BY CLARENCE BARR, II

Years ago, I caught my daughter, who was three at the time, walking around the house with a towel strategically placed on the top of her head. When I asked her its purpose, she proudly replied, “It’s my hair daddy.”

At that moment, I knew I’d failed. I didn’t do a good job of protecting my child’s mind from the same brainwashing that destroyed the thinking of so many little Black girls who came before her.

She was barely potty-trained and already imagining herself with the kind of long, flowing hair that would be impossible for her to grow considering both of her parents come from a long line of that nappy, kinky stuff. It was obvious that at some point when I wasn’t looking, somebody tricked my daughter into believing that straight hair was a key component of beauty while her own tightly curled locks were to be ashamed of and hidden.

Sadly, those same tricksters, who were so influential back then, were out in full force last week after 16-year-old Olympian Gabby Douglas became the first Black woman in history to win a gold medal in an all-around gymnastic event.

Instead of focusing on her victory and allowing the young gymnast to bask in the moment like other gold medal-winning athletes, some people took to their twitter accounts with the sole purpose of criticizing Ms. Douglas about, of all things, her hair. And, the worst part was that a bulk of the insults came from the most unlikely of sources, her own people.

Apparently, the fact that Gabby sweat out her perm while achieving one of the rarest of accomplishments was too much for some Black people, mainly women, to bear. To them, there was no excuse for allowing her nappy kitchen to be exposed.

A lace front wig, glued or sewn, a scarf, a helmet, anything would have been better than letting her beadie-bees show. Not because they wanted her to look her best, but because of the fact that as Gabby’s hair reverted back to its natural state, it reminded self-conscious, mis-educated Black folk of what truly lies beneath their own facades.

What these delusional beauty experts didn’t understand (and probably never will) was that the most embarrassing part for them wasn’t Gabby’s hair. It was the way they allowed Black self-hate to manifest itself on the international stage.

When I caught wind of what was transpiring, all I could do was shake my head in disappointment. To me it spoke volumes about where we stand as a people that Gabby’s mane, and not Serena Williams’ “Crip-Walking” dance after her own gold medal winning performance, received the most criticism.

Once again, Blacks in America put on a grand display of ignorance for the world to see. And the craziest thing about it all is that, when we’re not taken seriously, we have the nerve to wonder why?

Anyone wanting to contact Clarence Barr can reach him at: Clarence Barr, II, 43110-018; P. O. Box 7007; Marianna, FL 32447-7007. Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company.