We Are All Team Zahara

For the many African-Americans who wrote in chastising me for speaking ill of Zahara's hair (particularly in what some consider a "white publication") I challenge you to send in pictures of the little girls in your family with hair that isn't brushed, combed, or put in some sort of style on a regular basis. I must admit NEWSWEEK's photo that ran with my story (a version of which is reprinted above) didn't do much to prove my point. It was one of her better hair days. But pick up any issue of Us or Life and Style magazines, and you'll regularly see photos of this cute little girl, with ruffles on her dress, bracelets on her arm and hair that clearly hasn't been attended to. Unacceptable! For good measure let me say explain once more what I consider unacceptable for a 4-year-old baby: uncombed, unconditioned, and unbrushed. If Zahara were the child of a single mother, frazzled by bills, parenthood, and life, I'd be more understanding. But this is a woman with nannies galore and access to any expert or professional in the business. I maintain if you make the commitment to adopt a child from a different culture and transport them into yet a different culture, there are considerations and provisions that need to be made.

Trust me, I really do applaud Jolie and Pitt for bringing needy children into their lives and their home. But it doesn't and can't end once you get them in the house. As I said before, self-esteem and confidence can be just as vital as food and shelter if the child is to become a contributing member of society. As wonderful and as lavish as Zahara's life may be right now, it won't mean much if she ends up having serious issues with her identity and place in the world. If she's already asking about her hair, it means she's already thinking about her looks and how she fits in. At some point, Angelina will have to try to answer those questions. It won't be easy. But the actress should know that the next time Zahara asks about hair, it won't be why her hair isn't similar to others in her house. It will be why her hair doesn't look like other brown girls' does.

On a cultural note, I'd like Angelina to also know how much bonding goes on when mothers sit down to comb their daughter's hair; something that happens in almost every culture, but particularly in the African-American community. My fondest memories are of me sitting on the floor as my mother brushed and oiled my hair. During that time, we'd talk about my day at school, plans for the weekend, and anything else that crossed our minds. That was our time. Do I believe Madonna, another superstar with a child adopted from Africa, is actually sitting down and cornrowing daughter Mercy's hair? Probably not, but I do think she has taken the time to learn and understand how important it is that Mercy gets all the attention she needs from head to toe and inside and out.

I'm not a member of the Jolie-Pitt household, so I can't assume to know their thought process or intentions. But one thing I do know is that girlie girls usually like to have their hair combed.

Allison Samuels initial post on this topic generated a lot of debate from bloggers across the Web. This Friday, we'll invite some of those bloggers to respond to this latest article on NEWSWEEK's Human Condition blog.

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