Texturism: An Underlying Layer to Colorism

Texturism operates in a similar manner as colorism. It is the acceptance or glorification of an individual’s straight or loosely coiled, natural hair texture over an individual’s course, kinkier, or tightly coiled natural hair texture.

Like colorism, individuals with straighter or loosely coiled hair are often times seen as more attractive, afforded better treatment and opportunity, and valued over those with kinkier, tightly coiled textures. Texturism in the Black community is used as a caste system. It has birthed the term “good hair” and marginalized those with so called “bad hair”.

Growing up, I recall hearing on the playground or even family members make comments about someone who was dark in complexion but had “good hair”. They’d say things like, ” you were dark as a baby, but had hair like an Indian” or ” yea she’s dark, but she got good hair”.

In the Black community there appears to be a constant search for “Blackness” but with white features and undertones referred to as “whiteness dipped in chocolate” by some. This is merely a colorist’s cover-up. They will be accepting of dark skin and Black features as long as the nose isn’t too wide, lips aren’t too full, and the hair isn’t too “nappy”.

I’ll be honest returning to my natural state was easier than I expected and well accepted due to the positive feedback I received from many, not necessarily regarding my hair’s health but it’s texture. I’ve been told by several men and women how my texture was pleasing to the eye, while they would down their own hair because it was what they referred to as “nappy”, as if they were cursed by the “hair gods”. I loathe the idea of being put on a pedestal for something so minuscule and out of all of our control, however I have observe the difficulty for a Black woman with dark skin and 4c natural hair to be accepted and respected in comparison to a dark skin Black woman with type 3/4a/4b hair in our community.