N.I.C.E.

N.I.C.E.

Saturday, May 27, 2017

A Call for Natural Hair Narratives/Stories: The 411 Is Here!

     
A decision has been made to get our Natural hair Narratives/Stories on in the form of a new and exciting book!  This project emerges out of,  as our courageous sister, ancestor, Fannie Lou Hamer put it being "Sick And Tired of Being Sick and Tired" of the denigration of our natural hair as it grows out of our scalp. As a multi-book author  with a recently released book, I believe there is no reason for us to sit idly by without telling our stories about the beauty and glory of our natural hair.  We must explain to the world, What In the Natural Hair Is Going On  in terms of the negativity regarding our hair.  We will be providing narratives for generations to come. We do not want to leave our readers without solutions, so to counter any negative experiences that individuals may include, per their natural hair narratives/stories, the book will also emphasize ending the shaming, that is perpetrated by others, through discussing solutions to do so.


The information for those of you who want to contribute to this exciting upcoming book by contributing your natural hair narrative/story is below: 

Tentative Title"GETTING DOWN TO THE ROOTS": A Collection of Natural Hair Narratives
Deadeline Date for Submission: October 20, 2017
Number of pages: No less than 2, no more than 15 double-spaced typewritten pages (Microsoft Word).
Font size: 12
A short Bio (No more than 250 words) and your Photograph is required with your submission. 
Where to submit:  Drpattirose@yahoo.com
Editors: Patti R. Rose, MPH, Ed.D and Courtney E. Rose, M.Ed (and Teachers College Columbia University Doctoral Candidate)
The cover will be illustrated by Dr. Patti Rose


#LetsTalkAboutSolutions #NaturalIsCoolEnough #NICE


Wednesday, May 24, 2017

What the Natural Hair Is Going In?: It's Time To Tell Our Stories!

Of late, to my dismay, I have been reading stories about mainly young Black women who are being chastised for wearing their hair naturally, namely, in braids, afros and other natural do’s. Essentially, they are wearing their hair in various styles, per the texture of their hair as it grows out of their scalp.
http://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Local-teen-told-cant-wear-hairstyle-at-school-423232994.html


It is time to collect our stories, essentially our hair narratives. If you have been humiliated, harassed, shamed, embarrassed, isolated, shamed, criticized, or treated/spoken to negatively in any way for wearing your hair naturally, anywhere, anytime or anyplace, by anyone, this is an invitation to share your story with comments. Also, enlighten us about how you handled the situation because above all #LetsTalkAboutSolutions. There is a place in history for these important stories so that generations to come will know how the hair of Black people, in its natural state was viewed in our society. This effort will also serve as an opportunity for us to tell our young sisters, in the articles below, that we love them in all of their natural hair glory and that we are not accepting of what they are experiencing.

In your natural hair glory, I support you, young sisters.
 I hear your stories and I care.
Always know that no matter who says otherwise, anytime, any place or
anywhere,
Natural Is Cool Enough!
Through your stories, the Natural Hair Narratives have begun,
and we know that based on the beauty and history of our natural hair,
in terms of this natural hair war nonsense, we have already won!


http://www.newsweek.com/wearing-braids-sends-black-girls-detention-malden-charter-school-608303



Share your story, knowing that doing so is happening within a warm embrace of support because we must deeply believe that in terms of our natural hair, Natural Is Cool Enough and of course, that is N.I.C.E.! We cannot be accepting of this continued crisis of denigration. Let’s send our young sisters and brothers love so that stories like those above and the one below will no longer be just another piece to read but a call to action to ensure that this happens no more. Through our stories, let’s understand, what the natural hair is going on and move towards solutions.

http://www.essence.com/hair/natural/black-student-natural-hair-asked-to-get-hair-done


Saturday, April 8, 2017

Black Women, Celebrity, Natural, Kinky Hair Sightings: What's Up With That?

It is so strange that many of us find it noteworthy, newsworthy, and "postable," when a Black, woman, celebrity decides to wear her hair naturally.  I am not absolving myself of this odd behavior because I quickly posted the links on Facebook of Michelle Obama and Gabrielle Union wearing their hair naturally kinky as if it is an amazing accomplishment that we should all be proud of.  The sad part is that it is.



It is considered, courageous, bold, empowering and all of that good stuff when you are a Black woman celebrity and you wear your hair naturally and again, it is.  However, that aspect of this reality is what must change. I am not going to take this time to go over the history of why many choose to wear weave, perms etc.  rather than to flaunt our beautiful natural textures, because I’ve done that before in blogs and in my books.

Black women have their reasons for their hair choices and surely, I am not starting that debate here.  I too had my hair straightened and permed until I was 30 years old (with some afros, cornrows and braided styles with extensions in between) but it was all about Maya’s Angelou’s phrase for me, which is “When You Know Better, You Do Better."  I had a lot to work out before I could embrace my natural hair fully but when I got there, I stayed there.  But, my hair story, like so many other Black women's, is complicated. I have recently begun the process of fully unlocking my hair as I had locks for 25 years and will share a full update on "the unraveling" soon but once again, I’m finding it a beautiful natural experience to embrace my natural hair, as it grows from my scalp, without twisting to keep my locks in place.

As I sit and write, I am doing so to post on my blog, which is one of many, about the beauty of natural hair, hence the title of my blog, Natural Is Cool Enough (N.I.C.E.).  Natural is cool enough for what is what one may ask? The answer is everything!  Our natural hair is cool enough for the White House, for the corporate office, for the military, for school, at every level, for the swimming pool and the ocean, during the rain, on sunny, hot days when one might experience sweat, at the club, at the gym, at an elegant ball, at the Emmys and Oscars and all the awards hoopla, on television, in movies, in plays, for ballerinas performing at every level, as athletes in the Olympics and in any athletic venue, for artists, authors, teachers, lawyers, doctors, nurses and every profession, no matter the level.  The reality is that I can go on forever about when our natural hair is cool enough because I cannot think of a moment in time when our natural hair, as it grows out of our scalps, is not.

Of course, we live in a free society, where people can choose to do and be whatever they want to be. That is not a matter of doubt or question.  And although I will continue to post when I see that a black, woman, celebrity has “dared” to wear her hair in her natural state, I do so knowing that when I do, it is so that other Black woman can praise their "audacity" to wear their hair naturally. This is a clear sign of a deep-seated recognition that embracing our natural beauty is still considered something to aspire to rather than to just be.  In 2017, I find that a bit of a conundrum and simultaneously recognize that sometimes when you are trying to be part of the solution, there must be an acknowledgment that perhaps you are also part of the problem.

Nevertheless, let’s rock on with our natural hair sisters, without fanfare or feeling courageous but because it’s simply just who we are, naturally beautiful.  Natural is Cool Enough All the time and that is N.I.C.E.!  In the meantime, I will continue to notice celebrity natural hair sightings, and I will keep posting them until the need to do so is absolutely gone. The good news is that I think we are getting there.