A Natural Is Cool Enough, Hair Braiding Story: It's in Her Hands!

   Below is a story written by a young woman, Christian Nelson, who was in many of my courses at the University where I teach.  She was always very meticulous about her work/studies and continually expressed her enthusiasm for her ambitions to serve in the field of Public Health.  Little did I know that beyond her quest for knowledge, this amazingly intelligent and creative woman, has a skill that comes natural to her based on her African ancestral lineage--the skill of braiding hair.  I am very impressed by her as I too have the skill of braiding hair, which came to me naturally, so I see her as a kindred spirit.  Below is her fascinating hair braiding story, which definitely offers further to an important truth, which is that Natural IS Cool Enough

Christian Nelson's Hair Braiding Story

So, how I started braiding hair?

I became interested and successfully "mastered" my very first "box plait/box braid" at the age of seven on a Barbie doll my mother had given me. That only came after several unsuccessful attempts of trying to make outfits for my barbies with left over fabric my mom would give me. See, I thought for sure I'd be a seamstress (like my mom) or fashion designer after I witnessed my mom make her whole wedding party's gowns! I watched my mom braid and micro our (my sisters and I) hair which I took interest in as well.

Years later (at 11 or 12) I started braiding my own hair; the following year while in the 7th grade, I started braiding the hair of my friends and family for fun. My older sisters, cousins and nieces were my "guinea pigs."  By the end of 7th grade I began doing hair as a side "hustle." The summer of 8th grade had come around and I began doing micros and braids everyday. I was the lowest of the community; cheaper than most women who were career braiders and just as good as those women with my braiding (at least that's what I was told ). I was doing hair so much, my body "shut down" and I had gotten very sick from lack of rest--at this time I was only 13 years old. My mom completely stopped that and told me not to book any more appointments for the rest of the summer. By then, I had saved a lot of money and was able to buy all of my school clothes to enter 9th grade. I was extremely happy that I could do that on my own. My parents had recently separated at the time and my mom had been laid off from Motorola after serving many years there so the extra money certainly came in handy. Sixty five dollars for a 10+ hour(s) hair style never looked so good! Yes, I was only charging 65 dollars for a full head of micro dots and 20 dollars for "crazy braids" aka "Allen Iverson braids!" I realize now why so many people were coming to me. By this time I was doing older women's hair, my cheerleader's hair (i was a junior cheer leading coach), church family member's hair, young men, and more.

Here I am, years later, a full-time grad student, still doing hair. What started out as a hobby turned into a job in middle school. It's like a repeated cycle, I could not work then as a middle school student and as a full time grad student my schedule was not flexible enough for me to have a regular job (well, until now) so hair has been an alternative route for me as far as support goes.

Ultimately, I love putting smiles on my clients faces. When my younger clients sit in my chair, I began to talk to them about hair, school and all sorts of topics--my conversations eventually turns into a mentor session. :) I get many satisfactory texts, calls and posts (on Facebook and Instagram) about my work! No matter how hard I try to stay away from doing hair (to focus more on my studies), the people always seem to draw me back! I love braiding! And I love those that have been supporting me! My family always asks "Christian, what are your going to be, a doctor or a hairstylist?...or Both?"

I believe I get my creativity from both my parents which is a plus when styling/braiding hair!

As  Dr. Rose told us in class, hair braiding is "in us" as far back from our ancestors from Africa. It's in our hands.


Position on natural hair?

I'm all for natural hair! I'm natural!  In April, it'll be 7 years!! I actually convinced my mom, all 4 of my sisters and nieces to go natural and they love it. Before going off to college, I decided to transition and it has been a healthier journey for my hair. My hair has grown more than it did when I use to get perms (even professionally done). I'm now MBL (mid back length as the natural community says) and my moisturizing, oiling, washing and protein treatment routine has helped with its growth and healthier state.  I mostly wear protective styles (braids, twists, sew-in). Since moving back home (to Florida from DC) and being a commuter student, I find it more convenient for me.  Recently (since its cooler) I find my self wearing twisted up dos with my hair bushed in a ponytail with a hand braided or twisted piece connected to it. With Florida's heat, I found that my hair doesn't react well to it. It dries and become brittle very quickly so I choose protective styles as an alternative--to retain the moisture. Since my hair has gotten longer over the years, my coils are not as tightly curled as they use to be--and I really miss my tightly/defined coiled hair !!! I always think about cutting it because of this. Many women are afraid of the natural state of our hair and I always find myself telling friends and family to "embrace your hair--embrace yourself--embrace your beauty". I prefer natural hair over permed hair any day! Natural hair is fun--you have versatility with it!

