Keneesha Hudson Talks Black Women and Natural Hair (CNN Report)

Описание: Keneesha Hudson is the owner/founder of Urbanbella, a company in Atlanta that specializes in helping women embrace their natural hair texture. She first went natural in 2002 when she did the "big chop" (cutting all of her processed hair off) so she could have the freedom to swim, she said, and today she sports a thick mane of natural curls. Hudson talks about her experiences with her afro-textured, kinky curly hair, society's perception of it, and how Black women view their hair in light of fitting into societal norms at work, etc.

Hudson says that despite the growing number of women embracing their natural hair texture, it's still considered unique.

"Natural hair" for black women is, by definition, hair that is not processed and not chemically altered. Straightened hair is often viewed as easier to care for and more attractive.

Rather than use chemical straighteners known as relaxers (also sometimes called "creamy crack" for both the damage it can do to black hair as well as the inability of some women to live without it) some women wear their hair in its natural state.

Natural hair can be described as curly, kinky, wavy, or -- the sometimes dreaded and considered by some to be an offensive word -- nappy.

The style has been embraced for reasons of fashion, politics and simply by those unwilling to spend the time and money to maintain their chemically processed hair.