Black Hair Rule # 1: Don't Cut A Baby's Hair Until Age One!

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Now you know you've never seen a photo of my kids here on this blog, and you never will. Some things -- not a lot, but some -- remain sacred. But I can't do justice to this post without sharing a shot of Babygirl. Here she is.

Babygirl

Well, at least the top one-third of her. What I want you to get a look at is her unruly hair that is clearly a hot mess and in her way. So, part of the reason her hair a hot mess is because she just ran strained pears through it and before that, she'd been outside sweating, so sweat + pears = hot mess. But the other reason Babygirl's hair is mildly problematic is that it's always in her face. I try to put it up in ponytails, but Babygirl has hair like chicken feathers. It's soft and thin and won't hold a style for more than two minutes. El esposo keeps begging me to let him at least trim her bangs, but he knows I'm going to say no, because everybody knows that Black hair rule #1 is that you never, ever, ever cut a Black baby's hair before she turns one! That's like biblical law. Like 100-years-of-bad-luck-or-else law.

I did an unofficial survey of random Black women and they all confirmed that you don't cut a Black baby's hair before age one. When I asked why, the reasons varied and included:
"I don't know, you just don't do it."
"If you cut it, their hair will never grow."
"Cutting a baby's hair is just bad luck. For the baby and the mother."
"I'm not sure exactly, but I know it has something to do with the baby's skull not being fully hardened."
And as Babygirl's godmother said,  "You might just invite bad spirits if you touch her hair too soon."

Okay then.

The way I look at it, Babygirl has less than two months before we can trim some of those locks so she can actually see. I think she'll survive. I don't know if I actually believe the legends, but it's a tradition I've followed with my boys and so I'm going to keep it up, for tradition's sake. We have so few of those left anyway. And while I'm 99 percent sure that bad spirits have better things to do than hunt us down because of an early hair cut, that one percent would probably keep me up at night.

What do you think, dear readers? Have you heard that you should never cut a baby's hair before age one? Is this really only a Black thing? What are the consequences you've heard for early cutters? And I know Black people can't be the only ones with wacky traditions around a child's first year of life. Let's hear yours.

You know I'm listening.

Peace!

For Colored Boys Who Considered a Wig When the Dreadlocks Were Too Much

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Did anyone else read about the Black male flight attendant who works for Air France who is being forced to hide his dreadlocks under a wig? I was surprised but not shocked. I mean really, nothing in the world of Black hair can shock me anymore. But still, I have to say, forcing a man to wear a wig, made me do a double take.

Quite frankly, I think if I were a passenger on an Air France flight and I saw a man wearing a wig, that would be waaay more distracting than a man with a fine head of manicured dreadlocks, secured in a ponytail. What say you, dear readers? What would you rather see? Man in a wig or man with dreadlocks?

Let's take an unofficial poll. I'm so listening.

Peace!

The Meltingpot Remembers: Black Hair Icon, Yvette Smalls

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

It is with great sadness that I post about the passing of Yvette Smalls. For those of us in the world of Black hair, Yvette was a pioneer and an inspiration. She was a master braider, stylist and hair artist. She was also a filmmaker, an educator and a Black hair activist. Sadly, she was only 53 when she passed earlier this week.

I met Yvette over 10 years ago when my book Hair Story came out. As it turns out, Yvette's award-winning documentary, Hair Stories was debuting at the same time, so obviously we had to meet. Here I was thinking my co-author and I were about to educate the masses about the amazing history and significance of Black hair, and Yvette was already 10 steps ahead of us. She'd been sharing her knowledge way before we even realized there was something to say. We were fortunate to do some events together with her film and our book.

Yvette and I ran into one another far more once I moved to Philadelphia, because this is her home city. You can't say Black hair in Philadelphia without Yvette's name popping up. She wasn't just a popular stylist, she truly was the authority on the history, culture and beauty of Black hair. For Yvette, Black people and their hair was a passion. It was a calling. And she was always there to answer.

Please take a moment to read this memorial writing in Yvette's honor. And be inspired by her life and work.

Peace!
(photo courtesy of the Leeway Foundation)

Repeat Wednesday: The One about the One-Drop Rule and Lice

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

It's Spring Break at my college, but I'm not on vacation. I have so much work to complete in this one week and wouldn't you know, babygirl decides to come down with her very first cold yesterday. Murphy's Law wins again. So, rather than leave you without some food for thought from the Meltingpot, I thought I'd resurrect some of my most popular posts. The ones that people are still commenting on.

