In my life.

I went to sally's a little while ago to grab some vampire red haircolor so I can match it with my plastikhaar I plan on installing later this week.

While I was there I was browsing the hair care section for some silicone spray, hair cholestrol, and to see what was on sale.

Well the way it was set up was the ethnic haircare section was on the far wall, and the "white" products were on the shelf directly opposite.

Well while I was browsing on the ethnic wall, there was this blonde woman with a bad 80's perm and sally jessie raphial glasses on the "white" section.  Well she said hi to me and seemed friendly, so we started chatting.  She noted the "black" hair products in my hands and asked if I worked in a salon.  I said no they were for me.  She kinda gave me an odd look and said in a hushed tone "but those things are for black people"

Ok at this point Im uncomfortable but chalk it up to ignorance.  The media has made it seem that only white people can use white hair products, and because they are usually more expensive then ethnic products then they must be of a higher quality.  Now the reality is that afro hair is even more fragile then caucasian, and the products are more nourishing and moisturizing, as well as more inexpensive.  Basically I overall think they're better products, but a lot of white women just dont know that.

So I begin to tell her that they were better products and yada yada, when she cuts in saying (Im trying to recall her words as accuratly as possible) "Well yeah but they're black products.  You should support your white businesses and buy those instead"

I just kinda stared at her, and the lady working up front heard too, as it was early and we were the only 2 people in the store.  Now the lady at the counter was black, so Im thinking "oh my god this crazy lady just horribly offended this poor girl"

Well anyways I get offended and say that good hair products are good hair products regardless of who they're marketed for, and she rolls her eyes at me and says "oh, your one of THOSE people".

Ok ladies.  Im not usually one to go speachless, but I literally had my mouth hanging open and didnt know what to say.  She walks out of the store and Im hanging there going "wtf"

Then the lady up front hollars at me "thanks for getting that bitch out the store" and I start laughing, walk up and she rings me up.  Apparently she came in a few minutes before me and the lady who works there asked if she needed any help, and she said she didnt need any help from "no negro"

sh*t like this makes my blood boil.  I bet you $100 if her whatever-the-hell-she-was-driving broke down on the side of the rode, and a black tow truck driver showed up, she wouldnt turn down help from "no negro"

Grr, I feel better for venting.  Ignorant people like that piss me off.  And who the hell still wears an 80's perm?  Maybe its a feature on "the klan weekly: makeover tips"

Well Ive heard some snide comments before and stuff, I usually just ignore it, but whta got me was it was just so... blatent!  A woman I didnt even know spouting that garbage like I was her friggin friend or something.

The nerve of some people.

Kalika...

Which PH color matches the vampire red?...is it the burgand rot or something..that's the color i usually dye my hair....sometimes I add a bit of raven and or fire red/infra red....Getting some PH on the first and I was just going to basically buy pretty much all the reds ..see which ones i liked the best or which ones compliment each other the best and re-dye if I have to..

oh good grief kalika...

at first i thought you were going to say she didn't think the products were cross-usable for different textures. guess i gave too much credit, huh.

i live in east TN, i am originally from east TN but i've lived up and down the east coast. i am white and from fairly insular, ignorant country farm people, frankly. my dad told me the first time he actually saw an african american was when he was 18 YEARS OLD.

i know what you mean shan about the south, but i also feel like so much crap that comes up is shear and pure ignorance, and unfortunately i've lived other places outside the south and heard stuff that made my jaw drop. i guess now i do feel like when stuff does come up it is my obligation to question their statements - sometimes people are ignorant and sometimes people just don't want to hear anything outside what they've heard their whole lives, and rarely they are just evil. i also know many awesome people of all races in the south who do their part to break stereotypes, and in a couple cases i've known people who were like - oh wow i've never thought of it that way. i don't think it's the south in specific, it's uneducated people who never hear a dissenting voice, or get their opinions of other groups of people of whatever ethnicity, background, or religion from the media.

it hits a nerve with me, always has kalika. good for you. i agree latte most people would be shocked to know where their products come from even manufacturing-wise. i think also people would likely be shocked to know that the likelihood of having someone of a different race in their own family tree is pretty dang high!

Ya know...it amazes me that in this day and age so much ignorace and stupidity still exists. Yes it exists in other areas of the country as well...not just the south.  I live in a small town and have lived in small towns my whole life in NorthWest Ohio & SouthEast Michigan and the ignornace exists here too. I HATE it...and have spent my entire life argueing, fighting and debating my opinions on racism. Its a subject6 that I have a hard time walking away from if I hear someone talking such stupid ignorant crap!

I know I have made a difference, if even a small difference... because I have raised two of the most non-judgemental and non racist kids there are. I am so proud to hear my daughter stand up and voice herself when she hears some one talking such crap! It makes me feel good to know that I helped to make the world a better place (in a small way)

un beleivable- i would of set her straight in One second, glad u held your toungue Kalia

KALIKA......YOU....SPEECHLESS????

Wow...what's so amazing is that she felt so comfortable and free to spew that crap to a stranger in a store...what was she thinking? Were you suppose to say "oh thank you for pointing out that these are "black" products, I almost spent my "white" money on them."

Latte and Sherri-you both live in Michigan? Me too.

Never ceases to amaze me the things people will say. Not so much that there are insecure, uneducated jerks in the world, but that in this era of lawsuits and hyper political correctness some people absolutely do not miss a beat when tossing out some crazy ass verbal slurs. It's like they just don't think there's any reason to consider whether children and others who will be more affected are within earshot.

But then my very liberal seeming co-worker today seemed rather...not offended, but slightly scandalized that my mom was in a relationship with a black dude. Like bi-racial relationships were only something you do to experiment in youth. What a dork. I pointed out that my mom wasn't a southern redneck( No offense to the big hearted redneck's if any of you here are.  I have native southern friends with the biggest hearts.) He's good natured though, and meant no harm by it. I thinks it's like ccross said, he's just lived a rather insular life.

People can still be pretty sh*tty though. BTW, my bro's x, Kalika, stopped using cholesterol treatments when she realized that were marketed for black hair. Like she would suddenly grow an afro or something. Sheesh.

Thanks guys.  I just REALLY needed to vent after that.  Im not from the south, Im from Seattle Washington and although Im not saying racism doesnt exist there, But not like it does here.

Sherrie - haha yeah, I was speachless.  Doesnt happen too often I can tell ya!  I wish I could have said I chewed her ass out, but in all honesty I was just dumbfounded.

rachelrolen - I got a  mix of burguned rot and pepperoni.  You will have different results with vampire red depends on how much (or even if) you bleach your hair.

Kalika...

no bleach ...lol..bad bleach...it covers the natural just fine...

sorry i didnt like comment on the troglodyte but my dad is kinda that way....no way that bad....but it just ...AARRRGGHHHH

niftygirl,

Yup, I reside in MI.

this woman is crazy i mean its 2005 i cant believe there are still peeps  judging someone because of  the skin colour  

i always use ethnic hair care products for my hair

i love the dark and lovely ultra cholesterol conditioner its the best for my bleached hair and my 613 extensions