Every Sunday my [late] great grandmother hot combed my hair, in the kitchen, near that very hot gas stove--I still remember it vividly. Now I'm able to do my own; I do this very rarely, but I know how to hot comb my own hair then revert right back to my curls. :)

I use to be a fan of the "Dominican blow outs", later did I find out it was damaging to the hair because of the extreme high heat. I questioned myself and wondered what exactly was the point of going natural if I straightened it with these Dominican blow outs. Today, I barely use heat to my hair. Many women think for lengthier hair or "prettier" hair, they must straighten their hair. Not true! So overall, Natural Hair is Cool Enough and every client I get, walks out convinced and are happy about going natural! :)


The picture below are some of Christian's styles.  Included are: braids, plaits/box braids/individuals, senegalese twists, havana twist, and faux hawk (mohawk).  

 

Let's Help Change the world with one Consciously N.I.C.E. T-shirt at a time!

N.I.C.E. T-Shirts are now available for order.  A portion of the proceeds will be given to Homeless shelters, food banks and other important causes.  Let's help change the world with one consciously N.I.C.E. T-shirt at a time. If you are interested in acquiring a t-shirt, just let me know how to reach you by providing contact information. Details will be provided upon communication with you about how to acquire your t-shirt.  Check out the t-shirt below!  The N.I.C.E. t-shirt: a visible way of showing everyone who sees you, along with your fabulous hair, (or to give as a gift to someone else),  that Natural IS Cool Enough!

Is There a Natural Hair Revolution Going On?: N.I.C.E. Data Reveals the Answer!

     A 10 question survey was developed.  The women respondents were located by posting the survey link as an Event on Facebook and the link was also sent out via e-mail. The survey link was also given to women at The People of Color Conference in Washington, D.C.  There were two categories of women who filled out the survey. One group was affiliated with the University of Miami (either as a student or alumni) and the second group was not affiliated with the University of Miami. There were 70 individuals that responded in the University of Miami affiliated group and 22 that responded from the non-affiliated group.  Survey Monkey was used to collect the data and analyze the results.   The questions and the results are below.

As a highlight, Number 8 provides the answer to our key question, which is, Is there a natural hair revolution going on?  Based on the results of this survey, the answer is a resounding YES!  Of the 70 respondents from the UM Affiliated Group, 80.71 percent strongly agreed and agreed  and of the 22 Non-University of Miami Affiliates, 80.96 strongly agreed and agreed that indeed "There is currently a natural hair revolution taking place amongst Black women.  If you participated in this survey, Thank you as the results definitely support the fact that for all of the women who took this survey, Natural Is Cool Enough and of course, that is N.I.C.E.!

70 University of Miami Affiliated Respondents:

Are you currently enrolled as a student:
                                                                                               

Yes, full time in graduate school                                                               5.71%
Yes, part time in graduate school                                                             1.43%
Yes, full time at a four year undergraduate college/university             87.14%
Yes, part time at a four year undergraduate college/university                 0%
No, I am not currently enrolled as a student                                            5.72%

22 Individuals Not Affiliated with the University of Miami Respondents

 Are you currently enrolled as a student.

–	–
Yes, full time in graduate school                                                      33.33%
Yes, part time in graduate school                                                             0%
Yes, full time at a four year undergraduate college/university             0%
Yes, part time at a four year undergraduate college/university            0%
No, I am not currently enrolled as a student                                    66.67%

70 U of M  Affiliated Respondents                                        22 Non-Affiliated Uof M Respondents       

2.  I wear my hair naturally as a fashion statement:   

Strongly Disgree:    20.29%                                                                     22.73%        

          Disagree:     34.78%                                                                     31.82%

              Agree:     34.78%                                                                     36.36%

Strongly Agree:      10.14%                                                                      9.09 %

3.  Managing my hair in its natural state is easy.

Strongly Disagree: 18.57%                                                                           0%

              Disagree:   40%                                                                         18.18%

                  Agree:  40%                                                                          54.55%

    Strongly Agree:  1.43%                                                                       27.27%