So, remember when I asked if head lice respected the one-drop rule? I wanted to know if my mixie kids would be immune to lice, since everybody knows, Black people don't get lice. After writing this post, more than three years ago, many people - both Black and White -- have written in to tell me that, not only did their mixie kids get the cooties, but they did too. Yikes! So, I am afraid, very afraid, because I swear, every other day, we get a note home that yet another child in the second grade has lice.

Feel free to comment here, if you have your own meltingpot lice stories to share. Or go back and add to the original post.

Peace and Extra Hair Grease!

Global Good Hair

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I finally got around to checking out the new Ebony.com website. There's been a lot of buzz about its new and improved design and well-written content. I'm happy to say that I was quite impressed. What's more, I loved this article called Global Good Hair (and not just because the writer references my book, Hair Story. That was just icing on the cake.) Take a look and enjoy!

Peace!

Happy to be Nappy?: Not in Brazil

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I've got another hair story for you. This time coming from our sisters in South America. In Brazil to be exact. My co-author from Hair Story, Ayana Byrd, tipped me off to this incredible story from the website BlackWomenofBrazil. Be prepared to be outraged.

Apparently, after two decades in the Brazilian court system, Sony Music has finally been ordered to pay damages for a song they released that was deemed racist and offensive to Black women. Now I expected to read about a song that perhaps used a version of the N-word in Portuguese or had violent lyrics directed towards women. But nothing I could have imagined could have prepared me for the lyrics in this song. Here take a look for yourselves:

"A representative for Sony maintained that the song was not intended to offend women and that the artist was in fact alluding to his own wife in the song and that the terms used in the song are used by Brazilians in reference to not only black women but white women as well."

Below are some of the lyrics of the song in Portuguese and English:

Veja veja veja veja veja os cabelos dela (4x)
(Look look look look look at her hair (4x)

Parece bom-bril*, de ariá panela
(It looks like a scouring pad for pots and pans)

Parece bom-bril, de ariá panela
(It looks like a scouring pad for pots and pans)

Quando ela passa, me chama atenção
(When she goes by, she catches my attention)

Mas os seus cabelos, não tem jeito não
(But her hair just isn’t right)

A sua catinga quase me desmaiou
(Her stench almost made me faint)

Olha eu não aguento, é grande o seu fedor
(Look, I can’t take it, her smell is so bad)

Veja veja veja veja veja os cabelos dela
(Look look look look look at her hair)

Parece bom-bril, de ariá panela (2x)
(It looks like a scouring pad for pots and pans) (2x)

Eu já mandei, ela se lavar
(I told her to take a bath)

Mas ela teimo, e não quis me escutar
(But she’s stubborn and doesn’t listen to me)

Essa nega fede, fede de lascar
(This black woman stinks, she stinks horribly)

Bicha fedorenta, fede mais que gambá
(Stinking beast, smells worse than a skunk)


I know. It's revolting. I can't believe this was a 'popular' tune released by a major music corporation like Sony. I also can't believe a man with a Black mother -- yes you heard me -- could pen such insulting lyrics. Really? To read the whole sordid tale of the song and the lawsuit, please visit the Black Women in Brazil website. And then go rinse the vomit out of your mouth.


Happy Friday.


Peace!

Hair We Go Again: Kinky, Curly, Straight

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Babygirl is now five-months old. She's getting to that super cute stage where she actually smiles and giggles in response to the silly voices and animated faces adults can't help but make in her chubby-cheeked presence. But she's still rather pale and her hair is still jet black and silky straight. In other words, she still looks nothing like her mama.

But I'm okay with that. None of my kids look like me exactly. They are true mixies. But it's funny how people give voice to their observations. Nobody wants to come out and say, gee your daughter sure looks White. It's always about the hair.

To wit. Some recent comments:

"Where did she get that hair?"

"Her hair is so black!" (Note, my hair is black too)

"Um, do all of your children have such, um, 'soft' hair?"

"It's unbelievable, that hair. I mean your other kids have such curly hair. Is her hair really going to stay straight?"

