And she pleaded, Don't Cut Your Hair

My Sisterlocks are well known at my school, more amongst the students than the teachers.  In class, I get to educate the students about my hair, natural hair, types of locks, and especially the care and maintenance.  Boys and girls alike of all races ask lots of questions.

We had picture re-takes this past Thursday and on Monday night, I called myself shampooing, oiling (this Texas weather is crazy) and bantuing my locks to have a nice snazzy style for my pics and to have a good 6yr photo.  Well, I got tired/lazy and only bantu'd the front.  I didn't take a picture of what it looked like, because my camera is dead, but the kids immediately noticed the curls up front.  As usual, my AA boys and girls, mostly, "Ms. E., your I like your hair!"  They love, love, love, when I curl my locks or do something different other than free style.  I don't blame em.  I guess looking at me could get a little boring day after day with little or no changes other than wardrobe.

Two of my female students walked by looking in amazement commented how different my locks looked.  I swear, only the front 4 inches back were curly.  The back was pulled up into a pony tail, that oddly looked awfully long down my back that day.  One said, "Would you cut off your locks?"   I said, "I've thought about it and I might."  The other jumped in, "Don't cut off your hair!  They're so long!"  This one rarely talks, but had something to say about my pondering of cutting my locks.  Mind you both girls have perms, which they actually keep up and pulled back in ponys nicely.

But, there's something about long hair.  And I think as well, there's something about knowing that the long hair a black girl/woman sees as real, meaning that person's hair, is amazing.  I'm not going to lie, when I look at pictures of my locks or see the back in the mirror, I am truly amazed.  You have to  understand, I've had hair care drama my ENTIRE life.  Even before I knew what hair meant to me as a little black girl, I found out the hard way.

If you see how my hair looked straight, or with a bald fade, or with my Q-Braid extensions, you'd know it's been a journey.  From Day # 1 with my Sisterlocks to today, has been quite a journey.  So those of you who have daughters, neices, cousins, friends, don't preach, just model before them the love you have for your locks and having natural hair.  Show them you can be sexy, confident, educated, accomplished, and beautiful with your hair in its natural state.  And even if I decide to cut my locks one day, I do have the confidence to know it will indeed grow back as long as I want it to.

Those of you who teach or are around young children, especially girls, what has been your experience with them and your locks?  Please share.

Checking in- Back to school teaching Middle School Math

I'm teaching at the same school, Carver Academy. This time I'm teaching only 6th grade math. My children are adorable and most work hard and are eager to please and learn. I decided about two weeks ago to shampoo, condition and bantu my locks. The kids noticed quickly, my new "do". It was so cute, when most of the compliments came from my little AA boys. "Miss E, you look pretty today
...I like your hair...you look really nice today." The girls gave compliments as well, all colors, but to think that adding a little curl made all that whoopla was interesting. The curls came out tight and are still squiggling around now. Jen's promising to help me finish retightening my hair this weekend, so I'm looking forward to another shampoo and set. Maybe this time, I'll try soft spike curls or a braidout. I used setting lotion and stayed under the dryer. I know when I do that after bantuing that the style will last well into two weeks like it has. If I use no setting lotion, I'm lucky if I make it a week. My locks are getting soooo long. It's hard to believe that in 8 weeks, I'll be celebrating 6 years with my Sisterlocks. Amazing! I'll update more after my birthday.

Do you know who Desreta Jackson is?

