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African and Native American Hair-type; THE COMB TEST One key historical mark that reveals issues of Colorism that existed in the Native American world would be a practice that became known as ‘the Comb Test’. Perhaps there has been some publications with regards to this subject but, my account would only be based on a personal experience. Nevertheless, as it was explained to me, this practice was common and widespread at least on the east coast of the States. However, there has been a serious mis-education when it comes to the whole truth about what life was like for millions of people who lived in North America before the coming of Columbus and the Colonial Movement. Even though the Native American world consisted of many different kinds of natives however, today we have been conditioned to define the American Indians (ie. Native Americans) by European construct. But sometimes when I look at my husband, who happens to be a ‘Black Indian’, I sometimes think about how back during the Civil Rights times, a common racist shout against Black people was to ‘Go Back to Africa’ and now, the deception becomes apparent. Because of this European tactic to ‘Divide & Conquer’, based on issues of Colorism as well as many other methods, the reality of Colorism that had already occurred amongst the native peoples became even more of a confusion. My husbands people though, mark both the ancient history and the more recent American Indian history too. As a Negro Indian [i.e. Black Indian], my husband reveals that not all people with nappy hair identifies with the term ‘Africa’ as it applies to the Mid-Atlantic African Slave Trade. For a certainty, all modern humans originated OUT OF AFRICA at one point in time, but also, just like many different kinds of people who are from other continents and countries all over the world and who have no known recent historical link to Africa, nevertheless, there are a significant presence of Native American Indians that fit todays physical description of ‘an African’ but have no recent historical link to Africa at all. Because their cultures were almost wiped out, therefore, some of them have intermixed with African Americans, have chosen to blend, or conveniently allowed people to define them as African Americans but many of them are not direct descendants. Over time, African American Descendants of Slaves have been made to absorb many other kinds of people into our culture and therefore, in order to better understand issues of Self-Hate and Colorism that has plagued us, it may be good to look deeper into our origins and formations. Following, will be four brief personal accounts with some of my relations that may better help to understand how, perhaps, the notion of ‘GOOD HAIR-BAD HAIR’ has been connected to Colorism and White Supremacy and used to classify Black African-typed people as being inferior to others. 1. My husband’s paternal grandmother. She would be defined as ‘a Straight-Haired North American Indian’ woman. He took me to visit her from time to time, before and after we married and it was always enriching because, she was always willing to talk and share a lot about her life. But she was also very frank, abrupt and sometimes crude to the point that some of her grandchildren became offended and would not visit her. On one visit she told me that she remembered ‘the Trail of Tears’. She said that she was very young but remembered it very well. She was led out by hand with her people as they were forced marched out of their lands westwards to become a part of a Cherokee Reservation. She was not Cherokee though, but Sioux, however, there was no designated reservation for the Sioux, so for the many that were caught in the North Carolina woodlands, they were force marched to Cherokee lands. On another visit she told my husband and I about ‘the Comb Test’ and said that this was a common practice. She said it became incorporated into her Church and when a visitor would want to join the congregation, the preacher would then call that person up to the front of the church! She further explained that the preacher would pull out a comb and then run the comb through the hair of the person and if they did not have ‘STRAIGHT-TYPED HAIR’, they could not become a member of their church community. I fell back… LOL. She told us this story with a straight and stern face. I asked her was she serious and she confirmed. On yet another occasion, she came to visit her son, my father-in-law. And as the family gathered around the table, I decided to ask her a question because I felt that her presence was so unique in how she compared to my father-in-law; her son. I said to her, “you have a beautiful skin tone but why is it that you are darker than your son and most of your children? She immediately smiled at me and then she threw her head back and paused. Then she looked straight forward, and it was almost as if she went into a trance. She looked as if she went far back in time and in her imagination while she was speaking of a very traumatic time in her childhood. She said, “I know. I am also darker than both of my brothers. I was my mother’s only daughter and she hated me.” Then she said that one day when she was a