Stuff People Say To Natural Girls & Behind Their Back!

Tongue in cheek, y'all. Tongue in cheek...and please subscribe to "HairCrush: The Natural Hair Guru" Youtube channel




...but this is my favorite video of hers: "...Your Kids Will Have Some Good Hair!"

What do you think? [...About Our Hair Issues]

I came across this trailer about our hair 'issues' today. The woman at the end of the video finds that hair is not a significant issue in her recent experience. I find that there's quite a divide --- more women with coily, helix hair who are comfortable natural (meaning without 'texturizers'), and many who haven't seen their natural hair in decades, haven't a clue what it's like, and who can't imagine finding out what it's like any time in the near future. I think they had to invent 'lacefronts' for the unfortunate sisters whose hair got burned out by perm, pulled out by micros, and tugged out by glue, leaving nothing left to 'weave' to. "You can do whatever you like", she says, but we don't make choices in a vacuum, and to significant degree, the outer reflects the inner...What do you think?

Julia Stewart Stackhaus ~ My Sisterlocks Consultant

"I love my sisterlocks consultant," posted Naturally Sophia on her blog back in 2008.

Well, I love MY sisterlocks consultant too!

And Sophia and I happen to have the same consultant - Julia Stewart Stackhaus.

Julia re-tightening Sophia's Hair at the 2009 Natural hair show in Atlanta

Julia has a degree in journalism from Clark-Atlanta University and is a Sisterlocks consultant, mother, business woman, AND a competitive body builder and fitness athlete.

She proudly rocks her sisterlocks at competitions across the country!

Sisterlocks blogger, Sophia (Naturally Sophia) designs jewelry and natural hair ties and clips. (I hope she doesn't mind my clipping a couple of photos of Julia from her blog :o)

If you're looking for a sisterlocks consultant in the Atlanta area, contact Julia Stewart Stackhaus at 404-718-9371

Just a little competing imagery...'Loc'd Beauties'

...and for additional 'competing' imagery click on the link see my post from spring '08 entitled, "Natural Beauty Queens"...

Phyllis the VideoLocktician cuts her sisterlocks

10 years - 10 inches!

Black women, hair and exercise

You Are Beautiful!

Atlanta Sisterlocks Explosion Highlights

African Hair and It's Significance: Connecting to our Spirit

I'm Hoping OnixIsis keeps this one up on Youtube.

For All of the Natural Little Girls ~~~ Love your hair!

A Pill to "Cure" Curly Hair or "I have a Disease"

I have a disease...

...it's called "tricohyalin" and it's genetic. Perhaps you have it too. But never fear, a pill to "cure" tricohyalin is in development...

"..The Australian scientists that discovered the curly gene (aka trichohyalin) are now working on creating a pill that would "cure" genetically textured locks.

This pill would render relaxers, texturizers, and flatirons obsolete--but it could also signal the end of luscious, Tracee Ellis Ross-type curls, forever.

The thing is, if scientists can isolate the gene that causes curly hair, what's to stop them from one day reversing or removing the gene altogether? It's a chilling thought..." Read Tia Williams post on Essence.com

Apparently, the "curly hair gene" might be of help to law enforcement officials as well, helping them determine the hair texture of the assailant from genetic material left at the scene of a crime.

Professor Nick Martin, the scientist who reported discovering the tricohyalin gene several years ago, says it may be possible to come up with treatments (emphasis mine) to make hair straighter rather than relying on heated hair straighteners. According to the online magazine Naturallycurly.com, he claims that further development and marketing strategies are in the works. Last December, he said, “I will be discussing this with a major cosmetic company in Paris in January."

By the way, the company is L'Oreal.


The folks at NaturallyCurly.com aren't too thrilled about it.
They posted this editorial back in 2005:

"When you think of a pill, you think of something designed to heal an illness. That is why we at NaturallyCurly.com are appalled by L’Oreal Paris’ announcement that researchers are developing a pill to straighten hair.

Popping a pill, they claim, could turn curly hair straight and vice versa by changing the hook-shaped hair bulb. The thought that people would be swallowing hormones to straighten their hair is a terrifying prospect.

In addition to the possible health implications of ingesting something powerful enough to change your hair, it sends a negative message to people with curly and kinky hair.

We at NaturallyCurly.com do not believe curly hair is something to be cured. We are not against straightening curls, but do not believe people should feel that they have to do so to be attractive.

We would urge the scientists at L’Oreal to focus on those ailments that truly need fixing."

The National Science Foundation is, of course, on the opposite side of the issue.

They created the video below to praise the potential benefit of genetic manipulation of hair texture. It's discussed within the context of the treatment of a disease of hair growth referred to as "Wooly Hair".

They were politically correct enough to play down the potential market demand from the general population.



A National Science Foundation Promo Video


Would you take a pill to straighten your coily hair?
Or do you think they'll discover, soon after it's release, that the pill causes you to grow a third eye just to the left of the center of your forehead?


Take the poll in the sidebar.


Peace, love and self-acceptance,
DL

On Chris Rock and the movie "Good Hair": The Sisterlocks Response

I was lurking on Mimi's blog, Naturally Rooted, and discovered this video - Dr. Cornwell's response to Chris Rock's "Good Hair."

You'll love the parade of styles at the end of part three of the video - Dr. Cornwell's gift to Chris Rocks daughters.

As Dr. Cornwell says, we don't have 'problem hair', we just don't know it yet...