Dear readers, I point these comments out, not because they anger me, because, if I'm honest, I'm thinking about babygirl's hair too. It is truly amazing to me, as both a mother and a 'hairstorian,' that I could give birth to three children with such different hair. I got kinky, curly and straight (although babygirl's is still in transition.) Visually, the difference in textures is quite dramatic. But socially and culturally too, I find it fascinating that it is the hair that really causes people to doubt/question/marvel at babygirl's heritage. Out loud. Her light complexion can be overlooked, but the hair seems to be the true marker of negritude. And since she doesn't have it (yet) then perhaps she's not really Black?

Historically, the hair has been used to define people's racial category --not only in the United States but in South Africa as well. When the one-drop rule cannot be applied, you can just check the kinks and curls on top of the head. In antebellum America, male slaves with light complexions would shave their heads to --get rid of the evidence -- and pass as White. In South Africa, government officials would stick a pencil into a child's hair. If the pencil didn't fall out when the child shook their head -- because their kinks were so tight -- then they were officially categorized as Black. So, I get it. We've been conditioned over generations to believe that the hair speaks the truth. The hair is the key to our racial identity.

But I'm not thinking in these terms about babygirl. Really, I'm just wondering what kind of comb I'm going to have to buy and if I should start practicing now, learning how to braid silky, straight hair!

I'm wondering. Did any of you have to 'learn' how to do your children's hair because it was so different from your own? You know I want to hear those hair stories.

I'm so listening.

Peace!

Organic Moonshine Roots Music: Introducing Valerie June

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Whenever I discover a new creative crush, I always want to share the love. Well, people, I am in love. I was doing some research on the on-line natural hair movement and stumbled across a website called The Coil Review. Apparently the Coil Review features interviews with women who have something to say about natural hair but also have something extra-ordinary going on in their lives as well. I clicked on an interview with a singer I'd never heard of before named, Valerie June.

Just listening to the interview, without hearing her sing a single note, I knew I'd love her voice. Not one to easily categorize, June says she sings, "organic moonshine roots music." Just the poetry in that self-created label and the southern twang in her husky voice had me hooked. When I searched on line for samples of her music, I was immediately enraptured. Take a listen.



What do you think? Doesn't her voice remind you of pancakes, corn grits and sunflowers on a Sunday morning? I'm just so supremely thrilled I discovered her now, just when I thought the X-factor and American Idol had completely destroyed the idea of originality in music. Has anybody else been a Valerie June fan for awhile and want to tell me something about her that I don't know?

I'm totally listening.

Peace.

Hair Story 2.0: Add Your Voice to the Black Hair Revolution

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

You know there's nothing I like more than a good hair story. When I sat down to write my master's thesis in graduate school, almost 15 years ago, I was so excited to delve into the history and drama behind the relationship Black people had with their hair. Clearly my excitement was shared by many others, including my co-author Ayana Byrd and the thousands of people who have read our book and begged us for more information.

Well, it's been ten years since Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America debuted and even we think it's time for an update. Think of everything that's happened in the world of Black hair in the last decade. Willow Smith and her whipped hair. Don Imus and his nappy naughtiness, the entire world of online Black hair bloggers. Hello afrobella! And let's not forget the Sesame Street muppet who loves her hair.

We've written a proposal, we've done the research, we've planned the party even, but there's one little problem. Our publisher, St. Martin's Press hasn't quite gotten the message that there's a public waiting for Hair Story 2.0. Without going too much into publishing babble, the truth is, since the book came out so long ago, all of the publicists and editors originally attached to Hair Story no longer work with the company. So our little book that could is kind of an orphan over there. But just like that little red-headed orphan who charmed her very own Daddy Warbucks, we know we can prove to the head honchos at St. Martin's that this book needs an update (and a digital version too!). Because after all, the sun will come out....

And that's where you come in, dear readers. If you take a gander to the right of this post and scroll down a bit, I've added a facebook like button where you can 'like' our Hair Story 2.0 page. We're trying to get 10,000 likes by the end of November to show St. Martin's just how many folks are interested in the project. So, all you have to do is tap that little button and ask your friends to tap it too. And check out the page on the regular for updates on the campaign to get St. Martin's attention and for regular news bits, stories and fun facts about the world of Black hair. Here's the link for the page.

Thanks people, I appreciate it so very much.

Peace and Hair Grease!

