Halle Berry fights for the natural black look

[shira]

It seems that Halle Berry ascribes to the "one drop theory," which states that if a person has even one drop of African blood in their heritage, they're black. And woe to any ex-husband who tries to mess with the "natural look" of her daughter.

http://www.theroot.com/blogs/the_grapevine/2014/11/halle_berry_gets_legal_ruling_saying_ex_can_no_longer_straighten_or_lighten.html

Halle Berry is at war with her ex Gabriel Aubry, and this time it has nothing to do with money. On Monday Berry’s attorney Steve Kolodny appeared in court on behalf of his client because Berry wants Aubry to stop straightening and highlighting their 6-year-old daughter Nahla’s hair.

According to TMZ, Berry fears that Aubry is trying to make his daughter look whiter because he doesn’t want her to look African American. Previously, Berry has stated that her daughter is black because Berry believes in the “one drop” rule.

“But I feel like she’s black. I’m black and I’m her mother, and I believe in the one-drop theory,” Berry said in an interview.

If what Berry states is true, one might assume that Aubry, who is French Canadian, would have recognized Berry’s views on race before procreating with a woman who identifies as black.

After a lot of back and forth, the judge ruled that both Aubry and Berry must keep their daughter’s hair in its natural state.

Score one for Berry.

It's clear that Berry is a principled black woman, who takes great pride in the "natural" black look. Yes sirree; no lightening, highlighting, straightening, or in any other way messin' with the black look for her.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Where was Halle when it came to light that Zimmerman's great grandfather was black. Based on her feelings Zimmerman should have been described as a black man instead of a white hispanic.

 

[Smoblikat]

wut

Why not let the girl do whatever the hell she wants with her own hair?

 

[Jaskalas]

After a lot of back and forth, the judge ruled that both Aubry and Berry must keep their daughter’s hair in its natural state.

So it's now illegal for the child to mimic her mother's hair?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Does anyone else picture the judge punctuating this ruling with such an epic facepalm that he knocked himself unconscious for several minutes and came to saying "please tell me I just dreamed all this and people aren't this fucking retarded"? It's a stunning level of hypocrisy to straighten and highlight your own hair while simultaneously claiming it represents a racist act if someone else does it.

For reference, here's Halle Berry at the Oscars this year:

 

[raildogg]

Everyone has a cause these days and they wear it "proudly."

 

[inachu]

I feel as if her german blood is stronger.

 

[boomerang]

Where was Halle when it came to light that Zimmerman's great grandfather was black. Based on her feelings Zimmerman should have been described as a black man instead of a white hispanic.

It's entirely possible that we're all black under the one drop rule. I can't wait until the next census!

 

[First]

Honestly never heard of one drop theory. Both interesting and weird.

 

[Victorian Gray]

Couple divorces in an acrimonious manner and hilarity ensues as they use their daughter to strike at each other. (although a quick google seems to show her doing more of the 'striking at')

 

[Matt1970]

 

[zinfamous]

I feel as if her german blood is stronger.

and this

 

[zanejohnson]

meh let her figure it out the hard way..... the reason everyone thinks she's so attractive is BECAUSE OF HER light skin. She's in denial and thinks it will somehow be different for her daughter, but it wont. it's hard wired.

 

[trenchfoot]

So under the one drop rule, we're all black, as we're all descendants of Lucy.

 

[SheHateMe]

Um...the point of her going to court is that Aubrey should not be fucking with Nahla's hair to make her look whiter. The child is already light skinned, she is bi-racial. If you wanted a white child, you should have slept with a white woman instead. If you don't like her naturally kinky, curly hair, tough deal...you should have found yourself a white woman.

 

[shira]

Um...the point of her going to court is that Aubrey should not be fucking with Nahla's hair to make her look whiter. The child is already light skinned, she is bi-racial. If you wanted a white child, you should have slept with a white woman instead.

That's "lighter" hair, not "whiter" hair.

Berry is already light-skinned, yet she had plastic surgery on her nose to make it less broad, and regularly lightens and straightens here hair because she, apparently, believes she looks better with these changes.

So if the father thinks his child "looks better" with lighter hair, how is that any different?

 

[MongGrel]

I'd have to agree.

 

[SheHateMe]

That's "lighter" hair, not "whiter" hair.

Berry is already light-skinned, yet she had plastic surgery on her nose to make it less broad, and regularly lightens and straightens here hair because she, apparently, believes she looks better with these changes.

So if the father thinks his child "looks better" with lighter hair, how is that any different?

Halle is a grown woman and can decide for herself if she looks better with "whiter" features. Deciding for a child that you think they "look better" with non-white features is monumentally fucked up. Especially since Nahla is bi-racial...so, what are you telling your daughter, one half of her is better than the other?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Halle is a grown woman and can decide for herself if she looks better with "whiter" features. Deciding for a child that you think they "look better" with non-white features is monumentally fucked up. Especially since Nahla is bi-racial...so, what are you telling your daughter, one half of her is better than the other?

If Halle had been the one doing this, would you have a problem with it?

 

[SheHateMe]

If Halle had been the one doing this, would you have a problem with it?

Yes, I would. I am against anyone who straightens their child's hair because they don't like it in its natural curly state. Halle is bi-racial herself and had curly hair growing up, so, she would know what that's like to have someone straighten your hair to make you "look better".

I feel the same way about putting weaves and chemical relaxers in your child's hair too.

 

[Strk]

From the looks of it, both parents use a lot of product in their hair.

It looks like just another instance of a divorced couple coming up with shit to throw at each other.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Yes, I would. I am against anyone who straightens their child's hair because they don't like it in its natural curly state. Halle is bi-racial herself and had curly hair growing up, so, she would know what that's like to have someone straighten your hair to make you "look better".

I feel the same way about putting weaves and chemical relaxers in your child's hair too.

Well I'll give you credit for being consistent. Personally, I think if a parent is willing to do something to their own hair, it's hypocritical to complain if the other parent does it to their child's hair. But I also don't have any experience with "black" hair or what's involved with the process of straightening it, so I'm willing to concede that my view is formed through ignorance. I still think that Halle's argument is nonsensical though; her complaint was not about the process, it was about trying to "look white" about an activity that she herself engages in for a baby with a white father. I understand that racial tensions are historically shitty, but is it really helpful to insist that a child have a specific hairstyle because it's racially appropriate?

 

[shira]

Halle is a grown woman and can decide for herself if she looks better with "whiter" features. Deciding for a child that you think they "look better" with non-white features is monumentally fucked up. Especially since Nahla is bi-racial...so, what are you telling your daughter, one half of her is better than the other?

What about washing a black child's hair, which prevents the formation of dreadlocks? Unwashed, dreadlocked hair is completely natural. Regularly washed hair is a "white" thing.

 

[5150Joker]

Are white's the only one's with straight hair now? What about the rest of us? This whole argument of hers is fucking stupid.

 

[Lil Frier]

"According to TMZ, Berry fears that Aubry is trying to make his daughter look whiter because he doesn’t want her to look African American."

That's racist, I assume. That, and it's NOT racist to say that it's wrong to look anything but black, right? Glad to hear that we now have legal precedent on child hair care.