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)

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!

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!

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!

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+.