mass produce more than a product selling hair straightener to black people to 'tame' what was natural to them?

Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

I don't believee so. I believ that she did give us options.

As a black hair care professional she conjured the products that allow us such creativity with our hair. it is, to me one of our best features (besides the natural tan)!

All in seven days i can wear my hair:

braided

wavy

extended ponytail

bob

straight

and in a natural afro.

And even now that did lead to blacks creating products to naturaly care for our hair in its natural state!

Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

Yes. Look at all the problems she's caused just because she's a self-hater. She sucks.

Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

While yours is an interesting position to take, I feel that it is one afforded by the fact that you nor I ever had to live in an age where "whiter was better". The closer your features were to white the better you were received even by your own people. What Madame Walker did was simply capitalize on an insecurity. People regardless of race are vain and that is how the entire Beauty industry came about. So then if Madame Walker did us a disservice then so have all those that have gone before her and after her in this industry.

Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

You have to place her discovery of technique to straighten Black hair in the context of the time....Black people were in general oppressed and treated like chattel or second class citizens and had practically no power...we had been outside of our natural (African)culture for hundreds of years and not been accepted into the dominant culture that we were living in....Black ethnicity was considered inferior as was our outward appearance, remember how light skin, straight hair of mixed blood Blacks was more acceptable to whites, so in order to SURVIVE a lot of Black people attempted to assimilate into the dominant culture by adopting European style and beauty standards....like straightening their hair, which, before Madame CJ could be disastrous, so in that sense, she did a service to Black women who wished to appear more acceptable in society....today, that point of view is not valid and unnecessary, Black people embrace our natural hairstyles and appearance, at least, most of us do, some of us are still victims of self hatred and still wish to posses European beauty standards, in America, that is still held as the epitome..it takes a real sense of Black pride to resist the temptation to have straight hair and other Eurocentric beauty standards.

Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

No she wasn't doing a disservice. Black people are not the only ones who use cosmetics! All women use cosmetics....If hair relaxer is bad then so are the following things:

fake tan

make up

Butt implants

Skin bleach

Lip injection

Hair weave

Hair dye

Extentions

False eye lashes

Breast implants

Contact lenses

All these things are done by White and Black women....nobody is completley natural, what is so bad about hair relaxer! lol Every woman likes to improve their appearance! Its not always about culture and history, its just that women like to enhance their features....I hate it when people make out like black people are the only ones who use cosmetics! If black people hate themselves, then we all do...

Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

black women were straightening hair before Madam Walker. her product just made it easier.

that is like giving bill gates credit for inventing the computer.

Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

Hey all inventions have a good side and a bad. Like the man who made airplanes said he never would have if he knew they would put guns on them and go to war. He just wanted to help his people experince a new form of transport. So im sure madame c.j. walker wasn't thinking like that when she did what she did. And if she hadn't made it believe me people are smart someone would have figured it out and black people would be using it.

Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

It is a huge misconception that she made products that straightened hair. No she made hair products to keep the hair healthy and less prone to falling out, after the straightening process. Her first product was a hair tonic used to keep the hair well moisturized and to make it grow (because she became temporarily bald herself). So no I don't think she did a disservice. She was the one who made it possible for hair care products specifically aimed toward black hair (which I'm sure you use at least one hair care product aimed at black hair) to be in existence. Her hair products were like motions, pink lotion, etc. of today. And NO she did not invent the pressing comb, nor did she invent the relaxer, and NO she was not the first one to suggest black women straighten their hair, it was long practiced before her. I suggest you read up on what she invented and actually look at her hair and the people who used her products hair before making such harsh statements

Was Madam CJ Walker doing a disservice to black hair care?

what "First Lady" said