Four MyBrownBaby words about Blue Ivy’s hair: Leave. That. Baby. Alone.
I say this because after more than a year of everyone begging to see Beyonce and Jay-Z’s daughter’s face, they finally give us a full-on look at her smoochy cheeks and those big ol’ doe eyes and the most kissable, juicy baby lips, like, ever, and the innanets goes total bat crap and does what? Makes fun of a 1-year-old’s black girl’s hair.
As if we didn’t just finish having this same stupid conversation about letting black girl hair be after folk tore Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas a new one for having a less-than-perfect coif while she was busy performing the historic gym routine that made her an official American hero.
A few examples of the tomfoolery that invaded Twitter timelines across the land:
“Blue Ivy would be so cute if they just combed her hair.”
“When will she do Blue Ivy’s hair?”
“I think Blue Ivy is so cute…they just need to do her hair. All that money but that baby looking like she popped out ShaNaeNae pum not Beys.”
Seriously, people? Seriously?
Dig it: Blue Ivy is a 1-year-old.
Her hair is still uneven and finding its texture and full of wild baby curls because… she’s 1.
There is no reason to load her hair up with braids and twists.
Bows and barrettes will do nothing more than break off her hair.
She is not ready for a weave or a fall or extensions or clip-ons or Janet Jackson-circa-Poetic Justice dookey braids.
She. Is. A. One-year-old.
There will be no shortage of days when Blue Ivy’s mama and grandmama and auntie Solange will pull her hair into some cute little style—something cute and sweet and perfect for those beautiful curls. There will be no shortage of days, either, when Blue Ivy will stand in the mirror snatching her own hair into all kinds of styles, inspired, no doubt, by those she sees on her beautiful mama and grandmama and auntie. There is no need for Beyonce to rush things, especially just because a bunch of losers—no doubt, many of them so improperly snatched they have nary an edge or kitchen to speak of—are acting the fool on Twitter, ignorantly suggesting that something is wrong with a 1-year-old child’s hair.
Seriously, y’all—come on.
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Denene Millner
Mom. NY Times bestselling author. Pop culture ninja. Unapologetic lover of shoes, bacon and babies. Nice with the verbs. Founder of the top black parenting website, MyBrownBaby.
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Come on people! That baby is beautiful! Her hair? Why should baby hair be a topic of negative discussion?
I’m certainly not the biggest fan of these two, but this is a child we’re talking about so my internal mamma bear is coming out. She’s one! For all you know, they may have combed her hair before the picture. If you’ve ever had a baby girl, you know how long their hair stays neat. Chill out.
Thank you, Denene!
*Waves handkerchief* Preach it Denene! PREEEAAACCHHH!
I feel so sad when I see little mahogany girls running through these streets with their edges completely decimated because their momma (and most likely daddies too) were impatiently braining their hair with extensions because they succumbed to some ridiculous self imposed pressure not to look “nappy”. How about we focus on healthy as people? This goes beyond hair. Every thing we do as a Black culture is centered around a facade. We overeat and buy bigger, nicer, desinger labels. We slather deadly chemicals in our hair and on our skin to achieve a certain “acceptable look”.
I can’t go one. Leave Blue ‘lone like you said.
I love her hair!! So naturally full, curly and healthy. Learn from the beauty of a 1 year old and embrace what God gave you.
A year already! Wow, that went so fast. I think her hair is just fine. People need to get a life, for REAL!
U took the words right my mouth.
Say it again Denene! Blue Ivy is a baby. I will never understand why people feel it is okay to talk down about babies and children. That’s the exact reason why celebrities like Bey keep their lives and children out of the media. These “baby haters” have nothing better to do with their time.
Completely agree with your comment about conversation surrounding Blue Ivy.
Having said that, I disagree with commenting on the disheveled hair styles of the US gymnastics team at the Olympics. Not Gabby Douglas specifically, but the WHOLE Team. Their sloppy buns were a total eye sore and distracting to the audience (of 4 billion nonetheless). It was a shame because their performances were amazing. Moreover, I was a ballerina and loose hair does affect balance and performance when you’re at such an elite level and the entire time I was holding my breath hoping that their hair buns wouldn’t come undone.