While finishing the final one hour stretch to complete retightening my hair this afternoon (yah!!!), Jen popped in The Color Purple. As usual, trillions of emotions rose throughout this movie as it always has whenever we watch it. I laughed, I cried, I mouthed famous lines, thinking of Tyler Perry and how he loves to use Oprah (Sophia's) lines in his plays. The DVD we have is the 2-disc collection that has behind the scene interviews with Alice Walker, Steven Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Quincy Jones and others in the cast. As always, the thought to google the "unknowns" comes to mind and I made sure today, I did such. If you know who actress Desreta Jackson is, then you are a true Color Purple fan. I was quite amazed to find out that when the movie was shot in 84, Desreta was about 12 years old. I was 14 at the time so that puts her at about 35ish. The last film on record she played in was Sister Act II. Not sure if Whoopi gave her the "hook-up" or if she had to audition on her own. She looks good and also has a myspace. Not bad for an all grown up young Celie Harris Johnson. She's doing her thang, and I ain't mad at her. It's funny how folks have to get on with their lives. And you never know who will make it "big" and who wont. I often wondered since her role was so negatively portrayed at that time if it would hinder her acting career. Only she knows and will tell. I will say she's not on the extras disc as many other key characters, such as Akosua Busia, (Nettie) are who were located and interviewed.

***Update on Desreta Jackson***
An online interview with Desreta Jackson and BET was posted February 2009. Read the interview here and get many many questions answered as well as see what she's up do these days. Thanks Christine!!!



That leads me to say how I believe my plan for this summer will be to get back to writing. I have too many good stories stored up inside me, waiting to be freed to the masses. Last summer I spent my tax refund money to go to Mexico to study Spanish. This summer, I'm leaning strongly towards hiding out to write. We shall see.

Jen suggested I bantu knot my hair for my Spring Break traveling to see friends and loved ones in Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. Here's what my length looks like along with my bantus. The longer my hair gets, the harder it is to bantu. I'm curious to see how this is going to turn out.


You can see some comparison shots of my length from the back in my fotki. I'm glad I took those pics because it shows how far I've traveled on this journey.

OK, I needed to add the results of my bantus. Here they are....
This picture was taken in the evening of 3-21-08. The curls from the bantu knots are tight!!!

Bantu Knots and length comparison

Bantu05_06
Originally uploaded by Maryee_pc.

I'm experimenting with flickr and blogger, so I pulled this picture up of my bantu knots comparison in eleven months. Big difference, huh? I may just go ahead and knot em' up next weekend on the 29th so I can see a whole year's difference. With flickr you can email a post to your blogger account like you can with blogspot, picasa, photobucket, and others.

Braided, Banded, and Shampoo'd

OK, Here's what I did Monday night. I braided and then "bantu'd" each braid or plait, as Jen calls em'. She did the same. I then got under the dryer and read until I was plum tired. I read all most to the end of Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis.
A teacher I sub for a Carver Academy let me borrow it because she said my pre-teen series, Shay's Stories, remind her of his writing. After finishing the book, I understood what she meant.
This was the result the next day: It was wiggly, squiggly and crinkly a little anyway. I even tried to stuff all that full hair into a black corduroy hat that didn't have enough elastic in it. When Jen and I went up to Carver, the kids were like, "Eww Miss Evans, your hair is pretty!" They could tell immediately cause lazy daisy here just barely puts on lip chap when I go to sub, let alone get all doodied up. I find myself always educating the kids about my hair. They seem so fascinated and of course want to touch it. Sometimes I let em'. Enlightening them is what's most important. Especially my young black females. I think it's cool that they see such comfortability, healthy self-esteem and peace in my sister and I when we're out and about. Any misconception or lie about being natural and locked gets blown out da water!! This is braid, weave, perm land and hard to grasp for most.

And after sleeping on it last night with no cap on, there's still some fullness to it. I think if I would have two strand twisted the hair instead of plaited it, it would have come out different. I guess if you click on the picture you can get a better view of how it turned out. Hope this holds til' Christmas.

Updo Pictures and post

August 7th post:

I finally have some pictures to share of my locks after I retightened em', bantu'd em' and updo'd em'. Hope you like them. This was fun! I always envisioned my hair in an updo or french roll when I get married (ok, I am not even in a relationship). But nonetheless, I knew how cute it would look with the hair ringling down the sides of my face and my hair wrapped up in the back. Well, with the help of my mom, we gave it a shot. For those of you who don't know, I got my hair dyed two days before I got my hair Sisterlocked. So all the darker hair is new growth since 11-28-03. Let me know what you think!

