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by Jake Stump
Tina Beatty admits most of her customers have nappy -- or naturally funky -- hair.
Her salon on Charleston's West Side is even called Nappy By Nature.
So when she heard radio host Don Imus' controversial remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team ("that's some nappy-headed ho's there"), she wasn't particularly offended by the "nappy" reference.
Beatty, a black woman, embraces the word and says it's simply a descriptive term.
"The word itself, "nappy," is not offensive," said Beatty, who opened Nappy By Nature in 1992. "Nappy is our heritage. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
Beatty, 39, said she chose the name "Nappy By Nature" so black people would know where they could get their hair done in Charleston.
"Nappy" is an adjective used to describe the texture of hair common among black people.
Nappy By Nature, located on Washington Street West, specializes in hair extensions, weaves, cornrows and other popular black hairstyles.
But its doors aren't open just for black people or those with a wild head of hair.
Beatty's shop knows no discrimination based on race or hairdo.
Her customer base includes blacks, whites, Asians and mixed races, she said.
Some of her customers were reeling over Imus' comment, which was used repeatedly in a nationwide media frenzy.
Despite his repeated apologies and defense of the context of the remark, Imus was fired by CBS Radio, who had broadcast the show.
John Valentine, 31, a customer from South Charleston, said he knew of Imus before the April 4 incident but was still shocked at what he said about the Rutgers basketball team.
"I knew he said wild things, but when he said that, I was shocked," Valentine said. "If I was a woman, especially a woman of color, I'd definitely be offended."
Valentine said "ho" isn't a term that should be used, particularly against someone you do not know personally. It's a slang form of "whore."
Valentine also believed Imus' firing was mishandled by MSNBC, who dropped him from its morning television simulcast a week after he made the comments. His radio show was canceled by CBS the following day.
"They started losing sponsorships and all of a sudden, he's let go," Valentine said. "They should've fired him in the beginning, not a week and a half later."
Seven major sponsors, including General Motors and American Express, pulled ads from Imus' show before his firing.
Other Nappy By Nature customers also expressed outrage over Imus' highly publicized comments.
Diane Edwards, 40, said she, too, was probably more offended by the "ho's" portion of the comment rather than the "nappy-headed" part.
"If someone called his mother a "ho," he wouldn't have liked that," Edwards said.
Beatty finds that the punishment fits the action.
"He needed punished," she said. "You reap what you sow.
"You have these girls out there playing hard, and someone's making comments about their hair."
Some people have previously found the name of Beatty's business racially insensitive, despite the fact that the business is geared toward the black community.
Beatty said she's heard a few indirect complaints about the name but defends it.
"Nappy hair is nappy hair," she said. "And not just blacks have nappy hair.
"You have to be careful about what you say. These days, everybody is offended by everything."
Beatty, at age 25, opened Nappy By Nature after working for J.C. Penney. Her salon is decorated with African American-themed art and a Christian flavor.
Beatty and several of her employees are devout Christians, and Beatty hosts monthly Bible studies.
Owner Tina Beatty prepares to wash the hair of Diane Edwards, left, while stylist Robin Bonner shampoos the hair of Tierra Lamb.
Contact writer Jake Stump at 348-4842.
Source: Charleston Daily MailAll rights reserved.