4.  I wear my hair naturally because it is affordable.

Strongly Disagree:  11.43%                                                                        13.64%

              Disagree: 31.43%                                                                        22.73%

  Strongly  Agree:       40%                                                                         40.91%

                 Agree:  17. 14%                                                                       22.73%

 5.  I wear my hair naturally as an affirmation of my heritage as a black woman.

  Strongly Disagree:    2.86%                                                                      9.09%

               Disagree:  35.71%                                                                      4.55%

     Strongly Agree:    32.86%                                                                     59.09%

                    Agree:  28.57%                                                                    27.27%

6. Black women who wear their hair naturally are more empowered than those who do not.

Strongly Disagree:  31.43%                                                                       13.64%

              Disagree:   44.29%                                                                     63.64%

                   Agree:      20%                                                                     13.64%

    Strongly  Agree:   4.29%                                                                        9.09%

7. I wear my hair naturally because it is healthy to do so. 

Strongly Disagree:       0%                                                                         4.55%

              Disagree:   4.41%                                                                            0%

                  Agree:   41.18%                                                                     22.73%

   Strongly Agree:   54.41%                                                                       72.73%

8. There is currently a natural hair revolution taking place amongst Black women.

Strongly Disagree:       0%                                                                              0%

              Disagree:    4.29%                                                                       19.05%

                  Agree:  45.71%                                                                      66.67%

   Strongly Agree:       35%                                                                        14.29%

9. I do not consider braided or twisted extensions a natural hairstyle.

Strongly Disagree:     32.86%                                                                      13.64%

               Disagree:   38.57%                                                                     54.55%

                   Agree:  22.86%                                                                      18.18%

    Strongly Agree:     5.71%                                                                      13.64%

10.   Natural Hairstyles are suited for the professional environment.

   Strongly Disagree:         0%                                                                         0%

                  Disagree:    5.71%                                                                       0%

                      Agree:   37.14%                                                                  27.27%

        Strongly Agree:    57.14%                                                                   72.73%

            

–

–

–

A Natural Is Cool Enough Black History Month Event at the U: Definitely N.I.C.E.!

At the University of Miami, we are getting geared up for Black History Month and exciting Natural Hair Events.   Information about the first event is depicted, with information below.  This is exciting because there is no doubt that there is a natural hair revolution going on.  An attitudinal survey was conducted by me, to determine,  if the notion of a natural hair revolution is something that the individuals who took the survey agree is true.  Responses from 90 women were received.  Of those women, 70 are affiliated with UM and 20 are not.  The results are very informative! So if you are interested in the survey questions and the results, stay tuned as I will be releasing them at the end of February.  In the meantime,   we will begin with the Photographic Exhibit and the Poetry Slam.  If you are in the vicinity of the event,  join us!  It's going to be a celebration of the reality that Natural Is Cool Enough and that, of course, is N.I.C.E.!!

Richard Sherman--A True Scholar-Athlete with a healthy head of lovely locks: That's N.I.C.E.!

 A big dialogue has ensued about Richard Sherman's outburst at the end of the game and essentially, I am not going to take a position on this at all.  All I have to say is that Sherman is from Compton  in Los Angeles, was the Salutatorian of  his High School class at Dominguez High School, received a degree from Stanford University with a 3.9 GPA and is working towards a Master's Degree at Stanford, if not already received.  The conclusion from the vantage point of N.I.C.E. is that the word thug would not be an accurate word to describe Sherman, no matter the tone of his commentary.  Instead, he is an accomplished, scholar-athlete with outstanding dreadlocks, so at the end of the day, within the context of the Sherman upheaval, it is clear that he knows and thinks that Natural Is Cool Enough and that's N.I.C.E.! 


Of all the commentaries and discussions that I have heard about Sherman, I think the conclusion of this one sums it up best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQCEd6vr9ro


and here is his debate about Good Hair/Bad Hair with Winston Guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk_Qi9njnyE


Again, an indication that Richard Sherman knows that Natural is Cool Enough!

Sasheer Zamata, a Natural Hair Comedic Diva with DRAKE on SNL: That's N.I.C.E.!