Blaqkofi says...

Beautiful locks, Maryee. It looks like you did an excellent job with
your first retightening. The bantu knots and updo are beautiful. Your
pics gives me more of an idea what my hair will look like at 20
months. I also colored my hair right before I got my locks.
Thanks for sharing.

BlaqKofi
SL'd 8wks

Leighann says...

Mary, Your locks look beautiful! The bantu knots are such a great set. It looks wonderful. And that up do... NICE! very elegant. Now we just gotta get you down the aisle so we can show it off even more! :-)

Leighann sld 4 years 1m 8d
www.mysisterlocks.blogspot.com

Maryee says...

Leighann,

Thanks for the kind compliments! I love heading over to your
blogspot and website just for inspiration and a smile! My sister
was like, "You want your hair long like Leighann's huh?" I was
like, "yep!". When I had braids if it wasn't in a bob it was in a
ponytail. I like the the longer length and can't wait to have it
all be mine and not store bought.

Now, about this husband, please send him to my website
http://www.maryee.com first, so he can be clear of what I'm all about! :-)
If he's up for the challenge, he'll know what to do. :-)
I already know that when the BIG day comes, my future husband will be
mesmerized by his glowing bride! The best is yet to come!

Blessings,

Maryee
Sisterlocked 20 months

Family Ambush

Posted in Lockitup as a response to another member sharing with us about how her family ambushed her concerning her locks in a negative way. Here's my take on the matter:

Re: Family Ambush! (long)-Maryee

Michelle,

When I went home to Houston over the holidays I only had my locks in
about a month. So you know it was during the baby stage where
there's really no controlling the locks.

A close girlfriend of mine kept looking up side my head as to want
to "straighten" the "wild" pieces. She held out as long as she could
and finally blurted out, "Are you going to put that in place?"
(meaning my hair). I politely smiled at her and said, "It is in
place and exactly where it's supposed to be. They are my wild
teenagers and there's no controlling them at this point."

Not so sure my reply satisfied her need to "shape and correct" my
mini lock fro, but I guess it sufficed. All she's known in her 50
years is perm, perm, perm. She meant no harm, it was just "different"
seeing me like that up close and personal.

In Texas, it's a lil' hard in some areas where "permed" hair gives
over the allusion that you are cleaner, smarter, and prettier, and
that to have locks or natural hair means otherwise. It's like this
hidden shame.

My 74 year old aunt shouted at me back in April when I went to visit
in Houston also, "I don't like those dredlocks!" I told
her, "Auntie, this is the same hair from the picture I sent you in
the mail in January where you said I looked beautiful. These are not
Dredlocks, they are called Sisterlocks". Not so sure if trying to
explain the difference helped any or mattered one way or another
to her. She already had her opinions (deep rooted) about nappy hair.
I guess the picture didn't depict my locks and when she got a "close-up"
she decided to change her mind. The picture I'm talking about is in my
photo link with the pink background. It does look like unlocked hair in the
picture, so I guess she just assumed otherwise. She too, forgot she saw me in
December as well.

I'm too at peace to be bothered with other folks not feeling me and
my Sisterlocks. My dad hates em' on me and my sister. Oh well! My
mom just goes along with whatever my and Jen come up with. Jen had
traditional locks some years back, so this shouldn't be that much of
a surprise to family and friends. They're just sweet ole' country
folks. :-)

I'm sooo thrilled to have Sisterlocks I could just shout! God bless
America, and God bless Dr. Cornwell.

I could write (and I just may do that one day) a book on all of my
haircare dramas alone over the past 25 years and I'm only 33. It's
been just that deep. Well, just wanted to share a blurb on my family
ambush.

Still debating on heading down to San Diego on Saturday for the reunion. If so, I'll
see ya folks there. Take care!

Maryee
Sisterlocked almost 8 months! :-)

Note:
My aunt Gustine I am speaking about has since gone on to be with the Lord on 9-1-05. May she continually rest in peace.