little girl, her mother punished her for not washing the dishes. Her mother led her outside and made her stay outside on the swing in the sun for a long time and ever since that time, her mother would tell her that she became dark because she was a bad girl. I could tell that her mind went back to that very experience and it seemed as if she was ‘that little girl’. But then after she told the story, she ‘came to’. Then she looked at me and said, she hated her mother and did not miss her after she died. She had no remorse. OMG! Anyway… fast forward … to one of her own sons, that was dubbed, the black one and he said that she was racist. My husband said that whenever they would go to visit this woman, his great-grandmother, who was a White woman, she would line all the children up—by color—LOL. My husband was always in the back! 2. THE POW WOW—I learned by going to Pow Wows that many of the East Coast Natives adopt spiritual names that relate to a significant event in their life or based on the nature of animals common to their environment. So in the western parts of America the natives may adopt spirit names connected to perhaps the buffalo, bull, horse, coyote, or etc. And in the east coast, some natives refer to the fox, squirrel, rat (swamp rat), beaver, deer, and etc. There are many different tribal people from all over America and I met a native, a Straight-haired-Indian, who told me an interesting story that made me realize that I had mis-judged my husband who spoke about this very topic. So, I need to go back to the story that my husband had told me about some of his father’s people. He would constantly tell me how some of his relatives would have a particular hair-type but then all of a sudden, it would completely change. He said that he had an uncle who was young and had very tight curly hair and then he got sick and was hospitalized but, afterwards, his hair became bone straight. And, he continued to tell me other similar stories repeatedly until, I got sick and tired of it. One day, I told him, “Negro Please! You don’t have to worry about your hair changing as nappy as it is. Be sure, it won’t change at all. Smh!” I didn’t believe it but then, when I went to the Pow Wow, this native man told me the same kind of story. I have since learned that there is such an occurrence in that some people do have this happening in that their hair will change texture or, they have a distinct combination-type hair texture, and not due to old age, but it is a commonality that occurs across the world in certain ethnic groups. This makes me wonder of the useless purpose of ‘the Comb Test’. 3. BLACKFEET Comb Test—My husband’s father lived in the Piedmont area and his people have a long history in this region. However, some of the decision that he made was spurred by the government’s programs aimed at wiping out the Native Americans. He marks a very crucial and historical time of conflict that revolved around the World Wars. The Federal government passed a law known as the Racial Integrity Act (RIA) in order to deal the American Indians and the federal reports concluded on the repercussions of this law years later. Initially, the natives had three choices; (1) they could be defined as White if they were light skinned enough, (2) they had to remain on reservations if they still wanted to be listed as Natives, or (3) they had to be defined as ‘Colored’ and be defined with the Negro ‘race’ if they signed up for the military. In general, and as a result of this RIA, the federal government documents later reported that almost 90% of the Native American men married White women and completely left the reservations and became ‘White’ if they could pass (this is what my father-in-law’s, father chose to do, but he was too dark skinned to pass as White). Only a few natives remained on the reservations and as a result many of them that remained became very impoverished. And finally, there was a small percentage of natives that were aggressive and did not want to be defined as White nor chose to remain on the reservations, therefore, they bonded with the African American community; and this is what my father-in-law chose to do. However, he married a part-Blackfeet woman. My husband’s mother, at my first glance, appeared to be an African American woman, but the story behind the picture of her grandmother displayed in her house was about a woman that came from Montana, was forced out of Blackfeet country with her people who faced harsh times of starvation. They were driven at first to Nebraska, and then some of them were taken by wagonloads further east to Maryland. My husband’s mother was a little girl at the same time that some famous Blackfeet Indians were being pressed hard by the government and were resisting annihilation. Black-and-White photos captured some of the Blackfeet Indians during the 1930s and there was one famous depiction of a Blackfeet on a subway rail in the Capital. But the very brief written documents about the Blackfeet Indians has been severely White washed and painted a very different view of a much bigger story! The oral story about the Blackfeet Indians has some color to it! Although my husband’s mother has that same distinct forehead that I see in a lot of pictures of Blackfeet