Gymnast Gabby Douglas' stellar Olympic performance and demonstration of poise and grace have made her America's sweetheart. Twitter and Facebook are a buzz with cheers for the 16-year old Virginia native, but she's receiving jeers, too. Women in the African-American community aren't buzzing about Gabby's gold. They are buzzing about her hair... and not in a good way.
As far as we can tell, Gabby has chemically relaxed natural hair and uses gel to keep her 'do in place while flipping across London. Many African-American women think she should have chosen a style that better represents black women as a whole. The gripes we read were all over the board. Too much gel. Too many clips. Should have gotten a perm. Should have brought a stylist to London. Blah, blah, blah.
Despite the social media backlash, Gabby has received support from several media outlets and hair blogs - including this one! We are incredibly proud to have a young woman like Gabby representing America.
What do you think of Gabby's hair? What, if anything, should she have done differently?
For more on Olympic style and medal-worthy hairstyles, keep an eye on My Best Friend's Hair throughout the Games.
For the love of hair & Team USA,
Melanie
