ion ▁of ▁the ▁time ". ▁Black ▁activ ists ▁inf used ▁straight ened ▁hair ▁with ▁political ▁val ence ; ▁straight ening ▁one ' s ▁hair ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁' sim ulate ▁Wh iten ess ', ▁whether ▁chem ically ▁or ▁with ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁heat , ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁seen ▁by ▁some ▁as ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁self - hat red ▁and ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁internal ized ▁opp ression ▁im posed ▁by ▁White - domin ated ▁main stream ▁media . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁an ▁African - American ▁person ' s ▁" ability ▁to ▁conform ▁to ▁main stream ▁standards ▁of ▁beauty ▁[ was ] ▁tied ▁to ▁being ▁successful ." ▁Thus , ▁reject ing ▁straight ened ▁hair ▁symbol ized ▁a ▁deeper ▁act ▁of ▁reject ing ▁the ▁belief ▁that ▁straight ening ▁hair ▁and ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁gro oming ▁which ▁were ▁de emed ▁' soci ally ▁acceptable ' ▁were ▁the ▁only ▁means ▁of ▁looking ▁present able ▁and ▁att aining ▁success ▁in ▁society . ▁The ▁pressing ▁comb ▁and ▁chemical ▁straight en ers ▁became ▁st ig mat ized ▁within ▁the ▁community ▁as ▁symbols ▁of ▁opp ression ▁and ▁im posed ▁White ▁beauty ▁ide als . ▁C ertain ▁Black ▁people ▁sought ▁to ▁em brace ▁beauty ▁and ▁aff irm ▁and ▁accept ▁their ▁natural ▁physical ▁tra its . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁ult imate ▁goals ▁of ▁the ▁Black ▁movement ▁was ▁to ▁evol ve ▁to ▁a ▁level ▁where ▁Black ▁people ▁" w ere ▁proud ▁of ▁black ▁skin ▁and ▁k ink y ▁or ▁n appy ▁hair . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁natural ▁hair ▁became ▁a ▁symbol