Beyonce and Baby, Historically Natural!

Priorities change for new mothers and the focus becomes the baby.  Natural hair styles become a beautiful choice for easy hair care and a carefree untamed look.   Braids, whether from one's own natural hair or extensions are often the choice and go back to our early African roots. African women have used extensions, various types of braids and locks as styles for their adorning hair crowns throughout history.  For a very interesting history of African hair braiding, check out this website: http://www.ehow.com/about_5792009_history-african_american-hair-braiding.html


So Beyonce and her little Blue Ivy, with her natural curly tresses, are highlighted here as beautiful examples that Natural is Cool Enough (N.I.C.E.) for a new mothers.

BRAIDS AND LOCKS, HISTORICALLY NATURAL

 

Introducing the N.I.C.E. "Holy Grail" Hair Product Holiday Contest!

It is that time of year to spend extra time with loved ones, give and receive gifts and look our best for the holidays.  For Naturalistas the goal is to do so naturally.  Recently, I have been involved in conversations with naturalistas about transitioning to Natural Hair, what to do with their hair (before and after transitioning) and most importantly, what is the "holy grail" of hair products for Natural Hair?  As many of you know, from previous postings, my favorite product is Shea butter.  I use 100% natural shea butter from Africa as part of my natural hair regimen . Shea butter keeps my hair soft and provides that lustrous shine.  It is not the only item that I use but if I had to choose a "holy grail" of hair products, for moisture, condition and shine, for my natural locks, shea butter is my selection.  What's yours?

So, here is the contest announcement:

Share a one paragraph description of your "Holy Grail" natural hair product including:  1) how you use it and why,  2) where we can find it,  3) the cost and 4) why you think it is perfect for natural hair.  The key is that your product must be 100% natural.  Your entry must be submitted by December 15, 2012.  The winner will be selected by N.I.C.E. on or around December 20 and will receive a
16 oz. tub of 100% Natural African Shea butter as a holiday gift for your natural tresses along with a lovely scented surprise (hint: BVLGARI)!  Submit your entry by commenting on this Post with your paragraph.
Note:  You must be a member of  N.IC.E. to participate.  So join today if you are not already a member and let's search for that Natural Hair "Holy Grail" for the Holiday Season!
For the Winner, your gift will be on the way...Good Luck!

A Second N.I.C.E. Winner: Eboni Person's Review Shines!

Recently, at a showing of Chris Rock's Film Good Hair at the University of Miami, students were given the opportunity to participate in a writing contest by writing a review of the film.  There were two winners.  The second place winner was Eboni Person (depicted below)who will receive an Africana Studies Program's Fannie Lou Hamer Award on November 27 at a Reception in her honor along with the first place winner.  Congratulations Eboni!  Your writing and analysis of the film is excellent and N.I.C.E. Salutes you!  Please enjoy her entry below.

Eboni Person

Good Hair Film Review

One day the young daughter of comedian Chris Rock came up to him and said, “Daddy, how come I don’t have good hair?” It was that question that started Rock’s journey to uncovering the meaning of good hair and exploring the multibillion dollar industry that surrounds Black hair.

In the 2009 documentary “Good Hair”, directed by Jeff Stilson, Rock successfully explained the meaning of good hair through interviews with members of “Black Hollywood” and hair care professionals. And, of course, Rock could not leave out his own witty commentary.  

The simplest way of defining good hair is straight hair. And the best way to transform “bad hair,” the hair that naturally grows out of the scalps of black people, is to relax it. A Relaxer is a cream that is applied to the roots of the hair. As it sits in the hair it chemically alters the natural hair texture; preferably making curly and coarse hair, straight and smooth.  

The film explained that along with relaxers, hair weaves are worn to achieve the European look and standard of beauty. The purchasing of weaves is an expensive habit. A habit indulged by the rich and famous, as well as normal working class citizens. Rock traveled to India to see the hair cut off the heads of Indian women. The hair would then be turned into hair weaves and shipped into the U.S. The demand for hair in the states is so great that in India 10 inches of hair is like gold.

Rock backed away from the social and economic aspects of hair to show the entertainment side of black hair. He went to the annual Bronner Bros. Hair Show in Atlanta where hair stylists compete to show how creative and unique they can be with their styling skills.

Bottom line, the film was thought provoking and illuminating of a once touchy subject; black hair. It had some solemn moments, but Rock always knows how to lighten a mood.

A N.I.C.E. Winner! : Christopher Pinto's Critique of "Good Hair" is Enlightening!

