Nappy Headed Ho's: Why it Hurts so Bad

An Open Letter to Don Imus

If you have not heard the first three words of my title in the past few days, then you have truly been living under a rock. Story Here:

I want to address Don Imus directly in this letter to explain why this insult is as damaging and degrading as it is. I want to get right down to the insult and break down the words used in the insult, nappy headed ho's.

Nappy, according to Dictionary.com means "fuzzy, kinky," used in colloquial or derogatory referring to the hair of black people. Likewise, Nappy headed according to Urbandictionary.com is a term used to describe someone (typically of African descent) who possesses tightly coiled, very curly hair. It also means an African or African American or anyone of African descent who wears that hair natural and has one of the many textures of woolly-like (nappy) hair.

Therefore, no matter how you cut it, "nappy headed" is a derogatory insult specifically geared toward blacks. The problem with the term, nappy headed, is that it should not be an insult. You see, after generations and generations of black women hiding, processing, and altering our hair lest someone spy a "nap" on our heads, many black women, including myself have returned to our roots so to speak. We are natural (nappy) and loving it. After decades of relearning that as black women that the hair that grows out of our heads in the state that is grows is beautiful, we are reminded why we grew to hair our natural hair in the first place. It hurts for in one moment, in one "slip of the tongue", in one callous remark, many young women who do not understand how beautiful they are once again, reaching for their headscarves.

Now, let us look at the word ho's, whether you refer to hardcore ho's or nappy headed ho's, a ho is a whore. Urban dictionary.com defines the word ho as a prostitute, whore, hooker, tramp, and slut. Even worse than that, a whore is a woman who uses her body, or gives the impression that her mark can be intimate with her, for material gain or to boost her own ego. A whore is a prostitute. No, Mr. Imus, a Ho is not just a word from Santa Claus; it is the absolute worst of insults you can bestow on a young woman.