Indians, her hair was also nappy, no doubt due to being intermixed on the east coast, however, there are small bits and pieces of early stories of the Blackfeet that does include the African presence before the Great Starvation. And also unfortunately, my mother-in-law conducted her own ‘Comb-Test’ amongst her own children and grandchildren. She made a point of announcing to me and her own son, my husband, that our firstborn baby would not be lucky enough to have ‘hair like Papa’. Both of our sons were born and grew nappy hair like her and all of her children and grandchildren. And like my husband, who has the same prominent forehead and hairline as she did, one of my sons were born with the same traits. Our first son developed some physical features of the Sioux while our younger son developed some physical features of the Blackfeet. 4. THE ETHIOPIAN YOUNG MEN—As a Biology Major, my further research began with my personal stories about my family here as an African American Descendant of Slaves. Yet, even though, through by son’s paternal line, they are Third Generation Native Indians starting with my father-in-law and Second-Generation Black Indians, and come from a long line of Natives, however, their maternal links to Africa through myself becomes the Agar that makes them so complete. The American government has damaged and fragmented the American Indian populations so intensely that the Black Indian Identity is almost gone. For this reason, and as my sons grew up, I became so happy to see their African traits develop. I enjoyed taking my sons to the barber shop to get the trendy African American haircut styles such as the High top, Box Cut, fade, and corn rolling their hair. I remember how all the Black young men grew out their afros over the summer and turned up in school for the 7th grade with these large ‘Jackson 5 afros’. And I could see that my older son began to look like my maternal origins more and more, as he grew up. He looked to me like East Africans, but I had no idea that he would receive this same confirmation from many East African and Middle Eastern people! I remember one day that we went to dine at a buffet restaurant in North Carolina and a rather large group of Ethiopian young men came into the restaurant to eat. They walked passed our table and sat over near the window and they were close enough so that their conversations in a foreign tongue could easily be heard as they talked amongst themselves. I noticed that they looked a lot like my son who was sitting at the table with us. But then my thoughts were confirmed by those men that day. At one point, my son stood up because he wanted to go to the sushi bar and he turned and began to walk towards their table because it was in the pathway of the direction to the sushi bar. As my son began to walk briskly towards that direction, the men stopped talking abruptly and looked directly at my son, and three of them immediately stood straight up and began to reach out their hand as if to shake hands with my son. Meanwhile, my son, who had no clue what was transpiring, kept on walking past their table and so, the three men looked baffled and then they slowly sat down and continued speaking in another language. Apparently, they must have assumed my son was going to greet them. I was so amazed at how much he looked like those young Ethiopian men, but it was not until I did more research that I could really appreciate his traits. And as he grew up, however, there was one unique trait that he began to express that really caught me by surprise. My oldest son went off to college and moved into the dormitory community when he was about twenty. But it was only a few weeks later that he told me that he had decided to cut his braids and get a barber shop cut. So, a few days later, I drove up to the campus to visit him and I was taken by surprise to see his new look. He opened the passenger car door and sat down in the car and my mouth dropped open as I gazed at his profile and look at his Mediterranean typed nose. … I said, “Okay, what happened to your hair!!!” He did a silent laugh and said, “I don’t know.” Then I said, “Where are your naps!? What happened to your hair!? It is BONE SRAIGHT! OMG! You look like a Gypsy. You’ve got a White woman’s bump in your nose. What am I going to tell you father? He is going to joke me! … I ran my fingers through his hair. So much for ‘the Comb Test!’ smh. To this day, my oldest son’s hair has no naps. When he grows it out, it is very, very Black and has soft big straight-type curls but, nonetheless, there are no naps!—at all! His hair texture resembles many Ethiopians in that he has a combination type hair texture. He lost the bushy afro that he used to have. His hairline has receded, and he looks like he could be one of Haile Selassie’s sons. Umh. What a thought. Well, I wrote some of my personal experiences with respect to ‘African traits’ [i.e. ???] because of the deeper research that I have done with regards to the ancient scripts of the distant past and to better explain the problems of today that has arisen due to issues of Self-Hatred and Colorism that has plagued the world. These four personal experiences are sort of an introduction to a better understanding of the past.