Recently, at a showing of Chris Rock's Film Good Hair at the University of Miami, students were given the opportunity to participate in a writing contest by writing a review of the film.  There were two winners.  The first place winner was Christopher Pinto (depicted below)who will receive the Africana Studies Program's Fannie Lou Hamer Award on November 27 at a Reception in his honor along with the second winner.  Congratulations Chris!  Your writing and analysis of the film is excellent and N.I.C.E. Salutes you!  Please enjoy his winning entry below.

 

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After supposedly gaining Civil Rights in the United States, African-American warriors for equality began their removal of the centuries’ long ideological degradation of the Black Community. With three simple words they hoped to instill and inspire their generations, and all that followed, to embrace the internal and external magnificence of being African-American. Black is Beautiful. While such a basic concept, its power cannot be denied. This public affirmation, after centuries of systematic, ideological abuse and the indoctrination that the color of their skin was the reason they were being subjugated, came as a long overdue awakening. Black people no longer needed to conform to white standards of beauty. They were given this amazing gift to allow the attributes that God and nature had given them to be the new definition of beauty in their community. Thus, it is so disillusioning that the Black Community shunned this view and still embraces the standards of beauty that white supremacy deigned to them.

       Chris Rock’s film “Good Hair” examines the role of hair in Black America and how the standards for what qualifies as “Good Hair” still adheres to being white hair. Particularly for the women of this group, hair that is considered natural or nappy is unfavorable. Straight hair and hairstyles of white women are what is viewed as the most attractive type of hairstyle.  The effect of this view manifests itself in various forms.

      The most common way for black women to achieve hair similar to white women is to have “weave” or an outside extension put in. As Rock discovers, weave is extremely expensive, on average costing between $1,000 and $3,500. Even women who cannot reasonably afford weave will sacrifice necessities to have the extension done. The Black Community has always accounted for a disproportionate amount of socio-economic disparity. As Rock examines, weave is one of the constructs which maintains this disparity. Women are using money that could be used for food, children’s needs, and even schooling in order to support their hairstyles. On an opposite note, many black women have broken into the ranks of professionalism and earn more than enough to support their weave habits. While these women may not feel the economic struggle directly, they have portrayed an image to White America; that an educated black woman must have “white hair” or weave. They are the perpetrators who make it so much more difficult for qualified women with natural hair to succeed in the business world, solely because they don’t project the image of a black professional woman.

     Still on an economic note, Rock points out that the weave industry is dominated by Asians and Asian-Americans. The products that Black America uses for their hair are most often sold through white companies. In a market solely based on African-American money, the community sees very little of that return. As happens in economics, this monopoly of the weave market leads to massive exploitation.

     Rock examines the social effect of black hair standards as well. Black men feel that there is a lack of intimacy with their wives and partners because they aren’t able to touch their hair, as they do with women of other races. Women also teach their daughters at a young age to conform to these white standards of beauty. Rock interviewed a toddler receiving a perm, and while she was able to say that the process would make her beautiful, she didn’t understand why straight hair is considered beautiful. Indeed, many women who have bought weave their whole lives don’t understand why doing so makes them “beautiful” they just buy into the theory that it does.

     Rock’s “Good Hair” should then serve as a cry to the Black Community. From its very roots, both hair and historical, this industry and ideology has only served as a structural restraint of natural African beauty. Until Black America sets the example for change, this cultural genocide will continue to prevail and enslave future generations.

N.I.C.E. At the University of Miami: A Gathering of Intellectual Naturalistas!

Last evening, on an historic night in which President Obama was re-elected for a second term as President of the United States, a second exciting event also took place, as we kept our eyes on the preliminary results of the election night results streaming in the background. Natural Is Cool Enough had its first session at the University of Miami to discuss our natural hair! A lively and in-depth discussion took place about whether we think natural hair is a reflection of a level of consciousness or just a style, what we do with our hair after washing it and it is in its natural state and whether we know what to do with it, whether we are concerned that natural hair is not perceived as professional enough and what professional means to us.  We also shared our natural hair stories.  Our next meeting will be in January 2013, as we will begin our new year, naturally.  Definitely, Natural is Cool Enough at the University of Miami is off to a good start and there will be more new exciting ventures including guest speakers, natural hair product reviews, style tips, the politics of natural hair and beyond! 

Author Event at Books and Books in Coral Gables, Florida!