Black Hair News: The World's Biggest Afro

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I'm sure most of you know that I'm obsessed with Black hair. Not so much the styles, but rather the culture, politics and history of our 'crowning glory." It amazes me how much Black hair amazes other people. So much so, I co-authored a book in 2001, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America to further investigate the impact Black people's hair has had on popular culture since Black people arrived in America.

The book came out over ten years ago, but Black hair continues to make headlines. Case in point, the latest Guinness Book of World Records -- the 2012 edition -- for the first time has cited the world's largest Afro. Take a look:



I love it! And to prove my point as to just how much of an impact our hair has, check out the following clip from the BBC as they interview Ms. Dugas about her world-record hair. Notice how giddy the interviewer is? Notice how much she wants to reach out and touch it as if this woman's hair were almost other-worldly? Even across the pond our hair makes waves. That's significant and that's why my co-author and I are working on an updated edition to Hair Story, to chronicle what's been going on in the world of hair these last ten years.

If you have any suggestions about what Black hair moments, events, styles and/or trends need to be covered in the book, let me know. I'm listening.

Peace!

Burning Questions from The Meltingpot

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

It's the middle of the week and already my mind is swirling with questions. Got answers? Please share.

1. Is it just me or do other people think adult adoptions are kind of a good idea? I mean if you don't have parents and you find a nice older couple who doesn't have children but likes you a heck of a lot, why not legally form a family? Apparently this is a trend that's finding traction in the United States. Here's a recent story about Adult Adoptions. What do you think? Is there a need to legalize such arrangements? Do you see any obvious pitfalls to the process?

2. So my next question is; how do you say Black hair politics in German? My friend, author and journalist Rose-Anne Clermont over at Currents Between Shores has gotten herself embroiled in a messy minefield of Black hair (and ashy skin) politics. Apparently there is some disagreement amongst her readers about what uncombed Black hair means in Germany. The whole conversation started with Clermont's post about seeing mixed Afro-German kids with hair that was a hot mess (my words not hers.) Please check out the conversation and see if you have anything to add.

3. Okay. So my final question is a simple one. Well, maybe not so simple. Has anyone else been following the um, er, recent scandal involving supermodel, Naomi Campbell and the Cadbury chocolate company? Well, for those of you who might not have been tuned in, Ms. Campbell was threatening to sue the candy company because she believed they had used her name in a racist way to sell their new chocolate bar. The ad read, "Move over Naomi Campbell, there's a new diva in town," and showed a picture of a chocolate bar sitting on a pile of diamonds. You can read the story on the Huffington Post and see a picture of the advert. After Campbell's complaint, the company pulled the ad and issued an apology, but Campbell still chastised them claiming they had insulted Black people the world over for comparing us/them to chocolate. Now here's my question. Did she go too far? I'm having a hard time mustering up my indignity over this one. I mean, she has every right to not want her name on candy bar ad, but she was calling on Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson to take up the fight. So, tell me, Meltingpot readers, was there really a fight to be had here? I'm totally listening.

Thanks for reading and helping me find the answers to my most pressing questions.

Beyond Black and White

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Sorry about the spotty posting last week. I was having massive computer issues. I think they are now mostly resolved.

So, today is Monday. Just one more week before school is out and summer vacation (for my kids, not me) begins. Even though I have more writing to do, I've finally allowed myself to start focusing on the fact that in approximately 57 days, there will be a new member of the Kinky Gazpacho family. Wow, getting ready for a new baby seven years after the last one is a trip!

But I don't want to talk baby stuff...yet. What I do want to talk about is the fact that I wish I was heading to Los Angeles this week so I could participate in the Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival. What an amazing line-up of guests, films, books, and workshops this year. I urge any and all of you in the Los Angeles area to go check it out. And did I mention it's free? Yes, all of that quality entertainment and education is free! I can't think of any better way to celebrate Loving Day than to be at that festival, where the totality of the mixed-race experience is celebrated.

And speaking of the mixed-race experience, I was interviewed today by the lovely Chris Karazin of the website Beyond Black & White. My book, Substitute Me is going to be the featured title for this month's Beyond Black & White Book Club discussion. If you want to participate in the discussion, follow the instructions on the Beyond Black & White Website. Thanks, Chris. Over on her site, Chris is writing all about Black women, interracial relationships (not just romantic) family life, pop culture and other topics meltingpot readers will prolly find of interest. Please check Chris and Beyond Black & White out when you get a chance.

