Diamond White's fond childhood memory is the same for many women of color

Actress Diamond White has been portraying Paris Buckingham on the CBS soap THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL since November 2, 2020. On Friday night June 25, she sang a beautiful rendition of "The world's a better place because of you" during the 48th annual Daytime Emmy Awards. As she was singing there was a Memoriam with pictures of entertainers who passed away within the past year including Cicely Tyson and Larry King.

During a recent interview with SOAPS DAILY, the versatile entertainer shared a fond memory from her childhood. It's one that many women of color have experienced. Diamond White said: "The smell of burning hair and olive oil spray and shine spray brings so many good memories back for me because that’s all we did every week as a kid was the hair care routine.”

Diamond's memory is one that a number of African American females have said comes to them from time to time. Prior to natural styles becoming popular in the late 1960s black girls with kinky hair had to have it straightened or "get their hair done". This involved a hot plate or eye of a stove, a metal pressing comb, and hair grease. The process could take up to an hour depending on the length and thickness of the hair. The reason for this system is because once coarse hair gets wet it turns into an afro. This can happen in the rain, a swimming pool, or after shampooing. In order to get it straight again, it was necessary to press it with a hot comb.

Diamond White said she chose to have her hair straightened and that her mother used olive oil spray. The 22 year old actress is probably too young to recall what older black females went through and the fact that there was no choice regarding straightening the hair. In the old days, hair grease could be actual Crisco shortening (not the oil), lard, (the fat from pigs), Vasoline, or other Petroleum jelly brands.

There were also products like Ultra Sheen, Blue Magic, and Bergamont which softened the hair so that the hot comb would straighten the kinky locks. There is a distinctive smell that many black women today are not familiar with thanks to hair relaxers or wearing natural styles. The combination of the perfumes in the hairdressing compounds and the wet hair going through the hot comb is quite distinctive.

When the hot comb was dipped in the "hair grease" and then run through sections of hair there was a sizzling sound and a scent that let you know you were on your way to being beautiful. Most girls had a female relative to press and curl their hair at home but others went to the beauty salon. Christmas and Easter were big business for the beauty shop owners.

That smell that Diamond White talks about is a fond one for a lot of African American females but there are also memories of burned ears and necks when the hot comb got too close to the skin. During those days girls considered this process to be a dreaded but necessary one. Now on this side of the situation, looking back. most women consider it all to be a pleasant remembrance from the past.

Prior to Madame CJ Walker inventing the straightening comb, African American women wore their hair naturally. Walker said her goal was not to alter the texture of black women's hair but that her products helped hair to grow longer. Walker's pressing comb and other hair care items made her the first African American millionaire. In the process, Diamond White and many other black women look back fondly on the days of having their hair "done". African American women today have many alternatives to hair care that once were not available.

Diamond White currently wears her hair short and as Paris Buckingham, on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. White has given the viewing audience an array of colors for her tresses. Some who watch the CBS soap say they look forward to her scenes just to find out what shade she is sporting on a given day. Thus far her locks have been blonde, brown, red, pink, and green. On some days it looks as if there are two shades mixed together.

Paris works for Forrester Creations and is the sister of Zoe Buckingham, portrayed by Kiara Barnes. She came to LA to be near her older sibling but Zoe will be leaving the soap within a few weeks. Barnes has taken the role of Rose in the new FOX series FANTASY ISLAND. On-screen her character leaves LA after finding out the truth that her fiancee Carter Walton cheated with Quinn Forrester and not Shauna Fulton as he had said.

Paris currently knows the truth and is withholding it from her sister because she does not want to hurt her. Spoilers indicate that soon Paris will reveal what she knows to Brooke Logan who will then spill the secret which leads to Zoe leaving LA. Those who watch THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL are wondering what the future will hold for Paris once her older sibling who is her only relative in town has departed.

Hopefully, once Zoe leaves town THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL will make use of Paris outside of her place of employment and develop her relationship with Zende Forrester. Be on the lookout for updates related this sticky situation and tune in to see what hair color Paris will next be wearing. Thank you Diamond White for sharing your fond past memory that so many women of color have experienced and can relate to.