Just a brief post to let you know that on October 10, at 6:30 P.M., Books and Books in Coral Gables, FL will host an Author's Event on my behalf which I want to share with you.  Please see information per this link:
http://www.booksandbooks.com/event/patti-rose

I will give a complete talk about why and how I wrote the book, how I got it published and discuss highlights from the book!  I will be sure to highlight the natural hair "case study" in the book as this work definitely contains cultural competency matters relevant to N.I.C.E.!  Hope to see you there!

Oprah on the Cover of Forbes, Naturally: You Go Girl!

Not only did Oprah Rock her natural on the cover of her own magazine in the most recent issue, but she did the same on the cover of  The Forbes Magazine Special 30th Anniversary Issue, standing in between Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.  All I have to say is that there is no doubt that Oprah knows that Natural Is Cool Enough and to sum it up, You Go Girl!  Natural Hair definitely works in the business/corporate world, for sure and don't ever let anyone suggest otherwise!  Oprah is stepping forward as a natural hair Role Model, and letting the world know that Natural IS Cool Enough and of course, even for the richest people in America and that's N.I.C.E.

Prince's New Style: For Him, Natural Is Cool Enough

Prince has  always been unique in many ways and that alone is a sign of strength and creativity. There is a reason to cheer given the fact that he is about to proceed with a concert in Chicago, to bring awareness to the economic crisis and people who are suffering financially and beyond.  Perhaps, in proceeding with such a worthwhile endeavor, the natural style will serve to highlight his level of  consciousness and awareness about what others are experiencing during these trying times. Whatever his reason for his natural do, one can be certain that at this time, Prince has decided, once again that Natural Is Cool Enough!

Current Prince...

Prince from Back in the Day...He's Back, Naturally!

U.S. Open Naturally: Serena Wins Again!

Serena has done it again, winning the U.S. Open in natural style. This is her 4th time winning the U.S. Open and it has been a banner year for her. Selena also won singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon and the London Olympics.  Once again, she let the world know, by stepping out with her natural, beautiful hairstyle, that she knows, without a doubt, that Natural is Cool Enough!  Fabulous!

Politics Aside: For Michele Obama, Is Natural Cool Enough?

Politics aside, there is no doubt that Michelle Obama is an absolutely intelligent, beautiful and glamorous African American/Black woman. Without taking varied political perspectives into consideration, and focusing on the purpose of nearly all of my Blog posts and it's theme, Natural Is Cool Enough,  I can't help but wonder, what the impact would be if Mrs. Obama were to stop making her hair totally bone straight and let her natural hair, as it grows from her scalp, be seen, in public, particularly when she is giving a speech as important and as eloquent as the speech she gave last night at the Democratic National Convention.  I wrote about this back in May of 2010 and continue to ponder this: http://naturaliscoolenough.blogspot.com/2010/05/should-michelle-obama-wear-her-hair.html.

As I explored the web, after her speech, I wasn't surprised when I saw comments from Black women noting that they were on the fence about keeping their hair natural or transitioning to natural hair, but after seeing FLOTUS during her speech, they were going to go ahead and get a perm or straighten their hair otherwise.  Some think that First Lady Michelle Obama uses a flat iron, others say it is a perm, and some even argue that there is some weave involved.  Essentially, no one knows that will reveal this, nor should they, but what is absolutely clear is that something is being done to change the texture.  So, here are some pictures, in case there is some uncertainty.






Mrs. Obama is a Princeton graduate, a Harvard Law graduate and she is married to the President of the United States. Other than being the President herself, what role would she need to be in before wearing her hair naturally would be acceptable? I can't help but think how intense it would be if side by side pictures of Michelle Obama and Ann Romney depicted Mrs. Obama with her hair rather than like this...




but like the style depicted in the picture immediately below.  Maybe African American/Black women across the web and all over the world who are on the fence about going natural or not would say, I am going to go natural too...with Mrs. Obama as a role model, in terms of hair. Perhaps little Black/African American girls in the U.S. and around the world would look at their hair and want to emulate Mrs. Obama's natural hair.

           

So, although the First Lady, for whatever her reasons, chooses not to represent the notion that Natural Is Cool Enough in her role as first lady, there are others to continue to look to for this type of role modeling.  It's nice to see the covers below with Jill Scott and Oprah as they are literally representing natural hair in the public eye.  For these two ladies, with politics aside, it appears that your perspective is that Natural Is Cool Enough!

Maybe one day we will see Mrs. Obama gracing a magazine cover like this:

 

INSTEAD OF LIKE THIS...