And finally, if any of you are fluent in Danish, remember a few posts back I mentioned I'd been interviewed by a Danish journalist about Black women and their hair? Well, the story is out. Here's the link. I just get a tickle out of seeing my name and quotes in another language. I wonder if I sound ridiculous in Danish?

Happy day.

Peace!

My Life, My Hair, My Baby

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Yesterday we took our boys swimming at this awesome indoor pool, not too far from our house. We went out for Mexican food afterwards, then came home and tucked our very sleepy boys into bed. I would have loved to collapse in front of the TV and then gone to bed myself, but I didn't. Instead, I stood up in the bathroom for almost two hours and twisted my hair. Yes, I'm growing a new crop of dredlocks.

For those of you who don't fully understand the process of growing locs, it takes a while. A person can't just walk into a salon with a healthy Afro and walk out with dredlocks. For most people it takes somewhere between 3-6 months for the hair to lock. In my experience, it takes about five months. So, there I am, tired as heck, because I haven't swam in a long time -- and I kind of overdid it to impress my sons who hinted that they thought I was too fat too swim -- lovingly twisting the hundreds of individual locs on my head and questioning my choice of hairstyle. And then it hit me.

For every one of my children, I've had a new head of locs. When I was pregnant with my first child, I'd been growing my locs for three years. They were long, thick and strong, falling way below my shoulders. I remember being so thrilled when my infant son would nurse and grasp onto a loc and hold it lovingly. As he grew, he would play with my hair, reach for it in comfort and play with it in boredom. Sometimes he'd chew on it too, but that was kind of gross for the both of us. Baby spit in your hair? Not so much.

When my second son was born, I'd cut my locs short. He was born in July. It was hot. I wanted a change. So son number two got me with freshly shorn, short locs. His birth coincided with our move to Philadelphia as well, so the new locs, new home, and new baby all felt very symbolic to me.

And now, here I am seven years later and I'm growing a new baby and a whole new set of locs. Initially, I decided to lock my hair because I figured as a new mom, I just wouldn't have time to "do" my hair every day. I needed a style with versatility and low maintenance. Trust me when I say, I've tried just about every hairstyle a Black woman can have -- except a weave -- and dredlocks by far are the easiest and offer the most style options. So I took the plunge. But last night, arms aching and legs cramping, I felt that there was a spiritual dimension to this decision. By my calculations, my baby girl and my new set of locs should both be "done" at around the same time.

So ignoring the pain (I'm exaggerating, the pain wasn't that bad, but I just would have preferred to be slouched in front of the TV) I found a new source of inspiration for doing my hair... besides wanting to be cute, of course. I want my hair to be ready for my daughter to play in, marvel at, grab onto and chew on if she so chooses. Now I know I'm growing them for her and for me.

Does that sound strange to you? Do you have a special relationship with your hair? Does it mean more to you than the strands sitting on top of your head? You know that was the question I wanted to answer when I wrote the book, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. So, tell me your greatest hair story.

I'm listening.

Peace.

(p.s. the girl in the picture is not me. courtesy of essence.com)

Another Hair Story, A Giveaway and a Link or Two

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

So, the picture you see there is me in Milwaukee over the Thanksgiving holiday. I did a reading at Boswell Books and for the occasion decided to straighten my hair. All that means is that I sat in a stylist's chair for three hours while he blow dried the kinks and curls out of my hair, then flat ironed and hot combed them into the big fat curls you see in the picture. It was fun to get all gussied up for the reading, but there were some unintended consequences to me going 'straight.'

My boys L-O-V-E my hair. They want to touch it and comb it and style it for me. Now mind you, my hair isn't bone straight. It's just kind of soft and fluffy. In fact, my older son says it feels like cotton candy. Isn't that cute? Now the hair revolutionary in me at first kind of balked at how much my little manchildren just seemed to instinctively adore my hair when it's straightened as opposed to my usual kinky 'fro. They've never compared the two and sometimes my older son says he wants an Afro as big as mine, but when I say my boys 'adore' my hair straightened, I mean I'm getting googly eyes from the two of them.

But then I had another thought. I'm teaching my little manchildren that Black hair in its natural state, is versatile and beautiful. Hopefully it will be a lesson they internalize as they mature and start assessing beauty in young girls and women. Isn't that the proper way to take this lesson? Do you agree or disagree? Of course some might say I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, in which case, I should probably take a moment to listen to this song by the divine Ms. India Arie.