Lol… WHO CARES?? WHO CARES about looks? You’re concerned about LOOKS than what THEIR FOCUS was on. You’re comparing Your PAST skill (“I was a ballerina)…to someone’s CURRENT Olympic Skill set. I’ve seen many women athlete’s who just cannot take care of the hair as they would like to because of SWEAT… YET…as Gabby demonstrated…CAN look good when they want to. Taking care of yourself is important (I do understand)…but there’s a time and place for certain things. A candid pic with Blu…WHO CARES about her hair. You beggin to see a pic…then see one and talk bad. That’s why ya’ll haven’t seen pics. Negativity gets old… Let’s do this…IF YOU CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT…then don’t talk bad about it. I’m doing something about it by responding to you but trying to not hate or be negative towards you. No name calling or any of that. Just a “YOU need to step into their shoes before you just make comments”… How old was Gabby?? What was she focusing on? What did her focus accomplish? EXACTLY…
You are joking right? First of all, shame on you for comparing the Olympic Gymnastic Championships with ballet. Ballet is of coarse a very hard sport, but gymnastics it is not. Ballerinas do not flips and tucks and literally fly through the air after performing on uneven bars and the balance beam…your ballerina perfect hair would more than likely not stay so “perfect” one round of warm up for the uneven bars. Shame on you. Holding your breath to hope that their buns didn’t come undone? Are you kidding me.
You know what…I’m so done. The IGNORANCE of people.
I wish I had left my baby’s hair alone (I wish my mom had left mine alone, if you want to be honest about it). #blueivyhairrules
People, get a life! There’s so much more going on in the world today!!!! PA-LEESE!
Why are folks so worried about a baby’s hair. Is this what haters have come to. They see a successful couple and can’t stand the fact that they are successful that they decide to make cracks on a baby who can’t even defend herself? That’s low. I hope I’m not knowing who any of those people are.
Amen Denene!
I agree! I think kids should be kids. And hair health should trump aggressive styling to please other people! (D, if you read this, I’m tring to get in touch with you! Can you email me? Rgarlin AT siue DOT edu).
Unfortunately, Denene…I think you’re preaching to the choir. Meantime, it would do us all good, if each of us would reach out and work to un-do the collective damage done to our African-rooted esteem. Self hate is such a defeatist attribute.
Peace!
You are so right …Denene, Rebuke the haters….
Bravo! Denene! Those comments are so mean spirited.
Actually she’s a cute little baby with (like the writer said)…FAT kissable cheeks and big eyes that say PLAY WITH ME. Actually the baby’s hair was not I was looking at but Bey’s… but nothing to be negative about. Just that they look like the normal people they are. Parenting sometimes means you may not look like a beauty queen at all times. Bey’s hair says…”I’m a MOTHER and my child comes first”…vs…The Nanny will take care of Blu… Kuddos for Parents that Care!! Well written article/post/blog…
Blue Ivy’s hair is fine…money or not a 1 year old can mess up their hair in like 5 secs. Above all of that, they are being parents with a child and it is their decision on everything. Just leave them alone and let them enjoy being amazing parents to their child and just doing life together.
I agree with all of the comments. I am the mother of a daughter who is 7 now. When she was a baby, her hair looked just like that!! Anyone who knows babies, that is the put anything and everything in your mouth. I would do her hair with the little clips, until the day I saw her with one in her mouth. I realized that they were choking hazards and decided to leave them out of her hair, and let her be. I got the strange looks too, but I knew what I was doing and could not have cared less!
I love her hair and do not understand what the fuss is all about? She is a baby and a damn cute one too………they were asked for a pic and gave it…ya got what ya asked for so????
Blue Ivy is adorable. I don’t see anything wrong with her hair. It is healthy and full. What do people expect Bey to do with it — put in a relaxer or a weave? She’s one years old for crying out loud. Leave the Carters and their beautiful baby alone! All some people know how to do is run their mouths and their shoes over.
Let’s hope she doesn’t take direction from her Mom and Aunties who wear fake hair.
Some of us have yet to wake-up from our brainwashing.
A person is not defined by their hair, that is why so many women buy hair and sew it on. This child is so blessed and your trying to get attention, and have people come to your web-site to defend this comment you have made. God takes care of Children and he will deal with you in ways you can’t even imagine. If you have any problems with what I have said take it up with him, it is written. This is not cute at all. Choose your target very carefully, we make choices, but the consequences do not belong to us. Amen. Rev Tonette Henry
Rev. Henry:
I’m confused by your comment. You do realize that this entire post is saying that making comments about a baby’s hair is wrong, right?
You better say that!
Black people have severe cases of self hate. It was not white people that made remarks about Gabby’s hair, IT WAS BLACK MEN AND WOMEN!
We hate our blackness no matter the shade, we hate anything that reminds us we’re black.
Guess why we kill each other without any second thought.
Well now we will not see the baby until she turn 7 or maybe even 10 because of the non-sense it’s a cute baby and a cute picture of her mother and father
Put a dress on her, and a bow or ribbon in her hair!!
Why to fit into YOUR view if gender stereotyping?