You’re welcome! Between you, Cynique, Chevdove , things are never stale!

Thank you Mel. I listen and ask questions. And contrary to opinion I am not a spokesman for women, men children ir aby movement past present or future. @Pioneer @Troy

This is powerful! We do protect a black man’s image, don’t we? I think this is why so many are having a negative reaction to the R Kelly saga... Black women have covered black men for so long - that many (mostly men but women too) are shocked that a black woman produced and directed the film that gave his alleged victims a platform. Many black women have normalized the horrible treatment they’ve receive at the hands of black men, they call men “soft” who treat them well. Go on social media and you’ll see some black men say they are supposed to be “Future” to their “Ciara”. Instead of being kind to their woman; as Ciara’s husband “Russell” is to her. Those are the same black men who believe Ciara will tire of how well her husband treats her and her son with Future and she’ll come crawling back to Future. That’s how brain damaged some of young black men (and black women) are today. But I digress. I know some of my experiences with black men aren’t for publication either. And I can tell you, it’s those stories that haunt me; making it difficult to finish my second book. Some times, I tell myself that I’m being too sensitive or maybe I deserved it - but then I realize that is exactly how battered women rationalize their relationship experiences. So, yes I’ve been sorely disrespected by many black men. None of it deserved. But those experiences afforded me a lot of painful life lessons too. And now I know what it is like to experience kindness. Yet, I absolutely understand your position.

No qualifications needed. Your foolishness is part and parcel of this community.

@Delano thank you! But let’s not use Pioneer’s avatar as an example of how black men behave. His account is not a representative of any black man I take seriously. At least none I’ve ever met in real life. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again - his avatar reminds me of a group of people using one account. The Pioneer1 account displays as the social media’s version of FBI’s cointelpro... or the reverse black kkk lol - I’m not phased by the Pioneer1 account - I’m tickled by it ... reminds me of the black uncle everyone keeps their distance from and says “yea ok”.

Despite the fact that i have repeatedly said this is not the case. The women here have also said that is not the case. The fact that I posted links expressing both sides of an issue, in the words of feminist, is lost on you. You also don't understand that Mel made a choice about one man based on her experiences with other men. You seem to miss the point, that she didn't indict all Black Men nor did she praise all White Men. Yet you are judging her heart and her choices. Then you want her to bare her sole about painful experiences. This is the height of insensitivity, arrogance and callousness. Yet she states how Bkack Women defend Black Men. However this is not reciprocated in a manner that Black women feel. Yet you say in your experience Black Men defend women when they are able. Some of the characteristics you associate with black men are incredibly negative. And then you give God like powers to all white people. Instead of the tiny minority at the the top who are exploiting all people.

@Pioneer1what are you going to do file police charges on my behalf? Sign up to be my fixer? Lol! get out of here with your little list. You’re not qualified to assess what women find too difficult to talk about.

Welp, @Troy your response to Chevdove applies perfectly to your explanation to me...And I couldn’t have said it better. Your foundation forms your worldview. Everything you’ve “learned” is synthesize through that lens.

@Mel Hopkins You are so right. Again, you are so right. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!!!!!!!! Oh Gosh! I needed this!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!! Oh Wow! Okay, I am probably wrong, but I actually thought that Shakespeare may have had some cultural connection to being 'Black' and that was why I love that quote. I read somewhere that the other poets did not like him. They called him an Upstart CROW. And they did not like it that the queen of England liked him! And lastly, some of his writings were based of of the Bible, I think either Songs of Solomon or Psalms or something like that. Okay, @Troy Since you saw the need in mentioning a 'book' King James commisioned, it is okay if I comment in response? "Beliefs one holds usually have nothing to do with reason or logic"? Well, when I compare: [1] Trump's Maga platform [2] the 'book' King James Commissioned, and [3] your assessment in that 'usually' ones belief has nothing to do with reason or logic, then I think about this; Trump's life is less than 100 years, your life is less then 100 years, King James life was less than 100 years, but the 'collection of books' that the king commissioned to be translated by a body of learned people, books that had been written by over 100s of people over the course of thousands of years, I guess you are right in your assessment in regards to people's beliefs usually not based on any sound reason or logic.