And in completely unrelated news, if you'd like to hear about my latest writing journey check out this great new website called Girlfriends Book Club. My post is up today and there's a chance to win an autographed copy of Substitute Me. It's also just a great site to check out for book suggestions and the writer's life.

I hope everyone is staying sane as the holiday season heats up.

Peace!

In Honor of National Adoption Awareness Month

Hey Meltingpot Readers,

I'm sure some of you know that November is National Adoption Awareness month and maybe some of your don't. Some of you I know are adoptive parents and some of you may think you have no connection to the world of adoption at all. And I guess that's why this month was created, to make people aware that adoption exists, that it works for building families and probably to help remove the secrecy that formerly surrounded the practice. Or at least that's my take on it. By no means is the month supposed to make people run out to their nearest adoption agency and "place and order."

So to help those of you who might think they don't anyone who was/is adopted, I've decided to compile my own list of "famous" people who were adopted, paying particular attention to those in multicultural families. So in no particular order, these are the 'famous' folks that I know who were adopted and are leading or have led incredible lives.

1. Truman Capote The famous author of In Cold Blood was adopted by his Cuban stepfather. That's how got that lyrical last name. Sadly his macho Cuban stepfather never approved of Capote's somewhat feminine habits which made their relationship strained.)

2. Marcus Sammuelsson. The wildly successful Ethiopian born chef was adopted and raised in Sweeden. Samuelsson originally made his mark as a Swedish chef, but his sense "rediscovered his roots" and now stakes his claim on world cuisine. His newest restaurant venture is in Harlem and is called the Red Rooster

3. Mae Walker. The granddaughter and heiress to hair care entrepreneur and millionaire Madam CJ Walker was adopted at age thirteen.

4. Victoria Rowell. The now tripple threat Rowell is best known as a soap opera actress, but she's also now an author, documenting her childhood in a book called, The Women Who Raised Me.

5. Kim Sunee. The journalist and author of the delicious memoir, Trail of Crumbs.

Okay those are five off the top of my head. These are the people whose life stories inspire their extraordinary lives so I remember the adoption part of it. And so in a way, their adoptions touch my life. Who can you add to the list?

Peace.

I Love My Hair Part II-- The Story Behind the Story

I'm a journalist at heart and behind every story, is another story. So, of course as soon as I saw the wonderful Sesame Street, "I love my hair" video, I wanted to know who had created it. I imagined a crusading Black woman trying to convince her well-meaning, but perhaps unaware colleagues just how intrinsic hair acceptance is for the self-esteem of little Black girls growing up in America. But boy was I wrong.

The hair hero in this story is actually the head writer at Sesame Street, who happens to be a White man with an adopted Ethiopian daughter. I don't need to tell the story, because he tells it so much better. You can read/watch the story here.

And while we're on the subject of videos featuring little Black girls who love their hair, what do you guys think of Willow Smith's (yes, the daughter of Will and Jada) new video/song, "Whip My Hair?" Haven't seen it yet, take a look below. The song is kind of annoying, but completely catchy, but I have to say I dig the energy of the video and I love all of the very cool, avant garde hairstyles. Obviously not the same audience as the Sesame Street Video, but I'd love my tween to see all the cool things Black hair can do, besides, of course, be whipped back and forth. Thoughts?




I'm going to be whipping my hair back and forth for the rest of the day.

Peace!

Music Monday: Brought to You By Sesame Street

Today's musical selection comes from our friends at Sesame Street. I've now seen this clip about a puppet who loves her Black hair only about a million times on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and sent to me in my inbox. And one million times is not enough. I love it and am so thrilled that the folks at Children's Television Workshop decided to tackle this very serious self-love identity issue on their show.

So without further ado, enjoy my new favorite song, "I Love My Hair."



What do you think about the video/song? Of course when we talk Black hair, there always has to be a dissenting opinion. Here's one such opinion by a guy who thinks some of the hairstyles our little muppet friend wears aren't really natural. (sigh)

What do you think dear readers?

I'm listening... while I love my hair.

Peace!

Curly vs Straight

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

So I'm back from my whirlwind experience as a guest on the Today Show. I got to stay in a fancy hotel, was ferried back and forth in sleek Lincoln Town car and I sat next to almost-American Idol Crystal Bowersox in the make-up chair at the NBC Studios. I didn't watch this season of American Idol, so I just said hi to her. I wanted to comment on her hair, but I held my tongue.