I so agree with you! I have a 16 month old and her little, let me add kinky curls, are so thick and grow so fast. At least let it look brushed and cared for. Blue’s, at cute as she is, just looks like it’s there…no brush, no comb just growing crazily. I’m natural, my daughter will be and saying “do something with her hair”, doesn’t mean weaves, extensions, relaxers or any of that. It means just make it look like it’s cared for a brush through, moisturizer, some curl cream to make those curls pop & a headband would not hurt at all. And to the ppl even talking about extensions, etc sthu …leave it to the afrocentrics to jump all the way to left and extreme!
Totally agree with your who is talking about altering the natural state of her hair..no one. .funny all those posting have groomed hair natural or not..If her parents were trying to create ‘book dreads where you just leave the hair to tangle up naturally and knot up into untamed dreadlocks then fine but I doubt that was her parents aim..so therfore moisturise and unknown her hair…so what it’s okay to walk around unkempt because we are black..such obscure thinking…obviously Beyonce doesn’t share the hate of relaxers and weaves as some do here cause she is the queen of just that.and yes I love natural afro hair just look after it..The great afro of the 70 ‘s wasn’t a tangled mess was it?
That’s suppose to read ‘Bobo’ dread.mistype
Really? I mean comon now. Baby Blue is the cutest baby and her hair is just fine and gorgous. Work what god gave ya. Thats it… Period.
Leave the baby hair alone and let her hair grow in it’s natural state. Not into this conlonial slavery mindset of making sure you weave up 247 and believe straight hair is better. No everyone fix up and love your hair the God makde you with !!!! leave your negative slavery mentality view at your doorstep ! Thats your stuff no Ivy stuff nor her parent im 100% behind them making sure their daughter loves everything about herself. People need to fix up and stop putting their insercuries about their beautiful curly afro on others !!!!
Kemit !!!
Errr Beyonce is the queen of weave 24/7 as you put it..so obviously bey doesn’t share your thoughts..so your point is?
Yes Blue is one but they still need to do something with her hair she is not a couple of months she is one. you can,t let it slide. they need to stop dressing her like a boy too. brush that babies hair so she dose not look like no one cares about her.
Reading the comments about Blue Ivy’s hair on other sites just shows where people priorities are at. I guess everyone forgot about the other picture where Blue Ivy had 2 little pig tails. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago where her hair is out and all of a sudden it’s assumed that her hair is never done. I guess everyone complaining never had a day as a baby/toddler where their wasn’t done. It’s sad to see. First it was Gabby Douglas now a one year old baby. Who’s next? Thanks for sharing your insight on this issue which shouldn’t had been an issue to begin with.
I have never understood picking on little kids. Her hair is free. I didn’t do anything with my daughter’s or son’s hair besides moisturize it and make sure it was tangle free until they were maybe 8 to 10 months old. For me it was unnecessary to do all that pulling and tugging on it. Even when I did start doing it I didn’t always put it in tight ponytails. Who are we to say what her mother does with her hair. She is a baby and babies do mess up their hair. I wish people would leave children alone. I completely understand why celebrities want to make it a law to make children off limits to the paparazzi. People are crazy. Children deserve to be protected not ridiculed and we wonder why most of our children have low self esteem.
I agree with what everyone is saying to a certain extent, but I will say that I don’t believe in letting my children leave out of the house without looking presentable. In my opinion, because we all have one, I think that as a mother, if you can spend hundreds or thousands on your hair, you can at least put a bow or ribbon in your child’s hair. When my daughter was 1, her hair on the top, was longer than the back and sides; so all you have to do is buy little baby bows that you can put in a girls’ hair. Just one bow or one clip, right in the middle is adorable; or even a band with a flower or bow and that will not break a baby’s hair because it goes around the head. I don’t believe in putting a whole bunch of pony tails and beads and braids in a baby’s hair, but a little bow is cute. My daughter has fine hair and nothing I did made her hair break, if anything, by me combing and brushing it, it grew and now it is long. I have 4 children, ages 6, 4, 3 and 1, and they come before me, ALWAYS…so no matter what, I want them looking great, when they leave the house. If you do your own hair, then why is it an issue to do your child’s? Blue is forever adorable and her hair does not take away from her beauty, but her mother could have taken time out to do it. That is part of being a parent. There is nothing wrong with Brains and Beauty.
@ I agree T.T
The photograph shows only a few seconds of the baby’s life. The baby is most likely not thinking about the stuff. Why are you? The baby is not vain and conceited and trying to attract attention like “grown ups” do. The baby is virginal and uncorrupted by the world. Are you?
