Nadia Turner, the independent black rocker chick, wasn’t about to let them straighten her hair so she could look more acceptable to the majority. She didn’t last long.

To get votes from Americans, black women on American Idol have to straighten their hair.  This culture finds black hair threatening and ugly.  Simon Cowell gives compliments to contestants such as Kimberly Locke, and yep, even the blonde Brooke White, who straighten their hair.  Most women with curly hair  or kinks accept the damaging frying processes or the fake hair sewn or glued in by the time they progress in the show.  Many, such as Jordin Sparks,  never go back to their natural texture in service to their careers.  Long, straight hair is deemed the most beautiful hair to have, and women must be beautiful to make it big nowadays.

I don’t blame these women.  What else can they do if they want acceptance?  If some method is discovered to bleach skin that actually works, you can rest assured they’ll be whitening up.

Syesha curly

We’ve come to expect it from American Idol. Beautiful girls with curls are transformed, week by week, into cookie-cutter, straight-haired lookalikes.

First season, there was Tamyra Gray. Season 2, Kimberley Locke got the Idol treatment — her wild ringlets becoming tamer by the week. Jennifer Hudson got the straight makeover in Season 3, always to the rave reviews of judges who seem to feel uncomfortable with any kind of texture. At least they let Season 4’s Nadia Turner rock her curls, but they tamed down Carrie Underwood’s Botticelli long waves. Season 5’s Lisa Tucker didn’t make it far enough for them to get their flatiron onto her long curls. Jordin Sparks, who came onto the scene with her big voice and big, amazing ringlets, now rarely sports any texture after her Idol makeover. And now there’s Syesha Mercado — beautiful Syesha. Her amazing ‘fro is a part of her unique style.

They wouldn’t think of messing with Jason Castro’s long dreadlocks. Yet they can’t keep their hands off Syesha’s hair, attaching extensions and eliminating any sign of a curl or kink.

American Idol, at its core, is a talent competition. And Syesha has loads of it. Let her do what she does best, without sacrificing her natural beauty.

Let Syesha be Syesha

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