Willow Smith- Black GRRRL Power?

For those of you unfamiliar with GRRRL power, it refers to the Riot GRRRL movement during the early nineties as the US witnessed an emergence of women in music genres normally associated with men. Their position as the artist and not the eye candy served to bust through stereotypes that women were simply accessories to men. Their "in your face" lyrics was used to articulate feminist thought, speaking out against rape, violence against women, and overall, promoting empowerment of women. While Riot GRRRL typically refers to white women in punk rock bands, I am willing argue Salt-N-Peppa, MC Lyte and Queen Latifa definitely served the same purpose for the black community.


A recent blog article posted on www.msmagazine.com provides an amazing analysis of Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair" video as "riotous Black Grrrl power." Willow walks into an all white room, bringing not only color, but music, life, excitement all surrounding the premise of her hair as a unique part of her identity. Janell Hobson, the author of the article, asserts that black girls do tend to cause "disrupt" white social spaces as has recently taken in place in the case of the young Seattle, Washington student whose teacher said the smell of her hair product made her sick, the constant obsession with Zahara Jolie Pitt hair care and concern over whether the Obama girls hair is straightened or not.
Whether or not young Willow sat down as she penned her lyrics (yes, she wrote them!) with the intention of speaking out for every little black girl, and woman, who are tired of the issues that their black hair causes them to face, she has certainly spoken out on the matter! Perfectly timed with the Sesame Street, "I Love My Hair" segment, it is as though the time to demand acceptance for black hair as normal and as beautiful as everyone one else's has come!


Your thoughts? Can hair serve as empowerment or is Willow Smith's ditty simply a cute little song?