Black Women's Identity and Hair.

  Wed. Oct. 19,2011 I was privileged spoke on KTYM Radio about the Willie Lynch Letter and how it has impacted our sense of beauty and affected our culture.  Below are the questions posed to me, and I'd like to address them here, in this forum.  I welcome your feedback.  Thanks


Why specialize in Natural Hair Care?
I chose to specialize in natural hair care because I saw a need for us as a group of people to be enlightened and liberated from the shackles of ignorance I personally found my self in on my journey of self discovery.

What do you want your clients to understand about their natural hair and beauty?
I want my clients to OVERSTAND that we INDEED have choices.  We have a multitude of choices and we've been taught that our experience is limited.  I want my clients to OVERSTAND that the concept of beauty is purely a matter of perspective and aesthetic.  We, on a kinetic level create our experience, culture, concepts, history, and future. One can adorn themselves in ANY way they so choose, but FIRST we must know we have a choice.

What do you believe are some of our identity challenges as Black Women?
I believe we have been taught to compete with one another and reach for unobtainable goals.  I believe we must celebrate our individuality and unique beauty.

 What do you believe are some of our identity challenges as Black Women?
As Black women a lot of us were taught to distrust one another, especially if we fall on one side or the other of the brown paper bag test.  We perpetuate these stereotypes and they are further reinforced by our insecurities and when we reach puberty a lot of us are grasping at straws just trying to find out where we fit in this world.

My fathers father was Cuban/French Creole.  My mothers mother is a dark skinned Black woman from Texas, by way of Denver.  I was exposed only very little to my Creole family. My family ranges in hue, hair texture, body type, like most Black families I know.  There is however this sub-culture among American Creoles that I never know and always wanted to.

I had Creole friends in 9th grade and we remained friends into adulthood.  They were very much indoctrinated in the Creole culture.  I was told we weren't Black (?) by my friends because we are Creole.  I was told by one that her mom was a passe blanc (which is a black person who passes for white) as a source of pride.  I was told my other friend who is brown like me that her grandmother bathed her in lemon juice to lighten her skin.  I was told they weren't allowed to bring brown skinned boys and men home.

One of the saddest stories told to me was by my very light Creole friend that her grandmother told her not to trust dark skinned girls because they would turn on her.  She ignored her grandmother and befriended two brown girls who in fact turned on her on day and told her she was too light to hang out with them anymore.

She realized the depth of her denial and self hatred one day watching Wattstaxx and she cried and cried coming to grips with the fact that she is in fact Black.

I had a dark skinned friend who would not braid my light skinned friends hair after 6pm. Light skinned girls were not allowed in her house after 6 because her boyfriend might come over.

We have work to do.  We must not forget:
EACH ONE TEACH ONE. 
KNOW THYSELF.
Ancient Kemetic teachings. We can do this, one moment at a time.
RECYCLE BLACK DOLLARS. 
TEACH OUR CHILDREN. 
LOVE OUR CHILDREN. 

STAY AWAKE!!!
HOTEP