My 30-seconds of fame on the topic of Curly vs. Straight hair felt insignificant and rushed, but I'm glad the whole word got a brief glimpse of the cover shot of my book, Hair Story and perhaps took an extra moment to contemplate the perceived differences between women with straight vs curly hair. In case you missed the show, you can watch the segment on the Today Show website. I refuse to watch it. I can't stand to watch myself on film...except in home movies where I tend to crack myself up.

Anyway, as I straightened my hair for yesterday's program, here's what I learned about the difference between going curly vs. straight. A lot more men hit on me with straight hair. And that's all she wrote.

What about you all? What's your personal experience going curly vs. straight?

I'm listening.

Peace!

Doors Close and Open for Super Mommy/Authors

Meltingpot Readers,

You know that phrase that goes something like, "When one door closes, another one opens?" Well, that happened to me. I had been invited to participate in this fabulous book festival on the island of St. Martin. They wanted me to talk about my book, Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America.

I was so honored by the invitation and thrilled to have the opportunity to experience a new country. But at the last minute I decided I couldn't go. Because of family obligations and my own peace of mind, I had to tell the festival organizers that I just could not attend. (Luckily, my awesome co-author, Ayana Byrd is stepping in for me.) At first I agonized over my decision and beat myself up for not being able to be a jet-setting author and handle my family obligations too. But then I realized that making the decision to not go, freed me from a lot of anxiety. Big relief. And I told myself there would be other opportunities to talk about Hair Story. Little did I know how soon that opportunity would show up.

Would you believe the very next day I received an email from a producer at The Today Show asking if I could share some information about Black hair politics. One phone conversation later and I'd been booked on their show as part of a week-long segment they're doing on hair. I'm slated to appear live on Friday, June 4. Did I mention that the St. Martin Book Festival runs June 3-5?

Of course anything far newsier than hair issues could bump me right off the agenda, but I'm still thrilled that they called. I am also thrilled how the universe proved to me that making the right decision always yields positive results. I followed my instincts and everything turned out super duper because at the end of the day, more people probably watch the Today Show than attend book festivals in St. Martin. Of course New York City isn't a tropical paradise, but I can go and come back and still pick my kids up from school, take the older one to karate lessons and tuck the little one into bed. And for me, that's what life is all about. Super Mommy & Super Author both get an A+.

More Hair Stories

Happy Monday, Meltingpot Readers.

I feel the need to update you on the progress with my hair. So I explained on Friday that I planned to chop off my dredlocks, which I did. Sort of. I chopped (technically my cousin chopped them for me) off about three inches of locks leaving me with a raggedy bunch of dredlocks that barely graced the top of my ears.

Then rather than cut the rest off, I decided to un-lock them. That's right. I decided to painstakingly pull apart about two years worth of untouched hair. And even though conventional wisdom says once hair is locked it can never be unlocked, I know otherwise because I've done this once before. Actually my husband, cousin and I did this once before and it took the three of us one full week to unlock my hair. We're on day three now and we're still not done. At about 11pm last night I couldn't remember why I thought unlocking my hair was a good idea, nor could I remember at 8:30 this morning as I was dressing for work looking at myself in the mirror and wondering what on earth I could do with the hot mess of twists, locks, and braids sitting on top of my head that would look presentable to the outside world.

My solution? I wrapped my hair in a lovely head scarf that my auntie brought back from a trip to Senegal. Paired with tasteful gold hoop earrings, I think I'm rocking a very nice ethnic look today. Thank you Erykah Badu and Jill Scott and all of the other neo-soul celebs who made wearing African hair wraps a chic statement of style. And duh, to my African sisters who did it first.

I think I'll be done tonight with the unlocking process. And even though I've ripped out enough hair to probably knit a sweater for my new daughter, I still have a lot of hair on my head to work with. I will be consulting the new book Curly Like Me by the awesome Teri LaFlesh and visiting websites like Naturally Curly and Hair Rulesfor inspiration and education.

Black hair really is a unifying force. Communities are built around it and language and culture forge it together. I am still in awe of how powerful the shared experiences of working with Black hair is. If you don't believe me, check out the website Black Girl with Long Hair and tell me you don't feel the love. I know I do.

Peace.