Your year is vintage.

If or when you can put pain to paper. You will free yourself from the past and others in the future. That's is my feeling. Baring your pain and shame is reliving it until it has no power over you.

Metaphysics also means beyond the physical. And some use it interchangeably with the esoteric

Ask the women if this is true in this forum or anywhere else. Noticed that Mel liked my comment to Nubian. Why di yiu think is the case. So you think women feel heard and respected by men. @Troy And how did you arrive at the position?

How can you understand what someone's problem is, if you aren't them. Or dinner experience their triumphs and frustration. How can a man know what life is like for a woman.

@Pioneer1 That's funny that you coined the hype 'fake outrage'. I think today there are so many other more important issues that this media hype was not that important either and it may have been hyped up, but however, this tactic, in ancient times is one of the very modes of how we as Black-African-typed people have been conquered. And so, I can understand why I am not making sense to you about 'a white women coming into a Black environment and presenting themselves in a fashion that the Black kings would NOT ALLOW THEIR OWN WOMANKING TO DO. I can understand why you and perhaps many other Black men still today cannot recognize this issue as a method of White Supremacy and in how they were eventually overthrown. So, I guess, I will leave off from this scenario. But, before I do completely, I think that this very thread sort of touches upon what I am addressing. Many Black women today wear 'White women hair textures--that are NOT growing from our scalps and this was introduced to us, not only through modern slavery but a long time ago, in Africa and elsewhere. And now, we Black women are being bashed by many Black men that do not take responsibility for their part in this trend. NubianFEllow does speak on this though, he does say how Black men share apart in this issue. If Black men obssess over non-African traits in the presence of their own womankind then that is a form of White Idolation--White Supremacy, and from this too, some Black men harbor hatred and rejection against BLack women who do not have 'good hair' or 'curly hair'; That is a form of White Supremacy. We as Black people can also be defined as being 'White Supremacist' and that is why I don't feel that you should charge other INDIVIDUALS and attack them for issues that you feel are White Supremacist beliefs. Pioneer, we all have to deal with issues of racism and have to sift through the kind of people, Black, White or other, that are spritually whole or not. LOL. You are so off track, IMO. I just can't understand why your are reading into this. Everyone has a different experience and meet various people along the pathway of life. Do you think that Black African Americans should not marry out of their race/culture? If a Strong White man or Strong Black man is attracted to a woman and marries her, then the woman should feel that this man is 'the best man for her'. For a White man to marry out of his race or a Black man to marry out of his race is a conscious step in this world and due to how horrible this system as been, a man would have to be strong IMO when it comes to these choices; that is how I feel. I a non-African man asked me to marry him (of which has happened to me!), I would know that he is making a strong stance about his manhood. There are so many ways that @Mel Hopkins statement could be viewed, IMO and I do feel that you are imposing your ideals on her due to issues that you, as a Black man has come across. You're right! I have been dodging! And, I do have some personal stories but, I am trying to figure out how to write them down and am wrestling with some thoughts for certain reasons. For one, I did share a personal story in another thread and I feel that was a very good response to this topic!!!--But you may not have read it or agreed! Another reason I am slow to respond is because I have a problem speaking about certain issues about Black men because--I did not come into this community with the goal to speak against Black men-- therefore, I am trying to figure out how to speak about this kind of 'Black Disrespect coming from Black men to wards me as a Black woman' in such a way that it will not be detrimental as a whole. @Pioneer1 Another reason why I have not responded to you about this is because, it hurts deeply, as in the story that I did share in another thread. It is very demeaning when a Black man attacks a Black woman and in that story that I told, had it not been for other kind of men that responded to me positively, it would have been impossible to have a healthy self-esteem in that environment that I was a part of.