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Tommy Sotomayor aka Mr. Controversy has made a huge name for himself not only within the black community, but on the YouTube and radio broadcast community as well. Though he is very popular, admitting to be a fan or even saying you feel he has valid points can lead to a heated discussion.

Reason being he is extremely critical of black people, particularly black women, and has lent his opinion on numerous topics such as: light skin vs dark skin, biracial people, feminist ideology, weave, and violence within the black community. Yet his fan base continues to grow. Regardless of the accusations of being anti-black, anti-gay, a coon, self hater and color-struck, he still garners a largely black men and women audience.

The problem is, I feel Sotomayors intent is taken out of context. Sotomayors work is heavily satirical, and the perspective he lends is an outsiders perspective. He is essentially, presenting you with the view of a non-black person. He is telling you what those people think, but wont say to your face.

When being critical of black womens hair (he is strongly against the use of perms and weave, coining the term hair-hat), he is trying to evoke a thought process. While to some, its just hair, while to others, its a deep rooted problem that is kept quiet in the black community. I remember a particular video, where he gave a commentary (on two young white girls making fun of weave and saying that black women were jealous of them), and he made a valid point: you give them that power when you alter you appearance that looks more, European (yes, I am very aware that most weave is from Asia, not Europe). Yes, white women wear weave too. However, majority of white women do not. Outside of Hollywood, very few do. Furthermore, white women wear hair that replicates white hair texture, whereas, most hair extensions marketed to black women does not.

Black women, in order to further black empowerment should embrace their natural hair. Not for the men, not for white acceptance, but for themselves. Its not the weave thats bad, its the notion that you need it. Its the mindset that, black hair is ugly, bad, dirty, unprofessional, and unkempt. Its the fact that a lot of little black girls are not given the option of wearing their natural hair. These are the building blocks of raising confident women. This is the point that I feel Sotomayor is trying to make. That instead of embracing our own beauty we are conforming to what society tells us are beautiful black women, oppose to what us telling them what is beautiful about us.

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