Blue is cute but this childs hair needs to be DONE (period).All cuteness aside this little girl looks more like boy .If Beyoncé can have 6-8 different weaves in one day and look half way human why can’t Blue? First they cover her face up as if she’s a hermit ,then have the childs feet are dangling without shoes… now her hair is flying all over her head. Where’s child’s the stylist? Where is Ms. Tina Knowles? Blue should be looking better than Beyoncé. The Carter’s are in the public eye so their going to be sought after that’s the price of being famous. Does Michelle Obama’s children come out like that? You mean to tell me nobody has a comb nor brush? That look is fine if she at home but she’s NOT . I love the Carter Family but NOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Why would anyone jump to the conclusion that Beyonce and Jay Z don’t put Blue first based on 2 photographs that were probably taken from a telephoto lens by photographers hiding somewhere? I’ve seen children dressed to the nines whose parents could care less about them. Maybe they felt like relaxing with their child and minding their own business.
I was in no rush seeing this child – BUT LEAVE HER ALONE. She is a beautiful, innocent child born to two ego maniacs – go after them but NOT HER!
What I find odd is she’s a baby from the pic she is barefoot in pajamas idk about anyone else, but maybe just maybe she could have just woken up……
This is in reference to a pic taken of b.I.c. on September 2, 2013
She needs to come that baby’s hair. If I see any baby that big out and about, celebrity or not, and their hair ALWAYS look like that then I’m gonna say the same thing. I don’t understand why she can’t comb it out with some water and grease and put a headband or a bow in it. I felt the same way about Gabby Douglas and I didn’t jump on the ‘outrage’ bandwagon. Her hair should have been done as well.
In my humble opinion, this is not about “good hair” or “bad hair”. I think there is benefit to simply COMBING and MOISTURIZING Blue’s hair. Some people are acting like they are an advocate of hair that is unkept completely. Yes she is well 2 now, what is wrong with the general maintenance and upkeep of the child. I don’t care for bows and ribbons nor do I like a zillion plaits in a child’s head so its not about extravagance. I have seen some “coarse” teeny weeny afros that are sooooooo pretty. So to those who are making this a good hair bad hair issue, gain some perspective.
A year later and still we are talking about this babies hair. Here we have two black parents, married, no extra babies or strippers popping out, no violence and they can pay for what they need and have and we are critisizing. For a few minutes her hair wasn’t perfect. Do they need a hair stylist to chase after her all day?
I need these peoples secret because after laying her head against the stroller, rolling on the floor her hair does not look just did. It looks played in and I don’t care. I want her to enjoy herself without me stressed because she doesn’t look perfect all the time.If she was 10 it would be a different but she is a tumbly, head on mama’s shoulder, rolling on the floor toddler.
Let’s prioritize.I could see if it was sporting dreads but it’s not because they obviously comb it. As rich as they are they could get that child’s hair styled but they don’t want to. If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything.
Really u think bey gives a fuck what a non factor has to comment on her mother skills to eaches on ppl will get on the net & spread rumors cause the hv no life beta yet i bet somebody n there family R neighbor beta yet there own child hair is nappy un combed r even bald i despise who ever speak negative bout the Carter & knowels family get ya own child hair together In that order….move around wit that shit she has bigger issues like she said on her&drake song” mine” stop maken a big deal outta lil things cause SHE HAS BIGGER THINGS….i say this she feed off haters blu is beautiful baby from both worlds!!!
a yearlater her hair is getting worst ive never seen any one let their child hair just go go on bossip site look up throw some grease on that ish celebs on blu ivy hair and look at that 3 and 4 year old go to school just think of her teacher lookin at her head and her mother wearing thousand dollar weaves and she go everywhere lookin like that she goes to disney land
Yes! Leave the child alone.
Some of you all are full of it. If this was a non famous black woman in the hood or community with her kid hair looking like Blu Ivy, you all know good and well that you all would trash talk about how that black mother is not doing her job. I love Beyonce and Jayz; however, when they are in the PUBLIC EYE and they are always flawless. In our society, people expect your kid to be representation of you. WHat if Michelle Obama let her two daughters come out in public with thier hair looking mess up? Would everyone be saying “chill out” and let Michelle daughter hair stay undone? NO. Blu Ivy can have her hair natual and still look good so it is NOT about having bows,weaves, and perms in my book. Blu ivy’s hair looking like a kid who just played or slept is one thing but her hair looks like it was not combed for a while.
11 and 15 year old girls are old enough to do their own hair. There is a world of a difference between a teen and a toddler.
Blues hair isn’t linty or dirty. It is obviously washed often enough. They probably get a pass because their child is jet setting and already enough to go to college. Regardless of her hair she is set for life. Her hair is inconsequential.