Whip Your Hair Back and Forth, or Shave it, or Dye it

I read this a while ago, and the words and message have resonated with me and reverberated in my head for the past few weeks. After reading another strong statement by Jada Pinkett Smith on the so called "war on men," I decided to revisit a message Jada wrote a few weeks ago in response to why, oh why, would a mother let her pre-teen daughter shave her hair into a mohawk?

Several news outlets and blogs reported bits and pieces of the message, which she posted in full on her Facebook page. The post enlightens her fans by saying that allowing Willow to shave her hair endows her with control over her own body, to do with it as she pleases. This idea connects to both second and third wave feminism. Her parents allow Willow to choose her own hair style to display her personality, but they also don't limit her by saying she must still have a "girly" cut.

Even little girls should not be a slave to the preconceived ideas of what a culture believes a little girl should be

In a separate response, Will Smith agreed with his wife, noting that if a father puts boundaries on what his daughter can do with her hair, body, and image, she will grow up and find another man to fill the same role, one which gives guidelines of how she should look.