Saturday Night Live has chosen a new comedian, who is also a Black woman, after a 6 year lapse of doing so. That alone, is great news.  What is also great is that she will be another black sister on television, sporting her natural hair. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/08/saturday-night-live-saheer-zamata-change-writing.  For those of you who are SNL fans, this is big!  This is exciting!  Natural Hair is infiltrating the media/television and beyond, on every level which is quite exciting.  So to Shasheer Zamata, there is not much to say yet until you are seen in comedic action on this Saturday, July 18, when Drake will be the host.  Good luck to you Zamata and there is great appreciation that you know that Natural IS Cool Enough for SNL and beyond.

Natural Hair and Taking Charge of Your Student Loans: Two Smart Steps Towards Becoming Financially Savvy in this New Year!

Let me begin by asking some questions.  How much money do you spend on your hair?  How often do you go to the salon/beauty parlor? How much do you pay to get your hair permed or touched up?  How much do you pay for natural hair products? How much money do you spend on weave? Truly ask yourself these questions and perhaps, if you have time, sit down and add up the costs.  Are the figures reasonable?  As the author Iyanla Vanzant says, "tell yourself the truth about yourself."  Look in the mirror and tell yourself the truth about how much money you spend on your hair whether your style is natural or not.

The reason I am bringing this up is because I just finished writing a new book.  Actually it is the second of a series and is entitled Forgiveness for Your Student Loans, Part II:  The Information You Need to Avoid Default!  I wrote this book because this nation has over a trillion dollars in student loan debt.  Students are paying or will be paying as graduates, over 6% interest on these loans and the debt is steadily piling up for most people who are pursuing higher education.  It's an unfortunate situation but perhaps, an investment in yourself.  Jobs are tight and you may or may not be able to find a job in the field in which you studied after you graduate but you will be educated, if you take the matter of your college experience, in the classroom, seriously.  So, because some are unable to pay their student loan debt, for various reasons, I wrote books about this to try to provide important and useful information because student loan default is a serious financial problem for many.  Why not avoid it, if you can? To acquire my new book, here is the site: http://www.amazon.com/Forgiveness-Your-Student-Loans-Part-ebook/dp/B00HNF3XWC/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388776071&sr=1-4&keywords=forgiveness+for+your+student+loan 

The book is in kindle format so if yo don't have a kindle, you can go to this site and download the free kindle app: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1000493771 The app can be downloaded to your smart phone, ipad, iphone, Windows 8 PC or tablet, Blackberry or Windows Phone.

I share this book with you because if you are a student taking out loans or a graduate of a college/university and have loans as a result, the above information may be useful to you.  I bring it up in the context of getting our act together, in this new year, in regard to finances and perhaps spending less on our hair, as an immediate step.  Personally, I believe it is cheaper to maintain your hair naturally.  Literally, all that is needed is to wash your hair and take care of it yourself, which eliminates the cost of anyone else being involved.  So what do you need?  First let's begin with product.  For some individuals, within the context of deciding to go natural, a need seems to arise to spend significant amounts of money on the purchase of hair products.  Why?  Truly, all that is needed is a good, thick, creamy shampoo and conditioner (if you can get them both in the same bottle, that is particularly great) and a good moisturizer. If you do not have locks, you need a good comb and whether you have locks or not, a good brush.  That's truly it! There is not even a need for a blow dryer, which is very damaging to your hair and runs up your electricity bill!

Personally, I have reduced the costs in regard to taking care of my hair so significantly that I am extremely proud about it.  There is very little money made by anyone in regard to my hair.  All of the money that would be used to line someone's pockets in the billion dollar hair product industry is saved for me.  All of that money and time that I would use to go sit in a chair for someone to do to my hair, what I can do for myself, is saved for me.  I wash, condition, moisturize, twist and brush my own hair and have been doing so for over 20 years.  I did go a little crazy with product when I decided to start my locks 22 years ago, and prior to that I spent lots of money getting my hair braided until I learned how to braid my own hair, including adding extensions and I don't even want to think about how much it was costing me when I was getting a perm.  I've never had a weave, so luckily I was saved from that expense and time consuming endeavor while others would have made a lot of money off of me just so I could wear somebody else's hair that grew out of their scalp.  As mentioned above,  even when I braided my own hair, adding extensions, I lost way too much of my time and money for the purchase of the hair.  So, I decided to stop that!  Locks require me taking care of my own hair as it grows out of my scalp and it grows very, very long.  Why would I need extensions, synthetic or otherwise? These were very personal decisions for me but it was when I came to these conclusions, in terms of my hair, that I realized that I was conscious and awake and this spread rapidly to many aspects of my life, financially and otherwise. 

