When I have my Afro and walk down the street, there's no doubt that I'm black. With this [straightened] hair, if I talk about being black on air, viewers write and say, "You're black?!" I feel [straightening your hair] is giving up a sense of your identity. Let's be honest: It's an effort to look Anglo-Saxon.
Jami FloydMy parents pressed upon me that "In this world, you are a black woman," so I was political about my hair and would not straighten it.
Jami FloydFor black women our sense of ourselves is not always consistent with the way other people see us.
Jami FloydOften hair is the way we are differentiated in this culture. To me the decision to straighten your hair is deeply political.
Jami FloydThere came a point when I wanted to do television, and I didn't think the Afro was going to play, so I made a very difficult choice - to straighten my hair.
Jami FloydWhen I have my Afro and walk down the street, there's no doubt that I'm black. With this [straightened] hair, if I talk about being black on air, viewers write and say, "You're black?!" I feel [straightening your hair] is giving up a sense of your identity. Let's be honest: It's an effort to look Anglo-Saxon.
Jami Floyd