Peace, love and self-acceptance,
DL

Kwanzaa Decor at My Moms' Place 2009

Kwanzaa Heri Sisters!
(and lurking brothers :o)

Just a few pretty Kwanzaa decorations on my moms fireplace mantle for you to enjoy below.



Kikombe cha Umoja (Unity cup)



Cute circular kinara (candle holder)




Mazao (Crops)




Vibunzi (corn) and the Mkeka (woven mat)





Mom's fireplace Kwanzaa display

And a Kwanzaa decorating segment with Sheila Bridges featuring interior designer, Tangie Murray.

"Black women are ugly..."

The start of the school year and thoughts about our children brought this post to mind. Enjoy the re-run.

_______

[Originally posted March 24, 2008 at 4:46 PM]

I teared when I first watched the film A Girl Like Me, directed by young Kiri Davis, 3 years ago. Below is a 7 minute clip.

This disturbing film documents the fact that the pivotal Kenneth and Mamie Clark experimental findings, are as valid today as they were in the 1930's. Sadly, our children still prefer the white doll to the Black doll.

Used to argue several Brown vs. Board of Education law suits in support of integrated schools, the actual data set is rarely if ever examined.

In fact, the Clark's data actually revealed that more children in integrated northern schools preferred and would rather play with the white doll than children in segregated southern schools.

I'd bet you didn't know that.

Moreover, the Clarks found that after Black children entered segregated schools, they approved more highly of the Black dolls. Translation: during the formative years, Black children feel better about themselves when educated in a nurturing environment of adults and children who look like them.

One of the actual data sets:
Children at northern, integrated schools vs. Children at southern, segregated schools

Prefer to play with white doll: 72% vs. 62%
White doll is "nice" 68% vs. 52%
Black doll is "bad" 71% vs. 49%

None of the numbers above are good, but the trend is undeniable. What can I say except, 'Don't believe the hype.'

Support African-centered Saturday programs like the one my son has attended at Nsoromma School.

Additional web resources are available to you through the Black Homeschoolers Network and, here in Atlanta, AYA Educational Institute.

Recommended reading: Developmental Psychology of the Black Child and other books by Dr. Amos Wilson.

Finally, there is a wonderful article about sisterlocks, our daughters, self esteem and locking children's hair in Vol. 2, No. 2. of the Sisterlocks Journal. Giovonnie Samuels, the sisterlocked, Nickelodeon child-star is on the cover.

Dr. JoAnne Cornwell the innovator of sisterlocks has an academic appointment in the Department of Africana Studies at San Diego State University.)

Natural Hair Poetry (by Dr JoAnne Cornwell)

More hair poetry posts here

Dr. Joanne Cornwell Speaks at Adornment Natural Hair Health & Beauty

"Our hair is magical," says Dr. Joanne Cornwell at Adornment, the first natural hair show in the UK.

She discusses racism, culture, Black economics and the hair care industry, and sisterlocks.

My, isn't Joanne's hair 'short' in this video made about 6 years ago!
;o)



Dr. Joanne Cornwell, Originator of Sisterlocks

Highlight Video from this year's Sisterlocks' Homecoming

Here are the highlights from this year's Sisterlocks' Homecoming in San Diego!

Soul train line, Fashion show, Dinner dance and a "Thriller" tribute to Michael Jackson...

Lot's of sisterlocks styles to check out here...

Phyllis the VideoLoctician says don't look "Ghetto-fabalus" in the street...

[...and don't wear a satin cap around the house when your husband's at home...]

Phyllis hasn't posted any new videos lately, but I was tickled by her comments towards the end of this one!

She is showing how she sleeps at night with all of that hair and still maintains her "Spring-locs" set.

Here are a few links to other post on this blog featuring Phyllis the VideoLoctician...

Up close and personal video of sisterlocks: 600 sisterlocks on one head!

Tangled traditional locs saved by the VideoLoctician

"Dry" conditioning sisterlocks

The Coil Review Relaunch Commercial

lol!

Here is a promo video for the revamped ezine, TheCoilReview.com.

Sankofa Spirit Fundraiser 2009

In April, we attended the Sankofa Spirit Fundraiser at the APEX Museum.

Ancient Kemetic Timeline at the APEX Museum in Honor of Dr. Asa Hilliard III

Sankofa Spirit's Passport 2 Adventure is an educational travel program designed for youth to discover the cultural connections between Africa and the African Diaspora.

After completion of the program students will then qualify to participate in the study tour the following summer. This past year the children studied the rich history of Africans in the country of Brazil. The children who completed the program this year, will be on their way to Brazil within the next few weeks!

Mike, my mom and Brian Kofi watching a film of life in Bahia, Brazil

Delicious Brazilian food was served.

Children and Women do Capoeira, too!

The entertainment highlights of the evening were the Capoeira demonstrations.

In the fall a new and returning students will study the history of Africans in Mexico. They will travel to Mexico in July 2010.

Passport 2 Adventure's five year travel plan includes: Ghana, West Africa (2008), Brazil (2009), Mexico (2010), Barbados (2011) and France (2012).

In 2004 Sankofa Spirit created its film series, Movies with a Mission to counter the myths and negative images of people of African descent so often promoted by Hollywood. Movies with a Mission are free monthly films from and about Africa and the African Diaspora that seek to inform and inspire dialogue.

I started volunteering with this series a few months ago and invite you to join us on the first Thursday of the month! Free movies from across the Diaspora are shown on the first Thursday of the month at 6pm at the APEX Museum.