Ultimately, in this New Year, perhaps taking a moment to consider where we are spending money unnecessarily and taking charge of situations that can truly mess us up financially, like student loans, is a great place to start.  Natural hair is so absolutely beautiful.  There is no doubt about it.  Styling it on your own and stepping out looking beautifully natural is a gift that you can give to yourself.  All of the money you save can be used to travel or pay for portions of your education, reducing your need for loans or for anything else that you deem worthy of your money that benefits you.  I have chosen these two topics, natural hair and student loans to focus on, as money saving/financial management considerations for the new year.  I suggest that you start with your hair and work your way down to your feet and look all around you in terms of everything you are experiencing and decide what you may want to reconsider, in terms of how you spend your money, and how you manage your finances. In 2014, perhaps debt no more, is the way to go.  If you ARE in debt, how can you acquire the knowledge to make it less stressful and so you can handle it in an empowered manner?  The bottom line is that being natural, in terms of your hair, and taking care of that aspect of your life, financially, is a starting point to opening your consciousness about what matters to you.   As you look at yourself in the mirror, in the year 2014, will it be better for you financially if you embraced your natural hair and decided Natural IS Cool Enough and took charge of managing your own hair?   That would be and is definitely N.I.C.E.!

Idle, Wild, Love: N.I.C.E. Salutes A New, Young, Sister, Novelist, Shaida Escoffery!

   First, let me begin by saying Happy New Year to all N.I.C.E. Readers.  I hope that this year brings you peace, prosperity, love, joy, good health and that you will embrace the reality of knowing that Natural IS Cool Enough!  

   I want to share some good news with you to begin our New Year on this second precious day of 2014. Sometimes, in your midst, there is something wonderful happening that you are unaware of.  A person who you may have exchanged very little words with is creating an experience that you will truly appreciate, but you have no idea that it is occurring.  This just happened in the midst of my reality so N.I.C.E. readers, check this out! A young student in one of my courses whose name is Shaida Escoffery, wrote her first novel!  How amazing is that? As a writer, who has published several books, I have a deep appreciation for this effort.  The name of her new book is Idle, Wild, Love.  I just ordered it in the form of an e-book for my Kindle/Ipad.  This new book is also published in paperback.  I am so excited to share this with N.I.C.E. readers because we have the opportunity to experience  a brand new creative piece of work, at the start of a new year, written by a young Black woman who made her dream come true!  It's a special moment for her, I'm sure, and an opportunity for all of us to  experience this moment with her.  It is fantastic when a person takes the thoughts that are in her/his head, types them meticulously from her/his mind, from where each word emerges creatively and from inspiration, and then watches those thoughts go from the intangible to tangible for others to read and experience.  Sometimes, we take that process for granted but truly we should not.  It is no small measure but quite an accomplishment!

So today, in early 2014, N.I.C.E. shares with you something that is brand new, born from the mind of a young sister, Shaida Escoffery. She has graciously shared her writing experience with you below, which I hope after reading it, you will buy her book and take that journey through Idle, Wild, Love.  

N.I.C.E. Salutes this young sister!

A guest post by new Author, Shaida Escoffery

I first started working on the novel Idle, Wild, Love in the spring of 2012. It started off as a quick one-page opening, just to get a creative writing assignment for class off my back. Soon, when I started my Senior Thesis at the University of Miami in the spring of 2013, with revered author A. Manette Ansay, I picked up back that one page intro and decided to do something with it. 

At the time I was reading up on some historical black towns and became immersed in the community of Idlewild, Michigan. I decided that would be the setting of my novel and went full force into writing. Problem: I had never been to Idlewild, Michigan. I had never even been to Michigan! Solution: I went on a mission trip in the summer of 2013 to Detroit, and also won a grant from the Atlantic Coast Conference in Innovation and Creativity to travel to Idlewild and do my research. My family and I were blessed to travel there and take part in the tranquility and historical significance of Idlewild. Not to mention, they have one of the best ice cream shops that definitely competes with my beloved Devon House in Jamaica. 

I released Idle, Wild, Love in both print and ebook on January 1, 2014. In such a short time, I have been so grateful to see the support of friends, family, and people I don’t know from all over. This leap of faith to pursue my dreams and become an author has taught me so many valuable life lessons.

If you would like to get a copy of this book, please visit my website at www.shaidaescoffery.com